How to Plan a Successful Company Outing That Everyone Will Love

One of our favorite traditions here at AirTank is the annual company outing. Over the years, we’ve gone go-karting, bowling and even zip-lining. Rather than focusing on traditional team-building activities, our goal is to get everyone together and have a good time—because we know that ultimately that’s the best way to bond and foster better work relationships.  

Here’s what we’ve learned in our years of planning successful company bonding events.

Get out of the office.

The best company bonding events always take place outside of the office, during work hours. Just getting out of that familiar office workspace allows people to let loose and interact without any in-office distractions. The goal is for everyone to feel like this isn’t just another work day, and it’s hard to accomplish that if you’re in the same old environment. 

Poll colleagues for ideas.

It’s important to choose an event that’s fun and accessible for everyone. We like to come up with a list of several company outing ideas and poll colleagues to see what people are interested in doing. This way, everyone has a say. Not only that, but it gives people an opportunity to speak up if there’s something they’re unable to do.  

Limit team sizes.

If your company outing involves splitting people up into teams, it’s always smart to keep the teams on the small side. This will help ensure that everyone is engaged, and allow for each person to participate to their fullest.

Provide food.

The last thing you want during a company outing is for people to start feeling hangry. That’s not exactly the best circumstance for bonding, so be sure to include meals and snacks—especially if your event runs for more than a few hours. If you can’t eat at the site of the company outing, plan a nice lunch or dinner at a nearby restaurant.  

Gather feedback.

Finally, after your company outing goes off without a hitch (fingers crossed!), gather feedback from colleagues to keep in your back pocket for next year.

Good luck, and have fun!