Each December, the festive season seems to arrive sooner than expected. As employees strive to meet year-end deadlines, the responsibility of organising the annual Christmas social arises without warning.

Although securing a venue may appear straightforward, the complexities of balancing budgets and schedules can render an additional strain on already demanding workloads.

However, these end-of-year gatherings hold more significance than most people realise.They represent one of the few opportunities for teams to pause and reconnect before another year begins. When executed effectively, these events remind employees why they enjoy working together.

Drawing on my experience organising social events through StreetHunt Games, for over 4000 teams, I’ve seen what separates a good event from one that people talk about long after it’s over.

Why does connection matter?

With stress levels and burnout continuing to rise across workplaces, employee recognition should remain a central priority for organisational leaders. Researchers from People Management Insight suggest that acknowledging employees’ individual talents can play a crucial role in preventing burnout and enhancing well-being. Beyond this, the desire for authentic connection often becomes even more pronounced during the holiday season.

A thoughtfully planned Christmas event can offer employees a valuable opportunity to step away from their daily responsibilities and decompress. More importantly, well-executed corporate socials can serve as a meaningful expression of appreciation. Moments of validation can strengthen workplace culture in ways that quarterly check-ins or corporate slogans fail to.

Don’t overthink it

When the event finally arrives, there can be a tendency to overfill the schedule in an effort to make the experience feel substantial. However, the most successful events are rarely the most elaborate; rather, they feel effortless and authentic.

Employees often seek opportunities to relax and reconnect beyond their regular work environment. Simple Christmas team activities tend to foster the most memorable nights for colleagues. In these settings, motivation and enjoyment stem from genuine social engagement rather than the intricacy of the event.

For example, corporate groups participating in a StreetHunt experience frequently describe their favourite moments not as the structured elements of the game itself, but as the spontaneous interactions that emerge during it. Such as witnessing quieter team members gain confidence and actively contribute. These small, unscripted connections often become the highlight everyone remembers.

After playing one of StreetHunt Games outdoor escape rooms, the director of a global recruitment company said: ‘Competing as a team is great fun – the degrees of competitiveness and the problem-solving approach style of each member shines through. Everybody’s skills and experience help shape the result. It’s a fun process and part of why working with people sharing a common goal is fun.

Building a strong culture as a team is super important, though – taking time as a leader to get to know individuals and help foster connections is like walking a tightrope. Team culture can mean and be lots of different things, but when aligned well, it helps drive people forward and build future success.’

Focus on shared experience

Ultimately, it is not the physical setting that determines the success of a Christmas party, but the quality of the shared experiences it brings. Whether it’s a collaborative challenge, a city-based adventure, or a shared meal, the objective is to embrace connections among team members.

At StreetHunt Games, this has been observed repeatedly; the location quickly becomes the background to the collective experience. Getting a team out of their office and into a different physical location helps to create moments of teamwork, laughter, and shared discovery, which resonate far more deeply. And not just a different physical environment, but also the purpose of what they’re doing, changing – from working together on a consulting project to bonding over a fun challenge.

Activities that promote movement, a different type of problem-solving, and light-hearted competition often generate a stronger sense of engagement and cohesion. In this way, creative alternatives can leave a far stronger impression than a perfectly decorated venue or a three-course dinner.  Research from Bamboo HR stated that colleague communication improves after team-building activities and 61% said morale is improved.

A genuine thank-you

End-of-year socials should not be perceived as obligations but as a genuine celebration for your team’s collective achievement. A moment that conveys, “Thank you, your efforts make a difference.” Employee recognition remains one of the most influential factors in loyalty and retention among employees. Research from People Management Insight indicates that authentic expressions of appreciation significantly enhance employees’ sense of value and motivation. Ranging from personalised notes to thoughtful words are sincere gestures of gratitude, leaving an impact well into the new year.

When employees feel genuinely seen and appreciated, the overall team dynamic transforms. What might otherwise be an end-of-year obligation instead becomes a meaningful celebration of contribution. These activities can reinforce morale and strengthen the organisation’s collective work culture.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Even the most well-intentioned organisers can encounter challenges when planning end-of-year socials. Several common pitfalls can diminish the overall impact of an event:

• Over-planning: Allow space for spontaneity. Some of the most meaningful interactions occur organically rather than through a structured itinerary. Simplicity often enables more genuine engagement.
• Focusing too much on expensive venues: Employees are more likely to remember how they felt during the event than the details of the surroundings. Resources are best invested in experiences that facilitate connection rather than extravagant venues.
• Forgetting hybrid or remote employees: Inclusivity matters; consider how to make everyone feel a part of the celebration. Failing to do so can induce feelings of disconnection and contribute to burnout in the year ahead.
• Losing sight of purpose: Remember, this isn’t just another corporate event, but an opportunity to thank your team. Keep this experience personal and expand connections between colleagues.

From stress to success

The most effective Christmas team event doesn’t have to be something extravagant; it has to be intentional and meaningful. Their purpose is to remind employees of what they have accomplished collectively and to send them into the new year with a renewed sense of connection and belonging.

At StreetHunt Games, we have consistently observed the balance of laughter, collaboration, and light-hearted competition that can transform colleagues into genuine collaborators.  When an event feels human rather than corporate, it resonates more deeply to create memories long after the festive season has ended.

Overall, the most valuable approach to planning corporate socials is to prioritise authenticity over complexity. Keep the experience simple and filled with genuine appreciation. In doing so, the great gift leaders can offer their team is recognition that their effort and dedication truly mattered.

Read more:
From planning to applause – How to run a Christmas team event they’ll talk about in January

Autumn marks the start of festive corporate event season – that time of year when work calendars often up with the usual ‘team building’ rituals: pub lunches, karaoke nights and overly facilitated icebreakers.

These may tick the social box but do they foster genuine connections between colleagues?

For many, they feel more like obligations rather than opportunities to build real connections with colleagues.

