“That was so much fun!” Why team events are more than just drinking wine together and also important for your hotel

In every company, every business, every hotel, there is probably a team event atl east once a year – and it’s usually the Christmas party. Some companies like to organise summer parties and/or workshops. Others find an opportunity for team events every week – they meet for volleyball, poker evenings, sports events, to cook together, for continuing professional development, and more besides. The possibilities are almost endless. 

A team event for your whole hotel staff – how is that even possible?

Team events pose a particular challenge for hotels, since a hotel can’t simply close for an entire evening so the staff can play pool together. But aren’t team events also extremely important for exchanging ideas, getting to know each other, or further training away from a work setting – especially for teams who work shifts, such as hotels?

Looking back at our myhotelshop team days last week, our answer couldn’t be clearer: team events are extremely important!

Don’t just take our word for it. Here are three more opinions: 

Christian, Hotel Director at Premier Inn: “Of course we do team events!Why: because I think it’s good to give something back to the team as an employer. I am motivated to motivate my team. As a rule, colleagues don’t always get to see each other because of the different shifts, so a team event lets everyone get together once in a while. They can chat about things that don’t come up during working hours, plus some colleagues are a bit more relaxed with a glass of wine.

Our employees actually chose the hotel industry because they are sociable and like to go out or spend time with other people. They also do that independently of team events organized by the hotel.”

Katja, HR Officer at a medium-sized company: “Team events are just so important. They bring the team together on a completely different level, faraway from the daily grind. Colleagues get to know each other in a completely different way – more intensively, more closely, more privately – detached from hierarchies and pay grades. Team events are about everyone, about cohesion, shared experiences – there’s a level playing field, that is such an important experience for a well-functioning team.”

Dorian, CEO at an online wellness platform for businesses: “Hotels are all about the guest: the décor we see, the way we behave, the reason we get up every morning. But we shouldn’t forget that behind a hotel there is also a large group of people, individuals. Offering team events for your hotel employees is a great way to put them in the spotlight for a change and show them just how much you appreciate them. Not only does this make your employees feel valued, it also gives teams an opportunity to interact away from the ‘hotel hustle’. This brings them closer together, motivates them to really see each other and ultimately work together to provide a better service to your guests.”

Let’s look again at the questions from earlier:

What makes a good team event?

There are some key points: 

• Plan the schedule, venue, catering, equipment
• Give your team some freedom
• Good food for all dietary requirements
• Set a clear agenda, but still leave room for spontaneous changes
• Mix fun and business
• Management and team leaders should be present – not least to motivate     and serve as a role model for the whole team.

Think carefully about who organises your team events. Do you have an HR department or feel-good manager? Great! Otherwise, ask who would like to plan it. And preferably as a team, so that the organisation is spread over many shoulders. Planning should definitely be fun and not seen as a chore. Alternatively, nowadays there are lots of providers and agencies that can take care of this. 

Why are team events so important?

Team events = team building. And a well-functioning team should never be underestimated. Take a look at the three quotes above in the article – you’ll findall the important reasons listed there.

Is there a recipe for success?

Unfortunately, there is no blanket recipe for success. Each person’s ideas for topics, venues, activities, etc. are simply too subjective and you definitely won’t please all your colleagues. There will always be someone who complains it’s too loud, too cold, too theoretical, too vegan… you get the picture.

As long as you consider the points above that make for a good team event, you will have at least tried your best – and that usually leads to success (or, at least, it always deserves appreciation!).

And: should team events be mandatory or voluntary?

That depends on the type of event. If it takes place during working hours and serves the purpose of continuing professional development, for example, then attendance should be expected. But maybe liven things up by adding something recreational after the mandatory part. 

If your team event takes place outside working hours, then you can’t force anyone to attend.

Conclusion

However you handle it, stay authentic, involve your employees in the planning process and, above all, enjoy the event. Today there are also plenty of hybrid options for team events, meaning online and offline. This means you can include employees from all your sites, but also single parents, staff who live far away from the workplace or are traveling on business.

Speaking of which – it’s less than three months until Christmas... Have you already started planning your Christmas party? ;-)

And while you enjoy your team event, our Account Management team will continue to take care of your hotel online marketing. You can reach the Account Management HERE on our website or contact them using the contact form below.