Team Building Talk

Cartoon of the Day: Mystery Party

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Planning a Murder Mystery Event? Contact Murder on the Menu. It won't be like this one. Auditor Parties are actually really fun!

Love this comic from Rhymes with Orange.

Party with a Purpose: Rocking Horse

2012-01-09T07:12:00.001-08:00

Fulfill Corporate Responsibility as TeamBuilding Unlimited leads you in a Rocking Horse Building & Decorating team-building event! This is a great way to bring your team together while providing beautiful sturdy Rocking Horses to children in need.

Participants will receive Rocking Horse parts, glue, tools, brushes, paint and more. Teams of 3-4 will assemble and paint the rocking horses. Each team will decide on theme for their horses, as well as decorating (painting) and assembling. Could be a Zebra, a Rainbow, company Logo? your choice!
Once the Rocking Horses are completed, they are presented to local organization: Shelters, Police, Fire, Disaster, Hospitals or another charity.

This Charity Challenge is fun and altruistic. It benefits your team and the children and centers who receive the Rocking Horses. It's a Win-Win event for your Team!

Your teams' efforts and creativity are enhanced by philanthropy and social responsibility.

Gingerbread Cookie Party: Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

2011-12-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited/Murder on the Menu offers lots of different types of Holiday Party Entertainment and team building -- from Mysteries to Charity Challenges to Culinary Team Events! Gingerbread Cookie Decorating is an all-time favorite.

TeamBuilding Unlimited provides the specially baked Gingerbread Cookies, Icing and Frosting, Tools, Decorations, and Technique instructions. You supply the Creativity! Your Gingerbread Men and Women can be whimsical, holiday oriented-- the sky's the limit! Last year one of our clients had a Gingerbread Decorating Throw-down!

Gingerbread Cookie Decorating is a fabulous way to 'spice' up your Holiday Party or Your Own Home Party!

Because we're always DyingforChocolate, here's a Holiday Recipe:

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
This awesome recipe from Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito - Food & Wine Magazine

Cookies
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/3 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons sweet butter, softened
1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup molasses
2 ounces dark chocolate (65-85% cacao), melted and cooled

1. In medium bowl, whisk flour with cocoa powder, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat softened butter with the shortening at medium speed until mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add egg tocookie batter and beat until incorporated. Beat in molasses and then melted chocolate. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating between additions. Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Shape each part into a disk, then wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate cookie dough until chilled, about 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. On lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 disk of dough 1/4 inch thick. Using 4- to 5-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Reroll dough scraps and cut out more cookies.
4. Bake cookies for about 7 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking until tops are dry. Let cookies cool in pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining dough.

ICING:
You can make Royal Icing or try this Recipe for Mascarpone Filling that doubles as Decorating Icing. Put it in a bag and pipe! Or use Wilton Decorating Icing in the bottles.

Decorate your cookies. Let stand until icing dries, about 30 minutes.

Make Ahead: chocolate-gingerbread cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Mini-Pies at Your Next Special Event

2011-12-06T06:28:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, I mentioned on this Blog that Pies were taking over Cakes at Weddings (Wedding Pie: Make Mine Chocolate). Pies, especially Mini-Pies have been popping up at all kinds of special events! They're part of the "Small-Food Movement".

I grew up with Tasty Cake Cakes & Pies, so Mini-Pies are not new to me. What is new is that they have become the new Cupcake or Macaron. Call them what you will from personal pies to cutie pies to Pie on a Stick! They're delicious, fun, and versatile! They're making their appearance at the most elegant of parties! They also make great wedding favors!

With the holidays upon us, you might want to make them yourself. Mini-Pies are perfect for parties and holiday gifts. Check out Dani Cone's Cutie Pies: 40 Sweet, Savory, and Adorable Recipes (Andrew McMeel 2011). Great recipes and tips for Mini Pies from Cutie Pies (single-serving pies baked in a muffin tin), Flipsides (handheld turnovers-pie on the go), Pie-Pops (pie on a stick), Pie in a Jar (baked in mason jars), Petit-5's (baked in a mini muffin tin), and full size pies.

Check out DyingforChocolate.com for a Recipe for Two Bite Chocolate Cream Pie

Party with a Purpose: Philanthropic Holiday Events

2011-11-29T09:08:00.000-08:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited is in the throws of holiday parties! Yes, our season begins on November 30 with a Trikes for Tots event. What a great corporate event.

In addition to Trikes for Tots, TeamBuilding Unlimited helps your team with many different Charity Challenges. Bears that Care, Murals, Operation Military Giving, Backpacks for Kids and so many more. One of my favorites is Rocking Horses. Not only does your team assemble high quality rocking horses, but they get to paint and decorate the horses.

For our next Rocking Horse Charity Challenge, the corporate teams will donate 10 rocking horses to Family/Child Centers in the North Bay. Sometimes the Rocking Horses are donated to Hospitals or Firestations or Toys for Tots. Whereever they go, the rocking horses are always appreciated, and your teams' efforts and creativity are enhanced by philanthropy and social responsibility.

What a great holiday season.

MULLED WINE CHALLENGE: TeamBuilding for Your Holiday Party

2011-11-19T07:57:00.000-08:00

Spice up your Holiday Party with a “warm” team-building event: The Mulled Wine Challenge. Mulled wine, the vine’s version of a classic hot toddy, is a traditional holiday beverage around the world.

TeamBuilding Unlimited will lead your party-goers in a Mulled Wine Challenge. Teams will make a very special holiday drink that includes Red Wine, other ‘potent’ beverages, holiday spices, oranges and other fruits, cloves, cinnamon and lots of other "secret" ingredients. Teams will be instructed in the basics of Mulled Wine before the culinary portion, but each team will rely on its own creativity to make the very best!

Our Facilitator will describe the history of Mulled Wine, a European holiday drink that takes different incarnations in different countries. Teams will be challenged to a trivia quiz to see how much information they have retained—and also to allow the winning teams to have an advantage of picking their ingredients first in the challenge portion.

This TeamBuilding Unlimited Mulled Wine Challenge will tantalize your taste buds while challenging your knowledge and creativity.

In addition to mixing and cooking lemons and lots of other fruits with wine, other beverages and "secret" ingredients, each team will develop a marketing plan for their drink, a new logo and slogan, a name for "their" winery and their specific holiday warm mulled wine and so much more!

Our knowledgeable facilitator will educate the group on the history of Mulled Wine. The final test, though, is up to your group! Start the holidays with this delicious event!

This is the perfect mixology team-building event!

The Chocolate Challenge: Sweet TeamBuilding

2011-11-14T09:47:00.000-08:00

I admit it. I'm a chocoholic. So it's no surprise that TeamBuilding Unlimited has a host of Chocolate Teambuilding activities. One of my favorites is the Chocolate Challenge! Teams are challenged to build a structure completely of Chocolate. How sweet is that?

The Challenge: Each event is 'structured' and customized for the client. Recently a group's goal was To Build New Offices out of Chocolate Products (M&Ms, Hershey Bars, Chocolate Graham Crackers and a lot more). A model, of course, but oh so sweet.

The finished office model had to stand up on its own and, except for the white cardboard base. It had to be completely edible. Teams were given time to design and build, and then they had to present the results. Half the fun was explaining why they built what they built and how they built it.

What a fun event! Did I mention that some teams' supplies of chocolate dwindled before construction? What a surprise!

Want a twist on this during the holidays.. Add chocolate to our Gingerbread House Building Competition. You can never have enough chocolate.

I never get tired of chocolate. Have a look at my blog, DyingforChocolate.com.

American Team Idol: Team Sensation

2011-11-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited created and facilitated a sensational evening for an R&D company last night: American Team Idol.

American Team Idol is an incredible interactive event. Teams were given various melodies to choose from and then each team wrote a song about their group, their company, and their meeting. Everyone participated with people making choices about lead singer, back-up singers, costumes and dancers. Our trained facilitators and keyboardist guided the teams through the process, but it was their own creativity and spirit that made for some stellar performances.

TeamBuilding Unlimited, a division of Murder on the Menu, will bring this great activity to your next meeting, conference or special event. Teams compete to win prizes in several categories. Points are given for lyrics, style, and creativity.

TeamBuilding Unlimited/Murder on the Menu provides M.C., Judges, choreographer and a keyboardist to accompany the teams. This is rollicking fun and a great teambonding experience that can take place in the middle of a meeting, during dinner or just about whenever and wherever you choose.

Sangria Challenge: Wine Team Building

2011-11-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

The Sangria Challenge is the perfect team building activity to do towards the end of a day of heavy meetings... or it's great to begin the evening before or after a terrific dinner!