The limits of traditional team-building

It’s a familiar challenge for organisers: how can teams build meaningful relationships without falling back on tired traditions? Often conventional team socials miss the mark:

• A recent Financial Times survey found fewer than 25% of UK workers actually want alcohol at work-social events.
• Timing, travel and family commitments often prevent employees from participating.
• Forced fun doesn’t build real relationships and can leave colleagues feeling excluded or disengaged.

These limitations have prompted organisations to look for alternative approaches that genuinely engage everyone, rather than ticking a box on the calendar.

 The rise of shared adventures

Game-based, adventure-style activities are increasingly popular because they remove the forced ice-breakers and instead encourage natural engagement. Examples include scavenger hunts, problem-solving challenges and city-wide adventure games.

For the Celebrity Traitors fans out there, a recent example of teamwork and discovering your team mates’ hidden strengths was Nick Mohammed’s performance in the ‘Trojan Horse’ challenge. How quick was his puzzle solving?!

These adventure experiences:

• Encourage collaboration and communication
• Spark creativity and out-of-the-box thinking
• Are inclusive and accessible to all team members
• Let colleagues work together toward a shared goal

From my experience hosting StreetHunt Games events, I’ve seen colleagues who start out barely knowing each other (or having never met in person) form strong connections after 90-120 minutes of puzzle-solving and collaboration – helped along by a bit of friendly rivalry when pitted against other colleague teams. They quickly learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which can translate directly into better teamwork back in the office.

The most common feedback from organisers is that these types of games appeal across ages and job roles and achieve a level of engagement that traditional team socials often don’t.

‘We had a FANTASTIC time for our team event. The team has different age ranges and interests but everyone loved it. Great to bring the team together and we’re still talking about it a week later.’

The benefits of team building

Well-structured team-building activities offer a wide range of benefits, supported by research:

• Improved communication: 63% of leaders reported enhanced team communication after participating in team-building activities (BambooHR).
• Higher morale: 61% of leaders saw improvements in team morale (BambooHR).
• Increased motivation: Studies suggest up to 80% of employees feel more motivated when sharing a common mission with colleagues (DPG).
• Stronger social bonds: Gallup found that employees with a best friend at work are 50% more satisfied and seven times more likely to be engaged in their roles.
• Skill development: Problem-solving, creativity and leadership qualities are strengthened.
• Greater productivity: According to research from the University of Warwick, happiness makes people about 12% more productive.

Why adventure-based activities work

These activities combine novelty, exploration and challenge. They get teams out of the office and into environments that stimulate creative thinking and problem-solving. Unlike pub nights or karaoke, adventure-based activities:

• Don’t rely on alcohol or late-night participation
• Can be scaled for teams of any size
• Encourage natural leadership and peer-to-peer collaboration
• Create memorable experiences that foster real connections
• Leverages natural curiosity and competitive instincts, similar to popular TV challenge formats
• Encourages trust, collaboration and strategy in a safe, playful environment

Before you book your next social

Before planning your next corporate social, try to move away from the typical beer-‘o’clock events that can put some team members off. Instead, consider an activity that encourages exploration, collaboration and fun:

• Shared adventure games create stories and memories that last
• Teams naturally connect while problem-solving together
• Participation is inclusive, boosting engagement and satisfaction

Investing in these activities doesn’t just tick the box for having a team social. It builds a deeper connection within teams – turning colleagues into collaborators and friends.

Read more:
Why team adventures beat boardroom socials

When deciding where to spend their time and money, most people don’t start with a business’s website, but start with the reviews.

Whether they’re planning a day out, booking an immersive city experience, or choosing somewhere to eat, a few lines of honest feedback from a stranger can make all the difference.

That’s why your words matter more than you might think. Leaving a review might take just a minute, and it could be the reason someone decides to book. Almost all customers read online reviews before purchasing or booking, and those reviews can tip the scales for small businesses.

Every single review boosts visibility, builds credibility, and helps new customers discover what businesses are all about. For experience-based businesses like StreetHunt Games, reviews often drive over half of all bookings – especially from customers who are new to the city or unsure what to expect. That’s why gathering reviews isn’t just nice to have – it’s often a core part of a small business’s marketing strategy.

Trust

For small businesses, reviews and testimonials are some of the most powerful tools to build trust and credibility. They not only validate your business but also boost your online presence and shape how people see your brand.

One of the strongest effects of customer reviews is the sense of social proof that they provide. Social proof is the idea that people tend to follow the crowd, especially when they’re unsure. Seeing that others have had a good experience gives new customers confidence to choose your business.

This is especially true for small businesses, where a customer may be engaging with your brand for the first time. A review can be the best reassurance that your product or service really delivers.

Watch out for fake reviews! Trust only comes when reviews feel genuine. Fake testimonials are recognisable and do more harm than good. Honest feedback, even when it’s not perfect, is far more convincing. A mix of positive reviews and constructive criticism can boost credibility by showing transparency and a willingness to improve.

Even the number of stars matters. Research shows that the average star rating impacts customer decisions as much as written feedback. Businesses with ratings below 4.0 often get filtered out.

At the end of the day, people buy from businesses they trust, and nothing builds trust quite like genuine testimonials.

Online visibility

In addition to building trust, reviews can help get your business out there in the first place. Regular reviews show that your business is active, relevant, and engaging with customers. This, in turn, can boost your ranking in search results, and improve your online visibility.

When potential customers search for experiences, restaurants, and businesses in your area, those with a steady stream of reviews are more likely to appear near the top of the list. This gives you a competitive edge over other businesses that have fewer reviews.

Reviews often include the words customers use when searching online, helping your business show up more often in search results.

By encouraging customers to leave detailed feedback, you’re not only collecting testimonials but boosting the online visibility of your business: a powerful marketing tool. Additionally, reviews don’t just increase traffic to your site, but also influence whether or not somebody takes the next step. Having reviews helps convert browsers into buyers.

With over 50 per cent of StreetHunt Games bookings influenced by customer testimonials, reviews on platforms like Google and TripAdvisor have proven to be powerful tools in helping new players discover and book our outdoor games.

