photos by Belle Co

Team Building - The Complete Guide

by Raashka Mannie | 19 Jan 2022

Making memories with your team is an essential part of your work life. It fosters healthy camaraderie and a fun-loving environment - both things that bring balance to your workspaces, whether you’re doing a majority of it from home or have a busy office. New Zealand is renowned for its adventurous spirit. From hiking and trekking to skiing and snowboarding, there are events and activities of every kind to get your blood flowing and cheeks warm. Across the regions, several suppliers specialise in crafting these activities for team building, putting together exciting challenges for you and your colleagues to laugh through together. From escape rooms to puzzles, there is a myriad of team building ventures for you to choose from when looking at suppliers - including our list of the best and brightest.

Sweet Axe Throwing Co.


Image by Sweet Axe Throwing Co.

There’s nothing so satisfying as chucking an axe. In that simple, straightforward of doing something utterly cool, Sweet Axe Throwing Co. brings you an experience like no other with their team-building pursuits. You and your coworkers will be treated to this unusual experience, taking challenge shots, collaborating to build strategies and revelling in the sheer awesomeness of throwing axes in a safe environment with trained staff at your side. Based in Auckland, this supplier doubles as a venue for your team building event and caters to functions such as celebrations, parties and more on top of team building. You’re bound to have a thrilling time when you’re allowed to say, “I bet I can throw this axe further than you.”

Boomrock


Image by Boomrock

Add more adventure to your life with Boomrock. Wellington-based and serving as a superb venue with accommodation and fine dining, Boomrock is also a happy supplier of fantastic team building events. Set on a stunning private 1600-acre property with expansive coastal views over the Cook Strait, they offer activities such as extreme golf, clay bird shooting, archery, aze throwing, digger contests, cooking challenges, Land Rover Discovery 4WD experiences, coastal safaris, hot-laps, Jaguar time trials, extreme off-roading, helicopter flying, wine challenges, clifftop cocktails, whisky tasting, Boomrock puzzles and pétanque. There’s no shortage of what to do at Boomrock, designed for team building and reconnecting with your colleagues.

 

Caluzzi Cabaret


Image by Caluzzi Cabaret

Auckland’s original Drag Queen cabaret show, Caluzzi Cabaret, welcomes you. Bringing you an unforgettable dining experience, you and your team will bond over laughs, good times and good food with this experience. With personalised service, hilarious shows and stunning costumes, these hosts promise you a sparkling time for your team building night. Caluzzi Cabaret had humble beginnings as a café, transforming into one of the city’s favourite experiences in a few years. Now, it is a sensational experience for everyone, perfect for celebrations, nights out and team building, with a delectable menu for you and your coworkers to dig into as the girls make your night with their wit and dazzling airs.

 

Sachie’s Kitchen


Image by Sachie’s Kitchen

A good meal can work wonders. Sachie’s Kitchen is here to help you and your team bond over spices, fresh vegetables and plenty of laughter. Catering to both small and large team building events, they are proud winners of the 2013 People’s Choice awards for the Best Corporate Event & Team Building Activity in New Zealand, as well as Ranked Number One by the New Zealand Herald for Cooking Classes in Auckland. What more could you ask for? Pick between their variety of cooking options to start your team building experience, from sushi rolling to high teas with an Asian twice. Based in Parnell, Sachie’s Kitchen is a flavour-packed option for team building - one that will have your tastebuds singing for joy.

 

Corporate Challenge Events


Image by Corporate Challenge Events

It’s about nurturing positive team cultures with Corporate Challenge Events, one of New Zealand’s leading team building suppliers. On top of organising conferences and events, they also provide team building and team-building workshops to ensure that you and your coworkers have all the options you could ask for and then some. Corporate Challenge Events’ clients include Pacific Hydro, Barnardos, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of New Zealand, Accenture, The Pyramid Foundation and more. Over their years, they have supported over twenty charities, raised $1.5 million and held 7,000 team building events. They offer a plethora of programmes to suit your team’s needs, online and offline, customisable in every fashion and designed by experts to bring you maximum results.

 

Team Up Events


Image by Team Up Events

Work together to realise success and achieve greatness with Team Up Events. Corporate team building specialists, they deliver customised corporate team building experiences that challenge and inspire staff to work together so that they can achieve their goals. Partners with Catalyst Global, they have exclusive access to an extensive range of innovative and leading-edge corporate team building experiences that are internationally-proven around the globe. Team Up Events’ programmes create value through inspiring moments of togetherness, unity, and teamwork so that participants understand and appreciate their individual importance and collective value to your organisation. You and your team will feel engaged, driven and motivated to work as one with Team Up Events.

 

Go Bananas


Image by Belle Co

Let’s Go Bananas, team building specialists that know how to plan activities to get everyone going. They recommend polling your team to find out what people will enjoy beforehand so you can get a feel for what your colleagues want to do, then planning accordingly. Go Bananas works throughout New Zealand, bringing entertainment and activities to parties, celebrations and team building events for both private and corporate clients. They have a versatile and varied range of packages for you to pick from throughout the country, from Auckland to Christchurch, including options such as adventure parks, wineries, racing, sailing, bubble soccer and more. With Go Bananas, you’re entering the world of challenges, fun and team building experts.