TeamBuilding Unlimited will challenge your teams to make a very special alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink that includes White and Red Wine and lots of other "secret" ingredients. Teams are 'instructed' in the basics of wine and Sangria before they begin to mix up their taste sensations. They are challenged to a trivia quiz to see how much information they have retained—but also to allow the winning teams to have the advantage of picking their ingredients first (the challenge portion).

This TeamBuilding Unlimited Sangria Challenge will tantalize your taste buds while challenging your knowledge and creativity. In addition to mixing lemons and lots of other fruits with wine and bubbly water and other "secret" ingredients, each team will develop a marketing plan for their drink, a new logo and slogan, a name for "their" winery and their specific sangria drink and so much more!

This is the perfect mixology team-building event!

Book the Sangria Challenge for Holiday Parties, Meetings and Incentives.. Raise a Glass!

Blood Red Halloween Cocktails: Halloween or Vampire Party?

2011-10-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Halloween is fast approaching, and if you're throwing a party, you'll want to have some Bloody Drinks available. The following are a few awesome cocktails. Throw in some rubber spiders or eyeballs as garnish.

BLOOD BATH

1 Part Tequila Silver
1 Part Strawberry Liqueur

Shake with ice, and strain into a shot glass.

BLOOD TEST

1 Part Tequila Reposado
1 Part Grenadine

Shake with ice and strain into shot glass

BLOOD SHOT

1 part Iceberg Vodka
1 part peach schnapps
1 part Jagermeister
1 part cranberry juice

Chill all ingredients. Combine in a shaker with ice. Strain into a shot glass. shoot!

BLOODY-TINI

2 oz VeeV Acai Spirit
1 oz acai juice
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
Top with fresh champagne
lime wedge for garnish

Combine VeeV, Acai juice and fresh lime with fresh ice in a cocktail shaker and shake.
Strain into a chilled martini glass and top with champagne.
Serve with a fresh lime wedge.

BLOOD AND SAND

3/4 ounce Scotch
3/4 ounce cherry liqueur
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
3/4 ounce orange juice
1 thin strip orange zest

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the liquids. Strain into a martini glass, then garnish with the strip of zest.
(recipe from Bank Cafe & Bar in Napa)

CORPSE REVIVER

1 ounce gin
1 ounce Lillet (blanc)
1 ounce triple sec
Juice of half a lemon
5 drops of absinthe
1 thin slice orange

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the liquids. Strain into a martini glass, then garnish with the orange slice.

(Recipe from Epic Roasthouse in San Francisco)

VAMPIRE BLOOD PUNCH (Makes 6-8 servings)

4 cups cranberry raspberry juice (or cranberry juice cocktail)
2 cups natural pineapple juice (100% juice)
2 cups raspberry-flavored seltzer water
wormy ice cubes (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients together, and pour into a large, decorative punch bowl.
Serve the punch with wormy ice cubes if desired.

CORZO BITE

1 1/2 parts Corzo Silver Tequila
1/2 parts Campari
1 part fresh blood orange juice
1/4 parts blood (aka home-made grenadine) **
2 parts Jarritos Tamarindo Soda

Build all ingredients into a highball glass filled with ice. Add the “blood” at the end.
Garnish: Blood orange wheel and strawberry syrup

** Home-made grenadine: Add equal parts white sugar and POM pomegranate juice together and dissolve sugar over high on stove-top. When dissolved, add several drops of orange flower water, simmer on low heat for 10 mins., chill, and serve.

MIDORI MELON EYE-TINI (Rob Husted of Florida)

1 1⁄4 parts Midori Melon liqueur
3⁄4 parts SKYY Infusions Citrus
1⁄2 part Finest Call Agave Syrup
2 parts of Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale
2 parts Finest Call Sweet & Sour Mix
3 Orange Wedges
2 Fresh Ripped Basil Leaves
Strawberry Sundae Syrup

In a shaker glass combine Midori Melon liqueur, SKYY infusions Citrus, Finest Call Agave Syrup, 3 Orange Wedges and 2 Fresh Ripped Basil Leaves. Muddle ingredients together. Add ice and Finest Call Sweet & Sour Mix. Shake for 10 seconds. Add Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale and roll drink back and forth between your mixing tin and shaker glass. Strain into a chilled martini glass drizzled with Strawberry Sundae Syrup to give an effect of a bloodshot eye.

Garnish: Chilled red seedless grape at bottom of glass (to look like an eyeball) and bruised basil leaf floated on top of cocktail for aroma.

For a Fabulous List of Halloween Cocktails, go to DrinkoftheWeek.com

Killer Vampire Party

2011-10-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

Halloween is right around the corner. Have you planned your Halloween Party yet? Penny Warner, author and party planner, shares tips for a Killer Vampire Party!

Penny Warner has more than 25 years of experience as an author and party planner and writes for party websites, such as BalloonTime.com. She has published more than 50 books, including 16 specific to parties. Her latest books include LADIES’ NIGHT, HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY, and HOW TO CRASH A KILLER BASH. HOW TO SURVIVE A KILLER SÉANCE and HOW TO PARTY WITH A KILLER VAMPIRE.

PENNY WARNER:

Vampire Parties are all the rage, thanks to books, TV shows, and movies like Twilight, True Blood, and Vampire Diaries. While plotting my latest Presley Parker, event planner mystery, I decided to wrap the plot around a Vampire Party…held in the local cemetery. So I had big-time movie producer Lucas Cruz celebrate his latest film release—a vampire parody—by throwing a lavish party in a graveyard. It’s a pretty gloomy venue for Presley, but she’s hoping to make it so much fun that partygoers won’t even notice there are more dead than living guests in How To Party With A Killer Vampire…

Since Presley is a party planner, I thought I’d share her Vampire Party tips with you, so you can host your own “Got Blood” event—in a cemetery, a haunted house, or even your own home.

Invitations

There are lots of vampire-related party supplies available, but you can easily make your own invitations and personalize them to your theme. For a Coffin Invitation, fold a sheet of black construction paper in half. Draw the shape of a coffin on the paper, making sure one side of the coffin is on the fold. Cut out the coffin and write “Do not open until midnight” or “Open at your own risk” on the front using a sparkly pen. Or you can type it up on the computer using a spooky font, print it, cut it out, and glue it to the front. Next find a picture of your favorite vampire on the Internet or in a fan magazine and copy it for each invitation. Open the coffin and glue the picture on the right-hand side. On the opposite side, write the party details. For added fun, cut out drops of “blood” from red paper and place them in the envelope. Or add a set of vampire teeth.

Costumes

Ask your guests to come as their favorite vampire—or werewolf—past or present. When they arrive, offer them face paints, vampire teeth, and vials of fake blood to add to their costumes. Make simple capes out of black fabric and hand them out to guests.

Decorations

Create a gothic atmosphere with helium-inflated black and red balloons. Tie the balloons onto furniture, to backs of chairs, and float them to the ceiling. Turn the lights down and light candles, or string holiday lights around the room. Replace regular light bulbs with black lights and red bulbs. Make a giant coffin using a large appliance box. Paint it black, add a string of garlic or a wooden cross to the top, and place it in the center of the room to use for setting out snacks.

Place vampire fangs, garlic, and plastic bats around the room or hang them from the ceiling. Cover your mirrors and black out your windows. Set the table with a black cloth and bright red paper products. Use vampire teeth as napkin rings. Make a centerpiece using a glass bowl, fill it with red tinted water, and float black candles. Make some personalized tombstones from cardboard or foam, and write epitaphs on them for each guest. Set them around the room. Play Clair de Lune, Muse, and Coldplay music in the background.

Games and Activities

• Team Trivia. Divide guests into two teams and have them answer trivia questions about vampires and such from Twilight, True Blood, or Vampire Diaries.
• Quote the Vampire. Write down quotes from the vampire books or shows and have guests try to identify the speaker.
• Vamping Vampires. Write down scenes from your favorite vampire film, book, or show, and have guests act them out for one another to guess.
• Vampire Shirt. Let guests make their own t-shirts with their favorite vampires or sayings on them. Print pictures of vampires and sayings on iron-on paper using the computer, and then let guests iron them on and decorate with glitter glue, sequins, and other embellishments.
• Vampire Videos. Watch videos of your favorite vampire films or TV shows. Don’t forget the originals, such as Dracula, or the popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Refreshments

Serve lots of red-colored food to satisfy that thirst for blood—red licorice, sliced red peppers, strawberries, red apples, red salsa with red tortilla chips, French fries with ketchup dip. Ask the bakery to tint a loaf of bread red, then make sandwiches with red jam. Cut out bat-shaped cookies, bake them, and spread with chocolate icing.

Offer a variety of red-colored drinks for the vampire guests, such as tomato juice, cranberry juice cocktail, red punch, red sports drink, etc. Freeze gummy worms in red water to make ice cubes for the drinks.
Make a coffin-shaped or tombstone-shaped red velvet cake, covered with chocolate icing.