Valuable feedback

Besides boosting your reputation, customer reviews can also be a valuable source for feedback. Forbes writes, “Customer feedback can provide a goldmine of valuable insights that helps you develop a better product or service.” Honest feedback allows you to spot recurring praise versus pain points, and things you may not realise on your own.

Listening to reviews helps you make informed decisions to improve your products or services, and ultimately, the customer experience. Making changes based on testimonials gives you confidence that your decisions are grounded in real customer needs, which further increases your credibility.

Viewing reviews as a source of constructive feedback allows you to continuously refine your offering and stay competitive in an evolving market.

How to gather reviews

Collecting reviews is important, but how you get them also matters.

Ask at the right time: The best moment to request a review is shortly after the experience. At StreetHunt Games, we send a follow-up email 24 hours after the game with a simple call-to-action and review links. Timeliness boosts the chances that players still have the experience fresh in their minds.

Make it easy: Simplify the process by providing direct links to Google, TripAdvisor or your preferred platform in emails, receipts, and follow-ups. If someone sends kind words via message or email, offer to turn their quote into a formatted testimonial and send them a link to post it publicly.

Showcase testimonials: Highlight your best reviews on your website and social media. Featuring real voices helps build trust with potential customers.

Encourage detail: Ask customers to be specific about what they liked or didn’t. Detailed reviews are more helpful for both you and potential customers.

Be responsive: While responding to reviews is a topic on its own, acknowledging feedback shows that you value your customers and their opinions.

Be consistent with your efforts to gather reviews. It’s not just about how many reviews you have, but also how recently they were posted. Customers are more likely to trust businesses with recent activity, and Google search results often show the freshest content.

How to respond to reviews

How you respond to reviews says a lot about your business. Thanking customers for taking the time to leave a review shows you appreciate their support and encourages others to share their experiences too.

When it comes to negative feedback, responding professionally makes all the difference. This not only helps repair relationships, but also shows potential customers that you care about the experience your business delivers.

Responding promptly and politely to reviews helps build trust, show your commitment, and strengthens your business reputation over time.

Finally, don’t let great reviews sit unused, but repurpose them into social posts. You could feature them on your homepage, and use snippets of them in emails.

Conclusion

Reviews and testimonials are more than just feedback, especially to small businesses. They are a vital part of building trust and getting your business noticed. By encouraging customers to share their experiences and using that feedback to make improvements, you create a win-win for your business and your customers.

Start making reviews a regular part of your strategy today, and you’ll soon see how powerful a tool they can be for attracting new customers and standing out in a crowded market.

Get in touch if you’d like to discuss further or understand the processes tied to testimonials that we’ve used at StreetHunt Games.

Read more:
Why customer reviews are crucial for small business success

In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, it’s easy to spend most of our time indoors -whether at work, home, or commuting between the two.

However, spending time outdoors is essential for both our physical and mental wellbeing. Engaging in outdoor activities can boost health, enhance mood, improve productivity, and even contribute to better sleep quality. We all know this deep down, but scientific studies have reinforced our understanding of these benefits, showing the profound impact of nature on human health and behaviour. For example, the Journal of Global Health analysed 39 studies on nature-based interventions and found that 98% of them reported improvements in mental health outcomes, while 83% and 75% noted enhancements in physical and cognitive health respectively.

The decline in outdoor time

Despite awareness of the benefits, recent studies indicate that people in the UK are spending less time outdoors compared to just a few years ago. According to the Office for National Statistics, approximately one million fewer people in the UK are gaining health benefits from spending time in nature compared to 2020. Recent data also indicates a general decline in outdoor activities (like walking for exercise) since March 2021. Similarly, Natural England’s People and Nature Survey found that nearly 45% of adults in England reported spending more time outdoors in March 2022 than before the pandemic, but this trend has since reversed. All told, it seems clear – we need to individually and collectively prioritise outdoor time!

The benefits of outdoor activities

Improves physical health

Regular outdoor activities like walking, cycling, or playing sports contribute to cardiovascular health, stronger muscles and better overall fitness. According to a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, individuals who engage in outdoor exercise experience greater reductions in blood pressure and stress hormone levels compared to those who exercise indoors. Even a short walk in the park can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Boosts mental wellbeing and sleep quality

Spending time in nature has been linked to lower stress levels, reduced anxiety and improved mood. A study from the National Academy of Sciences found that individuals who took a 90-minute walk in a natural setting showed reduced neural activity in the brain region associated with rumination, a key factor in anxiety and depression. Fresh air, natural light and green spaces help reset the mind and combat mental fatigue, making outdoor activities an excellent remedy for modern-day stress.

Moreover, exposure to natural light helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythm, which plays a key role in sleep quality. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that individuals who spent more time outside during the day experienced better sleep, both in duration and quality, at night. Just a short amount of daylight exposure in the morning can help improve sleep patterns and overall wellbeing.

Think about it – in the millions of years we were hunter gatherers, were we ever sat behind a desk in unnatural light for all daylight hours?!?

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, a well-known advocate for lifestyle medicine, often talks about the simple yet powerful habit of enjoying a coffee outside each morning. This small daily ritual allows for a mindful moment outdoors, helping to lower stress levels, enhance wellbeing, and support better sleep by reinforcing the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.

Enhances creativity and focus

Being outside can stimulate creativity and improve concentration. A joint study by the University of Kansas and the University of Utah found that individuals who spent four days in nature without technology showed a 50% increase in creative problem-solving skills (50%!). A change of environment – especially one filled with natural elements – can enhance cognitive function and inspire innovative thinking. Additionally, seeing new places and experiencing different surroundings can stimulate curiosity and fresh perspectives, further fuelling creativity. Who doesn’t like exploring something/somewhere new?

Encourages social connections

Outdoor activities provide an excellent opportunity to connect with friends, family, or even meet new people. Whether it’s playing team sports, going on group hikes or participating in outdoor events, these interactions foster stronger relationships and a sense of community. Research published in the Journal of Aging and Health suggests that social interactions in outdoor settings contribute to greater overall life satisfaction and emotional resilience.