 

Let Me Out


Image by Let Me Out

You’ll be begging them to let your team in at Let Me Out, a team building supplier that has worked with clients such as BNZ, Danone, Dempsey Wood and more. Their mission is to facilitate great team-building experiences for all types of corporate and private groups to help them improve their strategising and problem-solving as a team. For every team that books with Let Me Out, they will deliver an activity, free of charge, at a local school nominated by you to continue the path of education and growth. The most important fundamentals to them are developing trust, working on teamwork, communication and connectedness - all things that their packages endeavour to cumulative in you and your colleagues.

 

Escapade


Image by Escapade

Ideal for Christmas parties, corporate celebrations, team building activities, or just taking some time out of the office together, Escape is an exciting time for you and your teammates. Boasting bespoke learning and development packages that target self and team awareness, this team building supplier helps to boost communication, unity and engagement. You’ll be immersed in the thrilling experience of live escape games, strategising with your team and figuring out details, before you unwind and relax at their comfortable lounge bar. Escapade has won awards for their learning and development packages, ranging from smaller packages for periods of relaxation to deep dive packages that delve into your team’s bonding and growth in a manner that highlights team building like few others.

 

Escape Quest


Image by Escape Quest

The heart of critical business skills can be found in team-building activities, from communication and teamwork to creative thinking and self-awareness. Encouraging this with their expertise is Escape Quest, a Queenstown-based supplier that adores helping teams to create unbreakable bonds and expand their horizons. Escape Quest brings you high-quality, innovative and richly-themed escape rooms, tailored to your team and with exclusive hire of their spaces if needed. They have worked with corporate clients such as ANZ, Millbrook Resort, Kiwi Bank, Kathmandu, Hilton, Highlands Park, Sofitel and more. It’s all about giving their clients an unmatched experience, helping them to learn while genuinely having fun.

 

The Playground


Image by The Playground

Perfect for team building events, corporate, sports and more, The Playground loves to make your team building unforgettable. They specialise in customised team building for groups large and small, tailoring the activities to your needs and requirements, offering generalised team building or personal strength and resilience. Their team building menu includes Ropes Challenge, Bubble Soccer, Archery Combat, Human Foosball, Paintball, hiking, trekking, as well as mini-games to strengthen strategy and problem-solving. The Playground has also teamed up with Wakatipu Wildlife Trust to offer a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program which customers can take part it. This program is an excellent way of giving back while visiting the region and is both affordable and easy to do, for those who are looking to get the most out of their time and money. 

 

Enthuse


Image by Lê Minh

You’ll definitely feel the excitement with Enthuse, an award-winning company bringing you corporate team building for both large and small companies. They believe that team building is an investment in growth, understanding and cooperation, turning individuals into a group and bettering communication. Effective team building means more engaged employees, which is good for company culture and boosting your bottom line. Additionally, it can also be adventurous and enjoyable if you put your heart into it! Enthuse offers team building activities such as the Mini Olympics, creating Hollywood movies together, croquet, pétanque and more. Get creative and do something with your coworkers that will strengthen your bond and get your creative juices flowing.

 

Wild on Waiheke


Image by Wild on Waiheke

Wild on Waiheke invites you to do just that at their extensive and exciting venue, filled with team building activities that will give you and your team memories that last a lifetime. They make it super simple for your upcoming team building event: choose between their list of activities (including archery, laser clay bird shooting and more), select a delicious menu that suits your tastes, then sit back and wait for the day. Wild on Waiheke takes care of everything else, from covering your bar tab for the day to organising your team’s ferry and transfers. They have packages to suit both small and large team building events, with tons of events that inspire competition, bonding and laughter.

 

The Events Group


Image by The Events Group

The Events Group are corporate event and team building experts boasting 26 years of experience in the industry. Family-owned and detail-orientated, they have delivered hundreds of events and team building activities tailored to private and corporate groups. They want to understand your objectives, budget and interests to help put together an extraordinary team-building event for you and your colleagues. They offer both indoor and outdoor options, as well as self-run events, remote team building, learning and development angled team building and multi-city events. Passionate and driven, they are all about providing the best results and helping your team to connect with one another in the best way possible.

 

Snowplanet


Image by Snowplanet

Sometimes all team building requires is snow. With that said, Snowplanet has got you covered. You can’t help but have a fun time in snow, whether you’re skiing or making snow angels with your coworkers. Snowplanet has plenty of fresh ideas for your team building event, including customised catering options in the unique 7 Summits Restaurant and Bar, tailored events and activities for you and your colleagues to enjoy, as well as team-building experts that will lead you through the ups and downs of their snowy slopes. Snowplanet has a bunch of corporate and private packages for you to choose from when designing your team building day, as well as the choice to tailor things to your liking.

 

Escape Artists


Image by Escape Artists

With themed rooms and puzzles that are continually being developed by their team, Escape Artists seeks to bring something new to team building. Their unique challenges and approach to team building have made the process even more fun, providing you with an environment to bring out the best in your team and management staff. Their team building events analyse strengths to find out the problem-solvers, emotional rocks and more, all while encouraging strong teamwork and building sturdier relationships. Situated in Christchurch, Escape Artists are puzzle lovers that endeavour to make their escape room experience unusual and amazing, inspiring your team building to be just the same.