Frightening Favors

Give the vampires plastic teeth, black capes, fake blood, posters of hot vampires, face painting makeup, videos of the shows, or other vampire related gifts—there are lots available!

If you have any creepy ideas for a Vampire Party, I’d love to hear them!

Murder in the Library: Murder on the Menu

2011-10-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sleuths to gather Saturday at Scotts Valley library for murder-mystery fundraiser
By KIMBERLY WHITE -- Santa Cruz Sentinel

SCOTTS VALLEY (CA) - By the time the sleuths arrive Saturday night, only the victim's outline will remain at the scene of the crime, and the suspects who were there when the murder took place will have already been sequestered.

Someone's going to be "murdered" at the Scotts Valley library Saturday, and a murder-mystery fundraiser calls for patrons to don their sleuthing hats for the next several hours, taking cues from a detective to interview suspects and solve the classic whodunit.

But the event also includes an educational component. While talking about their relationships with the victim, and what they were doing at the library in the first place, the suspects will also provide information about the Children, Teen and other areas where they've been confined for questioning.

"For people who haven't been in the library before, they'll learn about the library and what's available in each of the areas," said Janet Rudolph, who founded Murder on the Menu, a professional, Berkeley-based company that designs mystery plots for meetings, fundraisers and other events.

Members of the Friends of the Scotts Valley Library will participate by leading the patrons to the different stations, but the detective and suspects are seasoned actors provided by the company.

"This is not a couple local people cooking up a mystery - these are people who make a living doing this," said Jim Reed, a city councilman and member of the Friends of the Scotts Valley Library.

Debra Van Bruggen, vice president of the Friends of the Scotts Valley Library, said the idea to host a murder mystery came up while members were discussing ideas for the group's annual fundraiser. They agreed to tie it in with this month's Big Read celebration of Edgar Allan Poe, the 19th-century author who penned classics such as "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart."

"We had this idea (for the murder mystery), and when we heard about the Big Read and how Santa Cruz County was featuring Poe, we thought he'd make a perfect character" because he was so mysterious, she said.

In fact, the tell-tale thump-thump of a heartbeat will indicate to the groups that it's time to move on to the next station, each of which will feature hors d' oeuvres, beer and wine. Just before the culprit's revealed, organizers will auction off several weekend packages, including a sleepover at the library that includes a pizza dinner, dessert and breakfast.

The Friends group hopes to raise $15,000, which will be used to construct a back patio, Van Bruggen said, thereby creating more usable space at the library.

IF YOU GO:

MURDER IN THE LIBRARY
WHEN: 7-10 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Scotts Valley library, 251 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley
COST: $50 per person (adults only)
INFORMATION: Jim Reed at 707-4993, Debra Van Bruggen at 588-5401 or www.fsvpl.org

Operation Red Wagon: Philanthropic Team Building

2011-10-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited loves working with companies on Charity Challenges. Here are two more philanthropic events for your team! Contact us for more information. TeamBuilding Unlimited works with groups of 5 to 300. Anywhere in the World.

The Charity Challenge: Operation Red Wagon

The Red Wagon has become a symbol of American childhood. Teams work together to build wagons that will be donated to shelters, hospitals or child care centers. Our Red Wagons feature full-sized all-steel seamless body with no scratch edges, extra-long handle that folds under and steel wheels with semi-pneumatic rubber tires.

Each team will receive the same Red Wagon parts, and our trained facilitators will supervise the event. The reward for building the Wagons is the reward of giving back to the community. What a great teambonding activity for your team! In addition, each team will design and execute a child's t-shirt to go with the donation of the Red Wagon. An optional series of children’s games can be added to this event.

Everyone is a Winner in this Philanthropic Teambuilding Activity!

Operation Red Wagon II: Welcome Wagons

This is a twist on our traditional Red Wagon team building event. Wagons will be filled with various supplies depending on the receiving organization: Children or Families. We even have an optional Library Wagon that participants fill with Books!

Included in this event is everything in Operation Red Wagon I, with the addition that teams will also use their points from the “competitive childrens’ games to ‘shop’ for specific items to include in the wagons. In this format, the high-energy activity quickly shifts from competitive to collaborative while trying to fill all wagons to capacity. Red Wagons can be filled with household supplies or children’s toys, school supplies or a mixture.

Working together each team becomes part of an even bigger team that makes a difference by providing basic supplies for families in need.

Besides teambuilding skills, a lot of team bonding goes on during this meaningful and fun charity challenge!

Team Benefits:
Give back to the community
Get to know your team
Build team spirit

Murder in the Library: October 22

2011-10-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Friends of the Scotts Valley Library invite you to join them for their third annual fundraiser.... "Murder in the Library".

This engaging and interactive evening at the new Scotts Valley Library will be scripted and performed by Janet A. Rudolph’s Murder on the Menu. Appetizer stations will be woven around the murder mystery, a no-host bar will be offered, and a live auction for five “big ticket” items will be held just before the arrest of the guilty person that evening. Tickets limited, so don’t delay!

Solve the Mystery on: Saturday, October 22
Scene of the Crime: Scotts Valley Library
First Clue Time of Death: 7pm to 10pm

Tickets: $50 per person (adults only)

Available at: The Scotts Valley Library,
Please make checks payable to:
"Friends of the Scotts Valley Library"

Evening highlights:

Whodunit... you solve the mystery, play the game.
Gastronomical delights served progressive style
Murder's signature lethal potions
"Un-Silent" auction
Optional dress code - dress as your favorite sleuth
No host bar

Proceeds from this fundraising event will benefit the library's new back patio.

- Space is limited and tickets are available on a first come basis.
- If you would like to volunteer and help with this event email us.

Sweet TeamBuilding: Charity Challenge Cupcake Decorating & Donating

2011-10-11T06:28:00.000-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited is known for its sweet team events, but our Cupcake Challenge can be a great interactive and delicious activity that capitalizes on your team's creativity and sweet tooth. This is a great event to do before or after a meal and can be incorporated into your lunch, dinner or afternoon teambuilding treat. These cupcakes can be eaten by your group or donated to a local charity--or both!

Each team will be given paper to start, so they can create a Team Chef’s Hat! Individuals decorate their chef's hat with their team name and anything else they feel is appropriate..or not.

Then the real fun begins. Teams are challenged to Decorate their Cupcakes so that they symbolize the team itself, the company, the theme of the meeting, their positions at the company, or another theme.

In addition each team will be given materials to create a ‘DISPLAY’ in which they’ll be able to stack their treats into showpieces. Prizes will be given to best overall display!

Each team will be given Cupcakes that can be decorated or left as is. With a variety of cupcake design supplies, instructions on technique, tools and assorted decorating materials, your team will turn their concept into reality. Basics on cupcake decoration start the teams off, but very soon, your group's creativity takes over. After the cupcakes are designed, decorated and displayed, each team will create a ‘commercial’ to present their cupcakes to the entire group.

And last but not least, participants can enjoy or donate their creations--or both.

You can have your Cupcake and Eat it, too!

Contact TeamBuilding Unlimited for more information

Cartoon of the Day: Event Space

2011-09-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

Murder on the Menu/ TeamBuilding Unlimited: Readers Choice BEST nominee

2011-09-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

Thrilled to announce that Murder on the Menu/TeamBuilding Unlimited was nominated for California Meetings + Events Readers Choice BEST Award in the TeamBuilding Category. We're over the Moon! We try our best, and we're so honored to be recognized. Murder on the Menu has been in business for over 28 years!

Read all the nominees HERE.

Green Team Building Challenge

2011-09-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

REDUCE, RECYCLE, REUSE, REPURPOSE, RECHARGE

TeamBuilding Unlimited is all about Being Green. Our Green Building Challenge has your teams use recycled materials to create a specific “product’ or building that reflects your group, the theme of your meeting or goals and objectives.

This Green Challenge addresses working within a timeline as well as utilizing material limitations. Design, create and build a new innovative Green Product or Building from the materials provided. The product need not function as a demo but must be explained to the group—What it does and How it Works. Product must relate to the company, the group, and the team. Customized prizes for the best invention.

Alternatively this might be a ‘Green Building Model’ with all the possibilities of the name. A model for the ‘perfect’ building? Utilizing the materials and tools and other materials and information provided. Company/Group/Goals and Objectives must be included in the final structure in some way.

Groups are judged on creativity, ingenuity, resourcefulness and other criteria involved in creative team-building. TeamBuilding Unlimited will work with your team on genuine Green Awareness and actions, teamwork, team roles and diversity, and cross-functional collaboration.

Contact TeamBuilding Unlimited for more information.