Increases environmental awareness

Spending time outdoors helps build an appreciation for nature and the environment. This awareness often translates into more sustainable habits, such as reducing waste, conserving resources, and supporting green initiatives. A study from Frontiers in Psychology found that individuals who spend more time in natural environments are more likely to adopt pro-environmental behaviours.

I doubt any of this will surprise anyone, but that awareness alone doesn’t change anything, especially when it’s 2 degrees outside and much easier to curl up on your sofa in front of a screen than head outside!

If you want a few ideas to make a positive change, read on…

Practical tips to make outdoor activities part of your life

Start small and make it a habit

If you’re not used to spending much time outdoors, start with small, manageable activities. A 10-minute walk during lunch, a weekend picnic, or a short morning jog can make a significant difference. Maybe just get off the tube one stop earlier and walk the last leg to your office/back home?

Consider adopting Dr. Rangan Chatterjee’s suggestion of having your morning coffee outside – it’s a simple yet effective way to build outdoor time into your routine.

Incorporate outdoor activities into your routine

Find ways to integrate outdoor time into your daily schedule. Walk or bike to work, hold meetings outside, or exercise in a nearby park instead of a gym. A lunchtime walk or even short walking meetings can be great ways to get fresh air and stay active during a busy day. You’re a team leader and are concerned it will look bad? Invite your team to join you for a lunchtime walk and enjoy the added benefit it brings to everyone!

Plan social outings outdoors

Instead of meeting friends at a café, suggest a walk, a hike, or an outdoor game, for example StreetHunt Games. Organising outdoor activities makes socialising more dynamic and enjoyable. Activities with colleagues outside can also boost team morale and encourage a more active lifestyle.

Try a new outdoor hobby

Different activities like kayaking, birdwatching, photography or street exploration games are just a couple of examples of potential hobbies. Trying something new keeps outdoor time exciting and engaging. Park Runs, which are free, weekly 5k runs in parks around the world, can be a great way to stay active and connect with others.

Make it a family affair

Encourage family members, especially children, to spend time outdoors. Outdoor play, nature walks, and weekend adventures help develop a lifelong appreciation for nature and an active lifestyle. When do you get the best behaviour from your kids? When they’ve been running outside all day, or when they’ve been cooped up at home in front of screens?

Set outdoor goals

Challenge yourself with goals like completing a certain number of outdoor workouts, hiking a specific trail, setting a steps per day target or participating in a community clean-up. Goals provide motivation and make outdoor time more fulfilling – also who doesn’t love a medal/excuse for a treat once a challenge is completed?

In summary

Outdoor activities are not just a luxury; they are essential for a healthy, balanced life. By making small changes to incorporate outdoor time into your daily routine, you can enjoy the numerous benefits nature has to offer. Scientific research continues to support the importance of spending time outside for both mental and physical wellbeing. However, with recent studies showing a decline in outdoor time in the UK, it’s more important than ever to prioritise getting outside.

Spending time outdoors doesn’t have to be a grand adventure – sometimes, the simple act of seeing new things, stepping outside for fresh air, or enjoying a mindful moment with a coffee in hand can be enough to reset and recharge.

So, what’s your next outdoor adventure? Good luck in finding ways to get outside more!

Read more:
Why is it important to get outside? Practical tips to make outdoor activities part of your daily routine

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are essential for understanding and improving business performance.

In my 20+ years of experience as an accountant, I’ve seen businesses that devote substantial time to financial reporting but neglect to monitor the metrics that drive growth. For team-building and events businesses, tracking the right KPIs is critical to understanding client satisfaction, marketing effectiveness, operational efficiency and financial health. These businesses often operate in a dynamic environment where success depends on delivering memorable experiences and efficient operations. Tracking KPIs helps to ensure you stay on top of customer demand, optimise resources and ultimately maximise profitability.

This blog has been split into the business areas that are essential to understand in order to continue to grow – being the customer; marketing; operations; and finance.

Customer Metrics

Customer metrics are central to understanding the quality of the experience you offer and how clients view your services. Positive customer relationships can drive repeat business, referrals and deliver long-term growth. Tracking these metrics helps you maintain a high level of customer satisfaction, which is especially important in team-building and events, where word-of-mouth recommendations and online reviews play a key role.

• Feedback & Reviews – In an increasingly digital world, customer reviews on platforms like Google, TripAdvisor and social media can significantly impact your reputation. Positive feedback builds trust, while negative reviews highlight areas for improvement. By regularly monitoring reviews, you can quickly respond to issues, resolve complaints, and adapt your services to customer preferences. How do you choose where you’re going to eat or what activity to do for an occasion? If you’re not pushing for reviews on the platforms your ideal customers are using to make these decisions, how much business might you be missing out on?
• Error Log & Resolution Time – In the events industry, problems can arise unexpectedly. Whether it’s a delay, technical difficulty, or an issue with event logistics, tracking complaints and how long it takes to resolve them can provide insights into operational weaknesses. By reducing resolution time, you can improve service quality and ensure a smoother event experience for your clients. What’s your average customer service response timeframe? What might happen if you halved it?
• Repeat Customers & Referrals – Tracking repeat business and referrals is essential for understanding customer loyalty. Repeat customers are often more profitable, as they require less marketing spend to convert. In a team-building business, the value of referrals cannot be overstated – they are a testament to your brand’s trustworthiness and success in delivering memorable experiences. By tracking these metrics, you can tailor marketing strategies to encourage repeat business and strengthen your referral program.

Marketing Metrics

Marketing is the lifeblood of any business, and team-building and events companies are no exception. These businesses must stay ahead of competitors in an ever-evolving market by employing effective marketing strategies. Monitoring the right marketing metrics helps ensure your efforts are yielding the best return on investment (ROI) and allowing your business to reach new clients.

