Team Building Venues in London

We never really think about it that much, but our colleagues are probably the people we spend most of our time with. Five days a week, eight hours a day, every single week for years of our lives. That’s why it’s important we get along with them! We should trust and build rapport with our colleagues, not just for the sake of the company bottom line, but also for own sanity and wellbeing.

You want your staff to be happy, right? Sane? All getting on with each other? Of course you do. Well, team building is a pretty good way to do it, strengthening ties between team members and providing a space outside of the work environment for workers to spend quality time with one another. But what sort of team building event is best for you?

Team building ideas

To begin with, you might want to think about hosting outdoor activities in an outdoor space, such as a park in Soho or a garden in Westminster. Alternatively, there are endless indoor events where you can host a memorable team activity to bring everyone together - the possibilities really are endless.

You can choose your event based on what you think your staff would like, or you could even have them vote on what they’d like to do. Still, in case you’re a bit stuck for ideas, we’ve got some great suggestions for unusual team building activities London-wide, from murder mystery parties to hosting a top team talent show.

Murder mystery dinner party experience

Nothing brings people together quite like a mystery to solve. We love a good murder mystery, and add in a delicious dinner and you’ve got a winner! You can either book an existing murder mystery event or go all out by planning your own in a quirky venue in London. It’d be a nice little challenge for someone who loves mysteries. Have your staff work together to find out who the killer is, or if you’d like something a little lighter – you could have the catch a thief.

Crazy golf + bowling lanes

Another idea you might want to consider is crazy golf, where staff can either compete one-on-one or team up in small groups. Similarly, you might consider hosting an event at a bowling alley with the same idea, where whichever team wins could receive a small gift. Give them the opportunity to let their competitive side out!

Cocktail masterclass workshop

Team building in the city doesn’t get much better than this: who doesn’t love a cocktail? We know we do, and we’re pretty sure your workplace does too. Whether it’s a cocktail or a mocktail you’re after, a cocktail masterclass is not only educational, but it gets everyone talking, laughing and making their own fair share of cocktails… good or bad.

Pub quiz

Believe it or not, pub spaces an be some of the best team building event venues in London. So simple, so elegant, and so… British. The pub quiz is a popular pastime for a lot of people, so why not let them show their colleagues what they’ve got? You can join one that happens regularly or, if you’ve got enough people that want to join in, create your own in a pub venue or similar. Plus, with a classic pub quiz comes a classic pub garden, arguably the best spot for a summer party and a game of social darts.

Talent show

You never truly know someone until you’ve seen them play the guitar while doing backflips and juggling rings of fire on a unicycle, right? Okay, so maybe nothing quite that ridiculous, but don’t underestimate people’s desire to show off what they’re good at outside of work. Singing, dancing, magic and stand up comedy can all take centre stage with a company-wide talent show.

Charity fundraising space

It’s good for people in need, and it’s good for the soul. A charity event is a fantastic option for a team building affair. From sponsored silences and cake sales to bungee jumping and little tasks (have you ever heard of the crystal team challenge?), there’s a whole host of fun activities your staff can do for charity to bring them closer together to each other, and to the community. The hall venues and gala venues in London could be the perfect option for charity fundraising events!

Escape rooms + treasure hunts

There are an incredible number of escape rooms out there with an outstanding number of scenarios that everyone can enjoy. Whilst you work together to solve the clues (or you stand there like a bit of a lemon watching people solve these seemingly impossible clues), you will see some serious team bonding. It’s one of those activities that will be talked about in your coffee breaks for time to come.

Planning your team building activity

Step 1: Think about your audience

Team building activities work best when they’re tailormade for the team. What you think is a good idea might not be enjoyable for most of your staff, so it’s a good idea to get their opinions and take their hobbies and interests on board before you decide on an activity.

Step 2: Choose your activity

From murder mystery dinners to cooking classes, use what you know about your staff to choose something fun and engaging that you’ll know everyone will love. You want something that people will be excited for, and that people won’t stop talking about once it’s over. But how exactly do you plan this team building activity?

Step 3: Budget

The centrepiece of planning: the budget. The budget dictates how much you can do, where you can do it and how lavish it can be. Make sure you know how much you have to spend before you start really planning anything. The activity you choose can be low-budget if necessary.

Step 4: Venue

It might be nice to get everyone out of the office, into a relaxed environment where they can be themselves. From bars, dining halls and unique spaces to boardrooms and conference venues, we’ve got it all.

Step 5: Date and time

It’s unlikely you’ll please absolutely everyone, but if you choose the date wisely, you should get most people on board. There’ll always be someone who’s going to a wedding, on holiday, or just simply doesn’t want to go, but boost your guestlist as much as you can by thinking smart. Maybe put the feelers out for a couple of dates within the company, and see what feedback you get. Once you've settled on a budget and a location, you'll need to think about whether you'll be serving food - if so, now's the time to start looking into catering.

Step 6: Food and drink

Will you be serving food? Well, time to look into catering then. In some cases, the venue you choose may be able to help you with this. Lots of them have in-house caterers or a list of recommended suppliers that they can offer you. Or perhaps you fancy catering for your own event? Some venues can offer dry hire for your event.

Step 7: Invite people!

I mean, this is pretty crucial. Imagine all that planning and your excited little face when you realise you forgot to actually tell anyone about it and no one turned up. We don’t want that – no one wants that. So, make sure you let everyone know exactly when and where the team building activity is, whether it’s mandatory, and what will be happening during it. People like knowing what they’re letting themselves in for, and if you’ve planned it well, it will be hard to turn down.

What are the benefits of team building events?

Team building events are incredibly popular amongst business, groups, and organisations. They are a great way to improve employee motivation and communication, allowing them to get out of the office and bond over something new. So, what are the benefits of team building? • Facilitate better communication • Increase in motivation • Optimise productivity • Increase employee • Identify leadership qualities • Improve morale • Encourage creativity • Improve mental health.

What is team building?

Team building is the process of turning a group of individual contributing employees into a cohesive team—a group of people organised to work together to meet the needs of their customers by accomplishing their purpose and goals. Guests can work together to build their relationships outside of the office (perhaps at Queens skate dine bowl, or a funky cooking class).

What type of venues are good for team building activities?

Our selection of team building venues includes some of the best team building venues in London, from hotels and corporate conference facilities, through to meeting rooms, or ideas for something more unique or unusual. Whatever you’re looking for, we can help.

How to find the perfect team building venue

In order to find the perfect venue for your team building day, it’s important that you first consider the location (for example, Camden or Canary Wharf?) and then ask yourself the following questions: • Are you going to host your team building activity indoors or outdoors? • What does your team building itinerary look like – are you going to be hosting a meeting after? • How many rooms or areas do you need? • What additional facilities do you require? • Do the logistics meet your requirements?

Unique ideas for team building

One of the main advantages of team building is that it provides the perfect opportunity to think outside of the box and enjoy a whole host of unique activities with your team. From escape rooms and cocktail making, through to football zorbing and private dance lessons, there are lots of ways to add a new and exciting dimension to your team building plans. Here are some more of our favourite team building ideas: • Multi activity sports day • Office games • Bake off • Bear Grylls survival experience • Archery • Ready, steady,cook • Gin tasting • Wine tasting • Pizza making From outdoor team to indoor team building, we have you covered with our venues. Regardless of whether you're looking for a bowling team, crystal team, corporate team, flight club, or the aforementioned indoor team building, there are so many fantastic options to choose from.