Chef Bon Vivant! Team Building Entertainment

2011-08-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

Want to add Pizzazz to your Cooking Challenge?

"Chef Bon Vivant" provides interaction, facilitates humor, and dispenses great cooking tips while your guests prepare a meal.

Add a whole new 'culinary' element to your teambuilding event.

Chef Bon Vivant partners with Cooking Schools, Caterers, and Home Chefs! He knows everything about your group ...

Chef Bon Vivant makes your Team Building event full of fun and laughter! Delicious and entertaining.

Contact TeamBuilding Unlimited for more information.

The Chocolate Challenge: Sweet TeamBuilding

2011-08-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love chocolate? TeamBuilding Unlimited recently facilitated a Chocolate Challenge with a group of Biotech R&D folks on the terrace on the 30th Floor of the Hotel Vitale overlooking San Francisco Bay. The day was beautiful and overcast. Perfect for Chocolate "Building".

The Challenge: To Build New Offices out of Chocolate Products (M&Ms, Hershey Bars, Chocolate Graham Crackers & a lot more). A model, of course, but oh so sweet.

The finished office model had to stand up on its own and, except for the white cardboard base, had to be completely edible. Teams were given time to design and build, and then they had to present the results. Half the fun was explaining why they built what they built and how they built it.

What a fun event! Did I mention that some teams' supplies of chocolate dwindled before construction? What a surprise!

Back to School: Backpacks for Kids

2011-08-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

BACK TO SCHOOL:BACKPACKS FOR KIDS

(Corporate Social Responsibility )

TEAM BUILDING UNLIMITED CHARITY CHALLENGE

TEAMBUILDING-UNLIMITED leads you in an amazing philanthropic team event: Operation Backpack: Backpacks for Kids because every child deserves to start the school year off right!

Teams create, decorate and fill backpacks with school supplies. These "stuffed' backpacks will be donated to school groups, specific charities, or children's centers.

Utilizing team building skills such as communication, collaboration, planning, resource allocation, and creativity, your teams will excel at this philanthropic event!

Working together each team becomes part of an even bigger team that makes a difference by providing essential school supplies for children who really need them.

This teambuilding event begins with a combination of different types of competitive Children's Games. Teams earn points to choose essential school supplies to fill the backpacks. Besides teambuilding skills, a lot of team bonding goes on during this meaningful and fun charity challenge, as your employees relive their early school years through playing "children's" games and filling the backpacks!

TeamBuilding Unlimited provides all the supplies, backpacks, games and prizes. Your group supplies the skills and energy. Length and complexity customized to client timeline.

Contact: Janet Rudolph/Frank Price

TeamBuilding Unlimited/Murder on the Menu

Other Charity Challenges: Philanthropic Team Building at your next Meeting, Retreat, Picnic or Conference! Give Back! The need is there all year round!

More Tips to Green Your Meeting

2011-07-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited is a member of Green Meetings. As a member, we're always looking for more tips and ways to make our meetings and events green. Sacramento Convention Center’s Tips for Hosting Sustainable Meetings

Choose a sustainable venue that recycles, donates food, incorporates locally grown produce and organic food into its menus.

Choose a venue that is rich in ambiance, featuring floor to ceiling windows, great year round outdoor seating, stunning art work and sculptures throughout, thus requiring less decorations or enhancements which can help to save you money and reduce your carbon footprint.

Opt to use china and linen or biodegradable plates, cups and flatware.

Conserve paper by posting event materials to your web site or distributing them on flash drives.

Purchase name badges that are reusable and collect them at the end of the meeting for use at the next one.

Avoid dating promotional items and reuse overages at future meetings.

Have water served from pitchers rather than plastic bottles.
Encourage attendees to enjoy environmentally friendly activities including walks around the hotel or meeting site.
Encourage exhibitors to bring a realistic amount of promotional materials. Have them recycle unused portions rather than dispose of them.
Encourage exhibitors to use environmentally friendly packing materials (i.e. cardboard).
Do not provide handouts for the educational sessions. Instead place handouts on a website or on a thumb drive.

Send confirmations and information electronically.

Do not provide printed agendas. Instead have a dedicated monitor at the registration desk, or post agenda on electronic boards.

Request healthy meals using locally grown or organic food.

Any printed paper accumulated during the event should be recycled.

Ask the host property not to provide pads and paper during the educational sessions.

Collect name badge holders for recycling and reuse at all other events throughout the year.

All event signage should be recycled and/or reused. Stay away from polystyrene or petrochemicals in décor, packaging, or signage.

Event bags should be made from recyclable material, which can be reused after the event for groceries, etc.

Have a solid count of attendees to avoid wasteful over spending and excess.

If handouts are necessary, have them printed on both sides of the paper.

Partner with a local charity or community/environmental project and collect funds through a raffle.

Choose venues that are recognized as green properties.

Have any other ideas? Please comment!

Bears that Care: Boxes of Love

2011-07-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

Found this photo of one of TeamBuilding Unlimited's Charity Challenge: Bears that Care Events. All of our bears/animals are 'packaged' in gift boxes. No this is not a Food-to-Go Truck!

Thanks Intendis for donating 100 bears to the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas! TeamBuilding Unlimited was so glad to facilitate your event!

Bears that Care: Charity Challenge Christmas in July

2011-07-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

Last week TeamBuilding Unlimited/Murder on the Menu showcased our holiday events at a Christmas in July trade show at the lovely Oceano Hotel in Half Moon Bay (CA). What a great location!

Now's the time to start planning your holiday party. Whether you're looking for entertainment or some great philanthropic team building, contact us for creative customized ideas.

Bears that Care is one of our favorite events. After playing a series of children's team games, participants work together to stuff animals/bears. Each participant also decorates a t-shirt for both the bear and the child who would receive the animal. We provide red gift boxes and paper and markers for giftcards. What a great event for your holiday party.

Giving back to the community is welcome any time. The bears/animals are donated to a variety of charities including The Family Giving Tree, the Ronald McDonald House, oncology units, fire and police stations.

For other Charity Challenges, perfect for your holiday party (or any time), go HERE.

Contact us now, so we can provide you with the very best Charity Challenge for the Holidays

TeamBuilding Cupcake Challenge

2011-06-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited announces the addition of a new fun interactive and delicious activity that capitalizes on your team's creativity and sweet tooth. This is a great event to do before or after a meal and can be incorporated into your lunch, dinner or afternoon teambuilding treat. THE CUPCAKE CHALLENGE!

Each team will be given paper to start, so they can create a Team Chef’s Hat! Individuals decorate their chef's hat with their team name and anything else they feel is appropriate..or not.

Then the real fun begins. Teams are challenged to Decorate their Cupcakes so that they symbolize the team itself, the company, the theme of the meeting, their positions at the company, or another theme.

In addition each team will be given materials to create a ‘DISPLAY’ in which they’ll be able to stack their treats into showpieces. Prizes will be given to best overall display!

Each team will be given Cupcakes that can be decorated or left as is. With a variety of cupcake design supplies, tools and assorted decorating materials, the group will turn their concept into reality.
After the cupcakes are designed, decorated and displayed, each team will create a ‘commercial’ to present their cupcakes to the entire group.

And last but not least, participants will enjoy their creations.

You can have your Cupcake and Eat it, too!

Contact TeamBuilding Unlimited for more information

Wacky Wine Games Team Building

2011-06-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

Because so many of our clients hold meetings and special events at wineries and wine country properties or they like a wine themed event, TeamBuilding Unlimited has created a special "menu" of wine specific team building events. Great in wine country, but these events can take place anywhere.

Contact us if you're planning an event in wine country or want wine-themed teambuilding or entertainment at your next meeting or special event!

Perfect for high-energy team building fun in the Vineyards (or anywhere)! This series of Wacky Wine Games capitalizes on the locale! Games are customized to include the team, goals and objectives (to have fun!). Games might include: Wine Trivia Contest, Cork Building Tower, Harvesting Grapes (hilarious 2-3 person team event with catcher's mitts, grapes & more), Marketing Wine T-Shirt (creation, modeling & explanation), Golf Among the Grapes (funny spin on a Hole in One!) and many more! Prizes for the winning team? Wine, of course!

Zoo Scavenger Hunt: It's all happening at the Zoo!

2011-06-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

Someone told me
It's all happening at the zoo.

I do believe it,
I do believe it's true.

The monkeys stand for honesty,
Giraffes are insincere,
And the elephants are kindly but
They're dumb.
Orangutans are skeptical

Is your workplace a zoo?

TeamBuilding Unlimited will custom design a ZooQuest to navigate your team through the animal kingdom at your local Zoo. TeamBuilding Unlimited will use creative anthropomorphism in our ZooQuest to allow your people to see each other through animal eyes.