• Email Engagement – Email marketing remains a powerful tool for building relationships with potential and existing clients. By analysing open rates, click-through rates and conversion rates from email campaigns, you can assess the effectiveness of your messaging and calls to action. This is especially important for team-building businesses, which often rely on repeat customers or corporate clients who need regular engagement. Have you evolved the way in which you speak to your customers in email campaigns in reaction to campaign success metrics?
• Social Media Performance – For events and team-building companies, social media serves as both a marketing tool and a way to engage directly with clients (alongside ensuring you pass a simple credibility check). Monitoring metrics such as engagement, shares and audience growth on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn can help you gauge brand awareness and how well your content resonates with potential clients.
• Website Analytics – Your website is the centrepiece of your online presence, so understanding how visitors interact with it is key to converting leads into clients. By tracking organic traffic, referral traffic, conversion rates and key user interactions (such as time spent on the page and bounce rates), you can optimise your site to enhance the user experience and improve conversion rates. Does one page get increased engagement? Can you replicate the drivers across the website?
• Google My Business Insights – In the competitive events industry, visibility is crucial. Tracking Google My Business metrics such as visibility, search queries and customer actions (calls, directions, website visits) can help you understand how well your business is performing in local searches and how clients are engaging with your business online.
• Search Engine Optimisation (“SEO”) Performance – For team-building and events businesses, SEO is essential for organic growth. Tracking organic website traffic, monitoring backlinks and assessing domain ratings helps you gauge the effectiveness of your SEO strategy. The better your SEO, the higher you’ll rank in search engines, making it easier for potential clients to find your services. For a business that relies on local clients or large events, this can significantly impact your client acquisition strategy.
• Paid Marketing Performance – Paid marketing campaigns such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads can drive immediate traffic, but it’s essential to measure their effectiveness in terms of brand awareness and conversions to bookings. By tracking impressions, reach and the cost per conversion, you can refine your paid marketing strategy and ensure you’re getting the best ROI.

Operational Metrics

The success of any event, particularly in the team-building sector, hinges on operational efficiency. Tracking operational KPIs ensures that your business runs smoothly, maximising efficiency, reducing errors and optimising resource allocation.

• Event Attendance & Capacity Utilisation – In the events industry, the ability to optimise event capacity is crucial to profitability. Tracking actual attendance against planned capacity allows you to make adjustments in real-time and better forecast demand for future events. This KPI helps avoid overbooking or underutilising venues and resources.
• Game Completion Rates – In team-building businesses, it’s important to track how many teams complete experiences. This data helps you identify which activities or challenges are more engaging or highlighting where participants tend to drop off. Understanding this helps improve event design, ensuring participants stay engaged throughout the experience.
• Time Efficiency – Efficiency is key to profitability, especially in events with tight schedules. By evaluating the time it takes to set up, run, and close down events, you can streamline processes, reduce costs and increase the overall quality of service. This is particularly relevant in team-building, where each minute counts to ensure a seamless experience. Neither the corporate nor individual attendees want to be waiting around twiddling their thumbs when they’ve managed to get some time away from their desks!
• Staff Utilisation – In team-building and events businesses, your team is one of your most valuable assets. Monitoring how effectively team members are allocated based on demand and workload ensures you’re not overstaffed or understaffed, which can impact both customer experience and profitability.

Finance Metrics

Financial health is the backbone of any successful business, in particular a thorough understanding the financial metrics that drive profitability are essential. Team building and events businesses often deal with seasonal fluctuations in bookings and revenue, making it even more important to closely track financial KPIs.

• Revenue Tracking Setup – Setting up accurate and relevant revenue tracking is vital. Categorising revenue by customer types or platforms helps you understand where your income is coming from, making it easier to allocate resources and make informed decisions (such as inking to appropriate marketing campaigns discussed earlier). Clear tracking ensures accurate financial reporting without the need to manipulate bookkeeping methods.
• Profit Metrics – Identifying your key profit metric, whether gross profit, net profit, or another measure, helps you understand the true financial health of your business. Profitability is especially important in the competitive events industry, where margins can be thin. Excluding factors like depreciation gives a clearer picture of the actual profitability of the services you offer.
• Bookings vs. Players – For team-building and events businesses, it’s important to distinguish between bookings made and actual players attending. This distinction helps track revenue in the pipeline, account for deferred revenue and predict future cash flow, which is critical for managing cash flow gaps between bookings and actual payments.
• Balance Sheet (BS) Metrics – Monitoring balance sheet metrics such as assets, liabilities, and equity allow you to assess the financial stability of your business, which is especially important when considering future investments or expansion.
• Cash Flow – Monitoring cash inflows and outflows helps ensure your business can meet its financial obligations, pay employees, and reinvest in growth. Cash flow management with freelance invoice receipt templates is particularly important in team-building and events businesses where seasonality or upfront payment schedules can create financial pressure. People often talk about different profit measures, EBITDA etc, but Cash is always King!
• Forecasting Revenue – By updating forecasts based on confirmed bookings and conversion probability, you can project future income and better manage resources.
• Revenue from New vs. Repeat Business – This metric helps assess customer loyalty and optimise marketing efforts. By tracking new versus repeat clients, you can tailor your strategy to retain loyal clients while attracting new ones.

Final Thoughts

Focusing on all of the above KPIs allows small businesses in the team-building and events industry to make informed decisions, improve operations, and drive sustainable growth.

Whether you’re managing corporate events, team-building activities, or social gatherings, tracking the right metrics ensures long-term success. By closely monitoring customer feedback, marketing performance, financial health, and operational efficiency, businesses can gain actionable insights to refine their strategies and optimise performance. The ability to track and respond to KPIs will help your business thrive, ensuring that every event, every booking, and every customer experience is a step toward greater success.

Whilst I know it sounds like a lot, once you develop good processes and systems these get easier and easier to update, track and compare. Using actual data to drive decisions, rather than relying on gut feel, will speed your company’s path to success!

Get on touch if you’d like to discuss further or understand the processes we’ve used at StreetHunt Games to track our KPI’s.