Creativity, efficient resource allocation, intensive problem-solving and effective time management will propel teams into the wild as they learn the secrets of the Animal Kingdom and their peers.

Any Legal Eagles out there? Perfect for your team. Contact us for more information. Groups of 5 to 300. Any Zoo in the U.S.

Pie in a Jar: Wedding Favors

2011-06-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

June is Wedding month, and I mentioned in 2009 that Pies were fast taking over wedding cakes and cupcake towers. But what about pies as favors and treats? Pie in a Jar! I have another blog: DyingforChocolate.com where I post chocolate recipes, reviews and news! One of the posts was for Kentucky Chocolate Nut Pie in a Jar. This is really a version of Derby Pie, and it's perfect for a Southern Wedding. Easy to make, store and the perfect take home treat!

One thing I changed in the original recipe is substituting Bourbon for the vanilla in the directions. You can always write vanilla (or Bourbon optional) on your recipe gift card. The following recipe is for big jars, but you can always do the small mason jars for the wedding! Adjust the recipe!

KENTUCKY NUT PIE IN A JAR

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar (or use half brown and half granulated)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup coursely chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Preparation:
Pour sugar into a lightweight food storage bag. Tie bag and cut off some of the excess and fit bag into the bottom of a 1-quart wide-mouth canning jar. Pour in half of the nuts, the chocolate chips, and remaining nuts. Into food storage bag, add flour and pinch of salt. Tie with twine or ribbon and cut off excess plastic bag end, if necessary. Fit into the top of the jar then screw on top.

Directions for gift tag or label:
Kentucky Derby (Chocolate Chip Nut) Pie

Kentucky Derby (Chocolate Chip Nut) Pie Mix
1 9-inch pastry shell, unbaked
4 ounces (1 stick) melted sweet butter
2 large eggs
1 tsp Bourbon

Preheat oven to 325°
Remove the bag of flour from jar; set aside. Pour nuts and chocolate chips into pie shell, spreading evenly. In a small mixing bowl, whisk 2 eggs. Remove sugar bag and empty the sugar and flour bags into the bowl, stirring to blend well. Whisk in 1 teaspoon Bourbon or a splash more (or vanilla) and the 4 ounces melted butter. Blend well. Pour batter evenly over nuts and chocolate chips. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until nicely browned. Chill thoroughly before cutting. Serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

***

Want to try a different type of Pie in a Jar? Not just flavor but actual ready to bake mini-pies in a jar? Green Wedding Shoes did a post last year on DIY Pie in a Jar Treats. How fun would this be to do at a Bridal Shower or Bacherlorette party? Or maybe the wedding party gets together and makes these fabulous Pie in a Jar treats. These pies can be baked right in the jar! Of course, if you plan to make this for everyone at the wedding, you'll need to increase your ingredients. The following recipe calls for baking in advance, but you can always give the unbaked jars with directions attached! Just a thought.

DIY PIE IN A JAR!

Ingredients:
Pie Crust Dough (favorite recipe or pre-made)
2 12 oz. cans of cherry, apple or your favorite pie filling (I love all natural Chukar's Cherry Pie Filling)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 large egg beaten

Supplies:
6- 4 oz. mason jars, cleaned with lids and labels removed
Heart shaped cookie cutter
1 Cookie sheet

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Press the unrolled dough bit by bit into the jars a bit at a time (not too thick!) until the jars are lined with the dough up to the rims. Reserve some dough for toppers. Next, fill jars nearly to the top with filling of choice.
2. Roll out reserved dough to roughly 1/8 inch thick and cut out 6-8 hearts. Place the filled jars on a sturdy cookie sheet and place into oven.
3. Bake at 325 degrees for roughly 30-35 minutes or until dough becomes a light golden color.
4. At that time, arrange the dough hearts on the pies, brush the hearts with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes until dough is golden brown all the way around the jars. If needed, place foil over the tops of the jars to keep the hearts from burning.
5. Remove and let jars cool on a rack. Decorate with ribbon, tags, or labels on lids as desired and give to your family, friends or wedding guests!

Environmental Awareness: Social & Green Team Building

2011-05-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Meetings FocusWest has a great article this month on environmental awareness--social as well as green ones. Focusing on San Francisco, Maria Lenhart quotes Teambuilding Unlimited in her article, "San Francisco Bay Area: "Green, Golden and Glowing". Here's a portion of the article. To read it in its entirety. Go HERE.
***
When it comes to environmental awareness in the broadest sense—social aspects as well as green ones—the San Francisco Bay Area has long been on the cutting edge. For anyone looking to hold a meeting where green practices, sustainable catering fare, eco-oriented venues and CSR (corporate social responsibility) opportunities are high on the agenda, the Bay Area is an ideal locale.

"The Bay Area is a place where people really think about sustainability. It’s important to most hotels and venues here—and they make it easy to do green events," says Janet Rudolph, owner of Berkeley-based TeamBuilding Unlimited. "There’s a real sense of responsibility."

According to Rudolph of TeamBuilding Unlimited, the Bay Area provides an abundance of settings and opportunities for team-building programs with a CSR and/or green focus. Among them is Project Green Thumb, an activity that combines green practices with community service, in which participants engage in tree planting and other activities at parks, community gardens and schoolyards.

"Tilden Park in Berkeley and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco are great locations for this, as are community pocket parks," she says.

Eco Adventures
The Bay Area brims with opportunities to learn about and experience nature. One option is a scavenger hunt organized by TeamBuilding Unlimited on Angel Island, home to an array of flora and fauna."People have to locate and identify plants and birds. At the same time they are enjoying incomparable vistas of the Bay Area," Rudolph says.

For more on Green TeamBuilding, go HERE.

Crowd Moving in a Hotel

2011-05-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Recently on one of the forums on LinkedIn someone asked a question about how best to move 400 guests from one area of a hotel to another. If the areas are on the same floor, it's pretty easy. Using elevators and stairs gets a bit more complicated, but can be done, even in a timely manner.

Crowd Moving Suggestions

* Make it a parade with a few characters or musicians going through the crowd, leading the way.
* Be sure and close the bars 5 minutes in advance
* Lower lights or dimming off and on
* Raise the music to at least 60 decibels - (so they cannot hear each other/kills conversation)
* Lightning, thunder special effects
* Conga line
* Samba/Zumba dancers
* Jazz band (start on stage and then lead the group): New Orleans funeral procession? leads the parade
* Barbershop Quartet
* Chimes
* While waiting for elevator: Disco Dancers performance.. get everyone involved
*Announce the move rules early in the day and assign some leadership responsibilities to key players who can gently nudge any stragglers.

I definitely like the Parade idea but if you can make it local it will be more fun and get the group's attention: Fog Horn if you're on the ocean, Bagpipes if you're in Scotland, Car Engines in Daytona. Embrace the locale.

Funny Wedding Cake Toppers

2011-05-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

The meeting industry may be slowing down a bit, but the wedding industry isn't. Here are a few funny and unusual Wedding Cake toppers. What does your wedding cake topper say about you?

And my own Wedding Topper. Yep, Betty Boop & Dudley Do-Right:

Cartoon of the Day: Team Building

2011-05-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

Love this cartoon:

Chocolate Biscuit Cake for the Royal Wedding

2011-05-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes traditions die hard, and Prince William certainly had a tradition from the nursery that he wanted to perpetuate at his wedding. His choice for wedding cake (there were two) was a Chocolate Biscuit Cake. Although the recipe was not divulged by the court bakers, it is known that the cake was made with McVitie biscuits and lots of chocolate.

Here are two recipes and links to recipes for Chocolate Biscuit Cake in case you'd like to make this for your next wedding! Part of this text appeared in my other blog: DyingforChocolate.com

I know McVitie's is making the Royal Wedding Chocolate Biscuit Cake, but I couldn't find that top secret recipe. I did post a link to a great recipe for Chocolate Biscuit Cake from The Daily Spud, and I do think it probably comes quite close, especially since it uses golden syrup. Walkers has a fabulous recipe that I posted from the Millstone Cafe in Connecticut.

Well, in case you plan to serve all the wedding guests (the Queen's not, but that's another story), here are two recipes for Chocolate Biscuit Cake. The first recipe is from Butlers Chocolates in the UK. You have the option of using either white or milk chocolate. For the wedding, use milk chocolate (or maybe even something darker?). Since it's an English wedding, I didn't change the measurements. You can find a converter on the Internet. This recipe is a cinch and delicious. A hob is a stove...but you knew that! The second recipe is from Betty Crocker. A bit more complicated, but definitely satisfying.

CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CAKE III: Butler's Chocolates

Ingredients:
100g Butter
400g Butlers Milk Chocolate / 400g Butlers White Chocolate (or your favorite brand)
1 can of condensed milk
150g/250g rich tea or digestive biscuits

Method:
1. Melt your butter and preferred type of chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of near boiling water. Turn on the hob and melt it slowly because if it melts too quickly it will curdle and you will have to start again!
2. While the two ingredients are melting break up the biscuits either by hand OR with a rolling pin in a bag, put the broken biscuits in a bowl and leave to the side.
3. Open the can of condensed milk.
4. Remove the melted chocolate and butter from the hob when there are no lumps left in the mixture and the ingredients are a shiny, rich, brown/cream colour.
5. Gradually add the condensed milk to the chocolate mixture.
The ingredients will look as if you have done something wrong as they will combine and then separate. DON’T WORRY, this is normal. KEEP adding the condensed milk until there is none remaining in the can. Eventually the mixture will get thicker and smoother than before
6. Gradually add the biscuits to the mixture, as much or as little as you want.
7. Line a squared baking tray with tinfoil. Add the chocolate biscuit mixture.
8. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
9. Cut up into squares

CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CAKE IV: Betty Crocker

Cake
1 pkg (8.8 oz) McVitie's® chocolate digestives tea biscuits or rich tea biscuits
1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips (8 oz)
2/3 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter

Frosting
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (4 oz)
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter

Directions
1. Line a 6- or 8-inch round cake pan with foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Break each of the biscuits into 1-inch pieces; set aside.
2. In medium bowl, place 1 1/3 cup chocolate chips; set aside. In 1-quart saucepan, heat 2/3 cup whipping cream and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted and mixture comes to a boil. Pour cream mixture over chocolate and stir smooth.
3. Add biscuit pieces to chocolate mixture, gently fold until all pieces are coated. Spoon into the prepared cake pan. Gently press mixture into pan. Refrigerate cake for 3 hours or until firm.
4. Remove cake from cake pan and turn upside down onto a serving plate. Remove foil. In small bowl place remaining 2/3 cup chocolate chips. In 1-quart saucepan, heat remaining 1/3 cup whipping cream and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted and mixture comes to a boil. Pour cream mixture over chocolate and stir smooth. Pour the melted chocolate over the cake; frost top and sides using a butter knife or offset spatula. If desired, decorate with melted milk chocolate.

Operation Red Wagon: Two New Charity Challenges

2011-04-25T07:29:00.000-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited loves doing Charity Challenges. Here are two more philanthropic events for your team! Contact us for more information. TeamBuilding Unlimited works with groups of 5 to 400. Anywhere in the World.

Trends in Event Planning: Photo Booth

2011-04-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

Trends in Event Planning: Photo Booths

One of the fun trends I've seen at a lot of events is the Photo Booth! This is a great idea for meetings, conventions, tradeshows, special events and even weddings. And, it's not all photos!

Many of the Photo Booth companies have a social media interface and can instantly give attendees a branded photo print to take away or to send instantly by email or facebook. This is great for the event and the participants. On another level, the Photo Booth experience can drive traffic to your (or you client's) facebook/website.

Phone Booths are so Retro, and what's Retro is new again!

Check for Photo Booth Vendors in your area. Need a special look for your Booth? Many companies have the latest digital models or restored original Vintage Black and White booths from the 50s.

Photo: Frank T. Lawman, Renaissance Club Sport Trade Show

Cartoon of the Day: Personnel Training

2011-04-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

Rhymes with Orange by Hilary B. Price is one of my favorite comic strips. Enjoy!

Flexibility in TeamBuilding

2011-03-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

Frank Price, VP, TeamBuilding Unlimited, guest blogs today about Flexibility in Team Building. His ideas and thoughts can be applied to many different kinds of special events--and life.

Flexibility is a key component of Team Building Facilitation. One of the greatest boxers of all time, Mohamed Ali, used to say he would “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” Taking this metaphor to a different level, a team builder must be "relaxed and fly effortlessly and deliver the results with precision and accuracy.”

Flexibility in attitude, deliverables, process, and location are basic requirements. The location of the team building event may change at the last moment. The configuration of the room can be greatly modified before your arrival, and you may have to make serious adjustments in how the event will be developed.

Numbers may be in flux, and the best facilitators must deal in change, often at the last minute. Be prepared for more or fewer participants. There is always the possibility that one of your key assistants may turn up as a no show do to illness or traffic.

Weather, of course, can dictate the traffic, which prevents the arrival of a key helper, and it can also change an outside event into a potential conundrum. Sometimes there are no alternative locations. That is, however. a discussion for a different article.

It is essential to always plan on traffic problems and leave early for the destination. If there are no traffic problems well, at worst, you arrive early. Think about alternative routes when the weather is known to be contentious.

Attitude is a major factor in any event. Attitude is critical regardless of the source. Often times, the provider of each portion of the event begins to believe that his/her/their portion is what drives the event and that all others must follow. This can be most difficult. Machiavelli would have probably played one against the other for the best results, but team builders must take a different outlook. Consensus building is best, but not always achievable. As the song goes, and as experience is gained, “you have to know when to hold them and when to fold them.” You always want your best, and you have to make your case known and not just acquiesce to another component. It is not unusual for your client to not understand the implications of any last minute changes.

The supplies that you bring must be flexible enough so that you can adapt to these and other last minute changes. The activities you have planned need to have some flexibility to any changes in location, size of the group, technology and time. Back-up possibilities need to be considered. What you will deliver to your client may “float like a butterfly.”

En garde!

How to Host a Killer Seance

2011-03-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

Today I've invited Penny Warner, author and party planner extraordinaire, to guest post on how to Host a Killer Seance Party. Penny has been a guest on my other two blogs: Mystery Fanfare and Dying for Chocolate. She knows of what she speaks! Her latest novel, How to Survive a Killer Seance is just out from Penguin Books (March 2011). Follow the following tips for a Killer Seance party! Thanks, Penny!

Penny Warner:
HOW TO HOST A KILLER SÉANCE PARTY

So you want to chat with Elvis? No problem—even though he’s been dead for decades. Just host a séance, hold hands around a crystal ball, and wait for the spirits to appear … Ideally, at the circle you’ll want a few true believers, a couple of skeptics, and one or two who are open to the possibility of the supernatural. And don’t forget the medium—real or not. It’s time for a ghost-whispering Séance Party.

Invitations
Invite the skeptics and believers with “Message from the beyond…” Cut out a white circle, glue the top edge to a black card, and write “The Spirits Are About to Speak…” on the outside. Underneath, glue another white circle and include the party details. Or draw a ghost on a white card with a speech bubble providing the information. Or outline your palm, draw lifelines, and write the details along each line, indicating their “future” at the party. Include a Tarot card or a lucky rabbits foot.

What to Wear
As the hostess, you might dress up as a gypsy, or wear all black, with a lacey scarf. Tell the guests to come in costume, dressed as a character from the 20s, when the séance was at its heyday. Or suggest they come as a witch, sorcerer, or fortune-teller.

Decorations
You’ll need a dark room to host the séance, one with drapes than will keep out the light from outside. Set a round table in the middle of the room, and drape it with a black lace tablecloth. Set a crystal ball (or an upside down fishbowl) in the center of the table. Light candles around the room, and play spooky Halloween music in the background. Set hanging pictures at an angle, and string fake cobwebs along the lights and furniture, or in the corners of the room. Download creepy pictures from the Internet and frame them, then set them on tables or hang them on the walls. Get an accomplice to help you with some simple séance gimmicks while you summon the spirit world. (See Games and Activities for examples.)

Games and Activities
Scare the goose bumps out of your guests with a few ghoulish games and spooky surprises!

• Summon the Spirits
Have a real séance with a hired medium. Or put on your own séance and set the scene with lots of spooky gimmicks. Have the attendees sit at the table and hold hands. While you close your eyes and mumble to the spirit world, have your accomplice do some of the following tricks. Tie fishing line to a picture on the wall and move it slightly. Do the same to the drapes. Knock softly, then louder, on the wall. Turn on a fan and blow out a candle or two. Start up a fog machine. Spray the guests with a sudden blast from a squirt gun. Have sheeted ghost pass through the room. Use a speaker or karaoke machine to create the voices.

• Channel the Spirits
After the guests are thoroughly spooked by the unseemly spirits, it’s time the channel the dead. First tell a little background to continue the spooky mood and put on a theatrical performance as you call the spirits. Then bring back someone famous from the past that everyone, such as Elvis, Queen Victoria, or Marilyn Monroe. Have the accomplice imitate the voice, and answer questions from the attendees, such as “Elvis, how did you die?” “Ah ate too many pork rinds, thank-you-verah-much.”