Read more:
Effective KPIs for Team-Building and Events Businesses

As a small business owner building my business from the ground up, I’ve not had the option of hiring full-time staff in the early days of my startup. Instead, interns have played a significant role in helping the business grow.

Internships and apprenticeships offer numerous benefits to small businesses (and larger ones too!). After recently bidding farewell to my 9th and 10th interns, who both returned to the U.S. in late 2024, I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve learned from the experience and how I can make the most of future internships for both StreetHunt Games and the interns.

Here are my top five tips for making the most of what can be an invaluable resource.

Ensure the intern is properly onboarded and gains a strong understanding of the business

We run an outdoor adventure game company offering immersive, self-guided mysteries set in captivating locations—a unique blend of a grown-up scavenger hunt, escape room, and murder mystery, all played outdoors in the heart of a city, with the game accessed and guided through a smartphone.

For my business, onboarding begins with an initial presentation about what we do, along with an overview of our business strategy and goals. I then encourage each intern to spend time reviewing our website, social media accounts, and to also spend some time understanding our competitor offerings. They also head out to experience one of our games firsthand, ensuring they quickly gain an understanding of our offering from a customer’s perspective.

Through this experience, the intern is better equipped to produce work that is both insightful and valuable.

Key elements to consider during the onboarding process include:

• Systems/Tech admin -Ensure the intern has access to all necessary tools and platforms to hit the ground running.
• Business Processes – Discuss how and where they should document their work.
• Branding and Values – Provide background on the business’s brand identity and core values, first hand wherever possible.
• Expectations – Clarify working hours and arrangements for office or remote working, with dedicated meeting times.
• Intern Goals – Understand their objectives and aspirations (more on this later).
• Communication – Establish a system for the intern to ask questions and provide updates in a way that works for both of you.

Provide relevant training

To get the most out of internships, it’s crucial to ensure the intern has the necessary skills and capabilities to complete the tasks you assign. As these tasks are given, it’s worth investing time upfront to understand their experience level and ability to complete them independently. If there are any gaps, provide training. This approach ensures the quality of their work is significantly higher and reduces the likelihood of you needing to redo tasks, making it time well spent.

There are numerous online training resources available—such as YouTube or ChatGPT — I’ve also found excellent free Excel courses and training on tools like Google Analytics on platforms such as Udemy.

In addition to task-based training, it’s valuable to provide opportunities for professional development, such as goal-setting workshops or career-focused discussions. These help your interns gain a broader perspective and improve their skills for the future, ensuring they get the most out of their experience.

Common areas I’ve provided training on include Canva and AI courses (You Tube videos), excel (Udemy), PR (using courses from The PR Set) and Maddy Shine’s groups for SEO. I also attended a unique mood board workshop with an intern at the start of 2024, where we cut up magazines to create visual representations of our personal and professional goals for the year. It was a fantastic bonding experience and a creative way to reflect on our aspirations for the year ahead.

Find the right tasks

One of the trickiest aspects of making the internship process work for both business and intern is avoiding excessive time spent on setting tasks and answering questions. I’ve found the best way to mitigate this challenge is by assigning tasks based on the individual intern’s skillset.

Once you’ve started working with the intern and completed your onboarding process, you’ll have a better understanding of their strengths. Maximising the benefit of the internship involves playing to these strengths. Assign tasks that they are likely to enjoy and engage with, or at the very least, tasks they have the skills and knowledge to complete successfully.

I’ve listed below some tasks that have worked well for me with multiple interns. Once you’ve set up a task for the first time, make sure to document it in process notes so the setup becomes quicker in future. As questions come up about tasks, I add to the process notes, making them more comprehensive over time.

• Research – Research is always an important element for small businesses, yet business owners often run out of time to do it themselves. Interns can perform research on competitors, marketing trends, partnership opportunities, influencers, and backlink targets. These tasks are easy to set up and can be very engaging for the intern, also bringing insight from fresh eyes and potentially a different demographic.
• Recurrent Tasks – Tasks that need to be completed daily, weekly, or monthly are ideal for interns. Examples include creating social media content, responding to customer testimonials, bookkeeping, creating blog content and uploading those blogs to your website. In my experience, interns enjoy these tasks because they can improve their efficiency over time and become familiar with the work, which adds a sense of accomplishment. Creating marketing content like blogs or social media again can produce new ideas, whilst allowing interns to put their personal spin on your business.
• Review Your Own To-Do List – Look at your own to-do list and identify tasks that never seem to rise to the top. How can you break them down and delegate some of this work to the intern? Having the accountability of working with interns can help you finally make progress on tasks that you have been avoiding.

Take advantage of having a new perspective in the business

I’ve been fortunate enough to have all my interns from Accent Global Learning, and the quality has been consistently high. Each intern has been enthusiastic, eager to learn, and brought a unique perspective.

Interns offer a distinct advantage to small businesses: they often have up-to-date knowledge of industry trends and technologies, thanks to their recent academic experiences. They’re keen to contribute and unafraid to challenge traditional ways of thinking, which can provide fresh insights into your business and help solve existing challenges with innovative solutions.

For businesses like ours, which integrate modern technology into real-world experiences, interns can offer valuable ideas on the latest apps, augmented reality features, and sustainability trends, alongside key insight into a specific customer segment.

An example of this has been in the onboarding process, where I ask interns to review our website and social media accounts, providing as much constructive feedback as possible. This review process and listening to their feedback has resulted in multiple changes to both the structure and content of our website, as well as adjustments to the type of content we share on social media. Interns have also identified partnership opportunities working with other types of businesses that I had not previously considered.

Listening and actioning these different perspectives has ultimately resulted in StreetHunt Games growing as a business.

Feedback, mentorship and checking in on the interns

It is essential to check in with the intern regularly throughout the internship. Ensure the tasks they’re assigned continue to engage, and ask if they have any other ideas for contributing to the business. I’ve found that the quality of work is always greater when the intern understands what they’re doing, is engaged in the task, and knows the benefit it will bring to the business. Even higher when the intern has put their hand up to do it themselves!

I also make an effort to share any thought leadership I receive as a small business founder with the intern, and provide updates on business strategy during their placement. This helps them see the wider context of their work and how it fits into the overall goals of the business.

If there are tasks or behaviours that aren’t working well, it’s important to address these as they arise, rather than waiting until the end of the internship. Give the intern the opportunity to adjust their approach, as it’s often the result of a miscommunication. Prompt open and honest feedback is critical to all successful work relationships – interns are no different!

Whether the internship is face-to-face or remote, regular catch-ups are essential. Ideally, face-to-face meetups and informal discussions, alongside formal work meetings, help strengthen the relationship and ensure clear communication throughout the internship.

From the perspective of the Intern

At the end of an internship, I asked one of my interns to consider what top tips they would give to future interns to maximise the benefits of the experience. Here are Alex’s top tips:

I’ve had the opportunity to intern for StreetHunt Games for the last two months while studying abroad in London. I also have previous experience interning with UCLA Athletics and Bally Sports in California and through these experiences, I have learned a lot about how to make the most of your limited time working as an intern. Here are my top five tips to make the most of your time:

1. Set Clear Goals: Understand what you want to achieve during your internship in order to set specific, achievable goals and share them with your supervisor or mentor.
2. Take Initiative: As an intern, you should be proactively seeking out opportunities to contribute and learn. Offer to assist with projects and ask questions to deepen your understanding and make the most of your time working.
3. Network: Use your time as an intern to build relationships with colleagues, supervisors, and other professionals in your field. Attend company events, join professional groups, and connect with people on LinkedIn.
4. Seek Feedback: At the end of your time interning, check in with your supervisor or mentor to discuss your progress, strengths, and areas for improvement. Use their feedback as an opportunity to learn and grow, and make adjustments in the future.
5. Reflect and Learn: Take time to reflect on your experiences and what you’ve learned during your internship. Consider what skills you’ve developed, challenges you’ve overcome, and accomplishments you’ve achieved.

I would echo all of Alex’s recommendations and also add a few more:

1. Ask questions when unsure – It’s better to clarify things early on; it will save time and ensure the work is completed correctly.
2. Provide updates – At the end of each day, share what you’ve completed and highlight any areas where you may need assistance before your next working day.
3. Take advantage of opportunities offered – Internships are often short-term, so make the most of the various types of work and experiences you’re given to maximise your learning.

In summary, internships provide valuable opportunities for both small businesses and interns. By ensuring proper onboarding, assigning relevant tasks, and offering necessary training, businesses can maximise the benefits of interns. Interns bring fresh perspectives, up-to-date knowledge on industry trends and consumer behaviours, and technological insights that can help drive innovation and business growth. Regular check-ins, feedback, and mentorship also contribute to a positive and productive experience. For interns, setting clear goals, taking initiative, networking, and seeking feedback are essential for making the most of the internship. With mutual investment, internships can lead to substantial growth for both the business and the intern. You never know – you may also be meeting a future employee!

Read more:
Benefits of internships in 2025

Have you been tasked with organising a fun team bonding activity and have no idea where to start? Don’t worry – this article will help to guide you and hopefully make it as painless as possible!

Have all the obvious options been done? So dinner and drinks just doesn’t cut it anymore?

Here are five top tips to organise a fun social activity that your team will love AND most importantly it won’t break the bank.

With time in mind, we’ll get straight to it…

Understand your team

Consider the interests and preferences of your team members. What activities do they enjoy? What would be a good fit for the team’s personality?

Keep in mind the diverse preferences within the team. Try to find activities that can appeal to a broad range of interests.

Try to choose something that has a wide appeal, rather than just heading to the local pub. Are they an active bunch? A group of culture vultures? Or do they love an ‘experience’?

What’s the objective of the team bonding activity?

What are your team’s goals? Clearly define the objectives of the team bonding activity. Is it meant to improve communication, build trust, enhance collaboration, or simply provide a break from work?

Make sure there is relevance to the team bonding activity. Ensure that the chosen activity aligns with the goals and values of the event, team and the organisation as a whole. If it needs to fit into a wider corporate day, can you find something that slots seamlessly into the theme(s) of the day?

Consider logistics of the team bonding activity

Choose a time that works for everyone, and be mindful of the duration of the activity. It should be long enough to achieve its objectives but not too long to cause discomfort or cause boredom.

Select a convenient and accessible location. This could be within the office premises, at an off-site location, or even a virtual setting. Getting outside and the team moving is always a good option to keep everyone engaged.

Choose an engaging activity different to what you’ve done before

You could incorporate a mix of activities to cater to different preferences. For example have an outdoor organised activity followed by a more informal networking activity for teams to mingle. Or perhaps something in in your office with smaller groups responsible for bitesize bits of entertainment? I’ve seen a simple rock, paper, scissors competition go down a treat with a bunch of accountants and really raise the energy!

Encourage reflection and feedback

Schedule time for a debriefing session after the activity. This allows everyone to reflect on the experience, share insights and discuss how the lessons learned can be applied in the workplace.

Collect feedback from the team about the activity and take the time to review it properly. This can be valuable for future planning and ensures that these team bonding activities continue to meet the evolving needs of the team.

Remember, the key to a successful team bonding activity is to create an inclusive, enjoyable experience that aligns with the team’s goals and promotes positive interactions among team members.

Now you have the tips are you ready to organise a fun team bonding activity?

As the founder of an outdoor scavenger Hunt company, I’ve seen first-hand the benefits of getting teams outside and doing something unique and fun that can provide a great balance of meeting teams objectives.

Here’s why an outdoor scavenger hunt is perfect for enhancing teamwork, communication, and overall team spirit:

1. Collaboration at its best – teams must work together to solve clues, strategize, and navigate through the outdoor environment.
2. Provides a communication boost – working together to solve riddles, decipher clues, and locate hidden locations —all of which require effective communication. Such an activity enhances verbal and non-verbal communication skills as teams work together to crack codes and complete challenges.
3. Build trust and camaraderie – strengthen bonds among team members by sharing the excitement of discovery and accomplishment.
4. Healthy competition – introduce a dash of friendly competition to energise the atmosphere. Teams can compete against each other, adding a fun and motivational element to the activity.
5. Enjoy the great outdoors – escape the confines of the office and enjoy the natural surroundings. Fresh air and outdoor exploration can invigorate the team, fostering a sense of well-being.