• Ouija Board
Get out the Ouija Board, choose a couple of guests to sit opposite each other, and ask questions. Take turns so everyone gets a chance to hear answers “from the other side.” You might even include some pre-formed questions the players must ask, such as “Who will meet the man of her dreams next?” or “Who in the room is keeping a deep dark secret?”

• It’s in the Cards
Read up on fortune-telling with Tarot cards, then predict each guest’s future using the cards.

• Predictions
Have the guests make up predictions for each guest. When everyone is finished, choose one guest to read her predictions—then guess who created it.

• Movie Madness
Rent creepy movies that feature ghosts and other strange creatures, such as “The Others,” “The Ring,” “Thirteen Ghosts,” “Ghost Ship,” “Ghostbusters,” “The Haunting,” “The Legend of Hell House,” “Poltergeist,” “The Shining,” “What Lies Beneath,” or “Ghost.” Share them with the group.

Refreshments
Make your own fortune cookies. Buy prepackaged sugar cookie dough. Roll out the dough to as thin as possible, cut into circles, fold the circle, curve it into a “C,” and pinch the ends, leaving a small opening. On small strips of paper, write down funny fortunes, such as “You will learn to play the violin,” “You will marry a clown,” or “You will come back as a mule.” When the cookies are lightly browned, let them cool, then insert the paper predictions. Make a devil’s food cake for a centerpiece, topped with Tarot cards or the crystal ball.

Favors, Prizes, and Gifts
Tarot decks make great prizes and favors, along with lucky charms, scary movies, a book of ghost stories, creepy soundtracks, and Astrology books.

Party Plus
Invite a “real” medium, psychic, or tarot card reader to your party to lead the séance or predict the future.

True Confessions of an Event Planner: Kevin Kohee, Guest Blogger

2011-03-10T07:22:00.000-08:00

Today I welcome a guest post by Kevin Cohee, CEO of Do an Event, Northern California’s leading spectacular event strategy and styling firm.

KEVIN COHEE:

TRUE CONFESSIONS OF AN EVENT PLANNER

Beyond being organized and creative, it takes many skills to be a professional Event Planner. I knew I was creative and organized, many people had pointed this out to me - but I had no clue I would tap into so many other unrealized skills once I went pro.

When I was hired to help produce a custom home show, I quickly got my feet wet with BIG challenges. This 5 week show required bulldozers to prepare parking lots, sewer connections to our temporary office, 9 phone lines for credit card sales, 7 motor-coaches running consecutively for 12 hours a day. Other challenges were field fires, encroaching wildlife, electric transformers exploding, life flight being called, calculating food sales and scheduling hundreds of volunteers. I know, many of you are thinking “that’s nothing, I had an elephant die during a performance” but this event became the foundation of my newborn event planning career.

Kevin Cohee

Here are five secret skills all professional event planners possess:

1. Grammar
The most challenging skill I honed was creative writing. I write emails, proposals, website entries, scopes of work, contracts, billing, inquiries, request for proposals, marketing pieces and even articles. Early on, I asked a journalist friend to critique almost every piece of correspondence I created. Those red-marked revisions really stay with you and I learned to turn to the dictionary and thesaurus and look at synonyms in a whole new light.

2. Mathematics
Jack of all trades perfectly describes most event planners, so don’t wait until you are on-site and the generator provider is about to leave to learn how many watts of power your event actually requires. Avoid the dreaded “where’s the breaker-box?” when Lights, Camera, Action is called out. Mastering math now becomes a subtle tool; calculating amps, watts, ounces, pounds, inches, yards and of course dollars. Who knew ordering a linen table cloth would second-guess my ability to multiply? These vital elements that help make us and our event look incredible are like little children with their own needs. To learn how these independent providers join in unison, I volunteered at large public events.

3. Liability
Choosing themes or florals may come naturally to many but contracts are intimidating. Protecting ourselves, our clients and their guests require a bit of investigating. Adding insurance riders, fabric fire retardant certificates, abundant lighting or health certificates are not fun jobs. Relying on other professionals like lawyers, professors, accountants and insurance agents are essential. Even the smallest of mishaps can tarnish an otherwise stellar event so addressing safety falls to the shoulders of the planner. It’s often an under appreciated skill professional planners must obtain and promote.

4. Legality
Keeping it legal is one more secret talent we are rarely recognized for. Addressing street closures, alcohol sales license, gaming permits, fire safety permits, overflow parking or capacity regulations continue to be daunting tasks. The problem is to know which questions to ask. I plan an annual beauty industry event for legislators and decided to have a Show Poodle be the living centerpiece. Cool idea huh? My intuition led me to ask around and like restaurants, salons are regulated and pets are not allowed. How embarrassing it would have been to have broken the law with legislators as guests. This is a perfect example of the value professional planners bring.

5. Food and Beverage
Food enriches every event and is a key element in the memory-making guests leave with. Curiosity is my favorite skill, one that takes me to farmers markets, fine grocery stores, ethnic markets and ahhh, the Food Network®. You need to quench their thirst as well and though I don’t consume alcohol, event planners must be as knowledgeable or more about wine and spirits than their client. Ask questions when you are around wine, search winery websites and go to a wine tasting with someone who knows more than you.

Reading industry publications both print and electronic are a must for this ever-changing, trend-setting industry. My philosophy is don’t serve something someone can have anytime, somewhere else. If we don’t make it “special” then why hire a special event planner?

And, as if our plates aren’t full enough…someone mentioned they sent me a tweet???

McDonald's Slated to offer Ultra-cheap McWeddings

2011-02-18T11:04:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I love beautiful venues for weddings: wineries, beaches, historic inns, and the like. McDonald's would not be my first choice. Nevertheless, starting this year, couples will be able to tie the knot at three McDonald's branch in Hong Kong. They’ll be offered in packages starting at HK$1000 ($129), which is a major savings from the typical HK$10,000 or $1300 price of a Hong Kong wedding.

Included with the reservation is a personalized menu, decorations, McDonald’s-themed gifts, a special apple-pie wedding cake, and a lone fry in place of the traditional cherry a couple shares prior to kissing.

Couples who opt for a McWedding aren’t guaranteed any privacy whatsoever. Other customers who walk in to grab a bite are welcome to watch the ceremony. In addition, McDonald’s doesn’t carry any liquor or beer, so there’ll be no drinking.

I don't think wedding planners need to worry. Who would want to do this?

Mural/Quilt Art Project: Perfect Team Work

2011-02-08T07:21:00.000-08:00

How artistic is your team? You'd be surprised! TeamBuilding Unlimited/Murder on the Menu offers a very special team event that can also serve a community purpose: The Mural/Quilt Art Project. The finished project produced by your team can be donated to Hospitals, Senior or Children's Centers... or it can be taken back to your office and hung from the rafters!

Participants work in teams to "design" a piece of a Mural/Quilt. The theme for the finished design is part of the challenge, as the teams decide on the theme of the quilt/banner. TeamBuilding Unlimited's Marvelous Mural/Quilt Art Project is a variation on our Flags Flying team Event. This event can be done at the office, meeting or special venue. Participants work in teams to "design" a piece of a Mural or Quilt that when assembled represents their group, products, company or another theme.

Deciding on the theme of the quilt or mural is part of the challenge. TeamBuilding Unlimited works with the teams on color palette and technique --but the best part is the creativity of your participants.

TeamBuilding Unlimited will guide your creativity, provide the materials, and facilitate the event. The "quilt" is then put together—by your teams—and can be taken back to the office and hung... or it can be donated.

This team building event involves creativity, leadership, strategic thinking, sequenced planning and communication. Quilt/Mural Making is about Process, as much as art. Facilitators work with the teams to encourage them to think BIG.

The final product is a visual documentation of your team's understanding and awareness of the theme they have selected and the process through which they went.

Variations: Can be done with mixed media including found objects (recycle, reuse).

Goal: Separate parts that add up to one vision! The Big Picture!

Team Dance Competition: So You Think Your Team Can Dance?

2011-02-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

So You Think Your Team Can Dance? Team Dance Competition

Being able to dance has become more and more popular. Everyone is realizing how much fun it can be, especially when done with your own colleagues.

So You Think You Can Dance? TeamBuilding Unlimited's Team Dance Competition can take place in an office, at a conference center, in a ballroom, at your hotel, or even outdoors. Our professional choreographers will help your group explore their creative side!

In this amazingfun team building activity, teams are taught different dances by professional Choreographers. Later in the evening each team performs their dances in front of the rest of the group. Prizes are awarded for the "Best" Dancers.

Teams work with Professional Dance Choreographers to come up with a 60-90 second dance routine.

Different dance styles are incorporated into the instruction and performance.

Teams perform their 60-90 second routine later in the evening in front of their colleagues.

Judges will critique each team on originality of the routine and group unity.