In most cities in the UK there are outdoor scavenger Hunts available. The format ranges from paper-based treasure hunts; those using phone messages or whatsapp; right up to Hunts using their own application software such as StreetHunt Games (which is built around an interactive map). Players use the map to find virtual contacts, who share information to help you crack the case.

An outdoor Scavenger Hunt is not just a team bonding activity; it’s an adventure that brings your team together, promotes collaboration, and ensures a day of shared laughter and achievement.

Read more:
Five things you need to think about when organising a fun team bonding activity

The working population spends nearly 70% of their days at work. We all know that ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy(/girl!)’ so what can we do to make sure that employees have enough ‘play’ during their time at work?

Historically ‘play’ has been associated with children but there is a growing trend recognising the importance of play in adults. The concept of play started as part of our fight-or-flight response and it’s been a part of all cultures across the world ever since – it is part of the fabric of being human.

Outside of the occasional team social, usually involving dinner and drinks, play is still generally overlooked in the workplace and largely seen as mutually exclusive (if you’re playing, you’re not working!). With significant shifts in the work landscape since the pandemic, if employers wish to improve retention levels, it’s now accepted that increasing the level of ‘play’ in day-to-day employee interactions could solve more than one current problem facing teams.

Why should employers increase play in the workplace?

Improved mental health

The NHS look at mental wellbeing through five key pillars – connecting with people, being physically active, learning new skills, giving to others and paying attention to the present moment.

An increase in play generally leads to increased connection with people; play provides the potential for being physically active; depending on the nature of the play employees can learn new skills; and while in play employees are forced to be present in the moment, with work and life worries ideally fading temporarily into the background.

In 2022 London School Economics published a study that playing location-based games that encourage outdoor activity, face-to-face socialisation and exposure to nature may alleviate mild depression. The study findings were based on Pokemon Go, but other events such as StreetHunt Games’ gamification of city exploration were also quoted as a popular example.

Addressing the reduced connection resulting from hybrid working

We’re getting close to two years since the COVID 19 restrictions ended but we’ve seen a permanent change to the working from home culture compared to pre-pandemic. Whereas working from home used to be the exception, as of May 2023, 39% of workers in Great Britain had worked from home at some point in the previous 7 days.

This reduction in face-to-face interaction at work means that employers need to find other ways to ensure their teams are connecting. Introducing elements of play into the working day, for example bringing colleagues together with face-to-face play can potentially reduce the risk of isolation and loneliness.

Cognitive benefits

It is believed that play has cognitive benefits for adults, including improved memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. Stuart Brown, the founder of the National institute of play was quoted as saying that ‘play leads to brain plasticity, adaptability and creativity…nothing fires up the brain like play.’

A BBC article in 2022 asked the question ‘Is it time we took ‘play’ more seriously?’ The article explored the reasons children play and it was explained by Sam Wass, a child psychologist and neuroscientist at the University of East London, that play helps to build connections between different parts of the brain which haven’t necessarily been connected before.

Increased happiness and therefore productivity

There is a significant benefit to employers having happier employees with evidence from the University of Oxford indicating that happy workers are 13 per cent more productive.

For Samantha Warren, Professor at the University of Portsmouth, having a “good old laugh at work seems to be the solution for everything.”

Her work suggests that being playful can make businesses better with effects such as “reduced absenteeism, greater commitment, more creativity, better team building and general happiness.”

What practical changes can organisations make to incorporate more play into the workplace?

Introduce play to team training

Learning and development are critical to a teams’ success and one way to increase employee engagement is to introduce elements of play into training and workshops.

This is a concept used by LEGO in their LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology. They run facilitated sessions, where participants are playing with LEGO and they’ve found this kind of hands-on, minds-on learning produces a deeper, more meaningful understanding of the world and its possibilities. It encourage reflection, as well as develop problem-solving skills and use of the imagination.

Bring play to team socials

Historically team socials involve dinner and a reliance on alcoholic drinks, but there has been a growing trend to increase the level of play at such events and move to activity-based team socials instead.

As reported by Raconteur, VenueScanner’s head of BSB Sophie Knight noted that they have seen a 2.5 times increase in reservations for experience and activity-based venues over the 2023 Christmas period, compared to last year.

There are a number of examples of activity based team socials such as ten-pin bowling, electronic darts, crazy golf, escape rooms and outdoor scavenger hunt games. Events such as StreetHunt Games and Monopoly Lifesized have substantial proportions of their business generated through corporate bookings.

Ensure adequate breaks

Increased play can also be enabled through ensuring employees have time and flexibility in their working day to fit in their choice of activities. This could include playing a game of squash or tennis with a colleague or friends, a gym or dance class or a game of table tennis in the workplace.

Table tennis England have reported that 51% of workplace table tennis participants reported they increased their physical activity levels since playing at work. Healthy body = healthy mind!

The use of technology

There is now a whole industry dedicated to providing gamification software to businesses with the aim of boosting engagement. This includes games that employees play to teach them how to become better salespeople or self-improvement training using habit tracking software.

If companies are looking to improve workplace processes, gamification software may also provide an efficient solution. Wazoku, a web based workplace idea generation and innovation tool, incorporates challenges and leaderboards into such activities, facilitating play whilst looking to improve working practices/environments.

Play is not a new concept – it was a method used to appease the Gods in Roman times. The Roman Games included chariot races, gladiator contests and theatrical performances which were held in honour of Jupiter, the king of the gods.

Although not new, its role in adult society and in particular in the workplace is evolving and a likely trend in 2024 is for the importance of play for both employers and employees continuing to increase.

Read more:
The importance of play at work