TeamBuilding Unlimited's corporate team dance program reinforces work teams by enhancing communication, relationships, self-esteem and social awareness. Corporate participants will strengthen key skills as they listen, learn, persevere, and perform in a relaxed fun-filled environment.

How to Measure ROI from an Event

2011-02-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

So you're planning on event, but you want to make sure you're getting a good return on your investment. This is sometimes hard to do in the event industry.

David Preston of Active Network has a great article on ROI in events.

What to measure? And how? Preston suggests you have a set number of relevant and measurable objectives, then use standard (and proven) methods to collect data to see if the objectives were met.

Here’s a list of suggested event objectives:

Business Impact – how do you want the event to impact key business measures, such as sales or profit?
Behaviour – what specific actions do you want participants to take as a result of attending e.g. visit a website, sign up to a mailing list?
Learning – cognitive change always has to precede behavioral change to change behavior i.e. participants have to ‘learn’ something – be it information, skills, attitudes and relationships. All aspects of every event will support at least one of these categories of learning.

When you set these objectives and plan and execute the event accordingly, you can measure results along the chain of impact:

Did you create a good learning environment?
Did the group learn something?
And what was the business impact of their behaviour?

Read the entire article HERE.

North Beach Scavenger Hunt: Food & Fame

2011-01-18T06:10:00.000-08:00

Five Hundred International Sales Executives took to the streets of San Francisco on a rainy Sunday night for a "Film Festival' Foodie Scavenger Hunt. With clues that took them to historical and cultural locations in North Beach, the multi-national group scoured the area, following clues and hints. Rain didn't deter these ardent folks on a mission, as they donned ponchos to 'protect' them from the San Francisco Rain. The rewards? Pasta, wine and chocolate, singing and searching, camaraderie, and a fabulous evening!

At the end of the evening each team utlizing what they had experienced in North Beach, created a scintillating movie poster about their company. Would their film be Film Noir, a Foodie Movie or a Musical? Each team's poster and explanation was hilarious as they brought down the house with mention of their products, their mission and their competitiors!

The teams stopped at Amante, Caffee Delucchi and Colosseo for great pasta and wine. And our singing masters treated each team that sung "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" to San Francisco Ghirardelli Chocolate.

Eating and drinking, teams explored the cultural and historical streets and alleys of North Beach. Deciphering clues to find their way, teams also met with challenges. Teams were treated to a clever fun Scavenger Hunt they'll never forget!

Great Fun was had by all!

Cartoon of the Day: ROI

2011-01-16T07:21:00.000-08:00

Wine Country Team Building & Events

2011-01-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited loves to work in Wine Country. So many of our clients hold meetings and special events at wineries and wine country properties that we created a special ‘menu’ of wine country specific team building events. Send us an email if you’re planning an event in wine country: Sonoma, Napa, Monterey, Lodi, Paso Robles, Temecula, Livermore or any other wine country area.

Here are just a few team events that are perfect for your Wine Country Meeting or Event! Of course, these events can take place anywhere, but they can all be wine themed!

WACKY WINE GAMES

Perfect for high-energy team building fun in the Vineyards! This series of Wacky Wine Games capitalizes on the locale! Games are customized to include the team, goals and objectives (to have fun!). Games might include: WINE TRIVIA CONTEST, CORK BUILDING TOWER, HARVESTING GRAPES (hilarious 2-3 person team event with catcher’s mitts, grapes & more), MARKETING WINE T-SHIRT (creation, modeling & explanation)
GOLF AMONG THE GRAPES (funny spin on a Hole in One!) and many more!

Prizes for the winning team? Wine, of course!

Wine Country Safari: Scavenger Hunt
The search for adventure begins as resourceful teams gather items related to their meeting, company and the location: Wine Country! Using the diversity of sights, sounds and materials of a specific winery or a location in Wine country such as the town of Sonoma or the Silverado Trail or wherever your event is being held, teams will compete as they comb through the essence of the area's core to provide the winning touch to an exciting scramble.

Teams traverse the location in search of the history and culture and different aspects of wine and wine country. Teams must think outside of the box by exercising creativity, resourcefulness, and decision-making under the pressure of time. From 2 hours to half or full day events, Wine Country Safari is a great choice for teams seeking adventure and who want to learn about wineries, wine making, and more.

This is a great teambuilding activity for Distributors, Sales, Wine Club Members, and companies that want to have wine fun while they do some teambuilding and team bonding.

The Sangria Challenge
Teams are challenged to make a very special alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink that includes White and Red Wine and lots of other "secret" ingredients. Teams will be instructed in the basics of wine and Sangria before the culinary portion. This Sangria Challenge will tantalize your taste buds while challenging your knowledge and creativity.

In addition to mixing lemons and lots of other fruits with wine and bubbly water and other "secret" ingredients, each team will develop a marketing plan for their drink, a new logo and slogan, a name for "their" winery and their specific sangria drink and so much more! Our knowledgeable facilitator will educate the group on wine, as well as the history of Sangria.

This is the perfect mixology Wine Country team building event!

Team Wine: The Noir of Wine and Chocolate Tasting
A combination of two great tastes! Chocolate and Wine—to die for… Participants will be given an opportunity to taste, sample and rate different Wines (provided by Winery or Caterer) paired with great Chocolate with different percentages of cacao. As the participants sample each wine, they will use the five “S”, seeing, swirling, smell, sip, and maybe spit, to compare colors, flavors and tastes. Teams will be given a chance to make comments, keep score and to rate the wines and chocolates that they have tasted, as well as how they pair together.
Have a look at our "Ultimate Chocolate Tasting" for the chocolate portion of this event.

Winery Mystery Party: Fatal Fermentation

Wineries are the perfect location for your next mystery event! Murder on the Menu/TeamBuilding Unlimited has been performing at wineries, hotels and special venues in Wine Country for over 25 years. Murder on the Menu involves you and your guests directly in the action by cleverly interweaving the agenda of your meeting, the jargon of your industry, specific people and ever changing wine themes into the script.

The interactive murder mystery performed by Murder on the Menu's talented group of actors is always related to the goals and objectives of your meeting or special event. Your group's raison d'être is reinforced with the added excitement and vitality of interactive theatre!

Get Your Team Uncorked at a great customized interactive mystery party!

TeamBuilding Unlimited, a division of Murder on the Menu,

comes to YOUR meeting or conference. Anywhere in the U.S.

The Site Inspection

2010-12-30T07:49:00.000-08:00

Couldn't help but repost this joke on Greg Ruby's Gems. If you've ever been on a FAM TOUR or any other Site Inspection, you'll appreciate this! Like Greg, I've been on both sides of the FAM tour, both as facilitator/entertainer and as a meeting planner!

***

One day, a meeting planner dies. She goes to Heaven and is greeted by St. Peter. St. Peter says, “Things are a bit overcrowded here, so God is letting everyone make up there mind to either stay here or to stay in Hell. Tomorrow you get to visit Hell, and the next day you will visit Heaven. After your visits, you can have a day to make up your mind as to where you wish to spend eternity.”

The meeting planner agreed.

The next day, she was off to visit Hell. She was picked up in Purgatory by a Hummer stretch limo, greeted by a hunk of a man wearing nothing but a tight pair of jeans and whisked away. In the limo, there was every type of alcohol available, chocolates, the finest food, and a place to get a pedicure. She was impressed! Upon arriving in Hell, she had the red carpet rolled out for her, carried into her hotel as if she was Cleopatra, and the room was covered in roses. She thought to herself, this is AMAZING!! That night, she was treated to the finest food, wine and music, and danced with all the hot men in Hell. She was draped in furs, Vera Wang clothing and Ferragamo shoes. She never wanted to leave.

She awoke the next morning in Purgatory, and there was a black Lincoln town car there to pick her up to take her to Heaven. Once there, the door was opened, and an angel showed her around. She thought to herself, “This place is BORING! Who would want to stay here? It’s clean and quiet, but forever being this quiet?” After her tour, St. Peter walked up to her and asked, “We’ll be having dinner at 5PM over at the Angel cafeteria. What do you think of Heaven so far?” The meeting planner said, “Can I go ahead and make up my mind now?” St. Peter replied, “Why, yes. But I really think you need a night to sleep on it; this is a very big decision.” The meeting planner replied, “Yes, and Heaven is very…heavenly. But I have decided I would like to go back to Hell.” St. Peter let out a grunt in disgust and said, “So it shall be.” And with a blink of his eyes, she was back in Hell.

This time, it was filthy, hot, smelly, and she was in rags. Everyone was crying or screaming. She was frightened and scared. She walked up to one of the head Spawns there, and said, “What happened? When I was here, it was beautiful, paradise! Now, it stinks, and it’s hot, and I’m wearing rags! What happened?” The Spawn replied, “Yesterday was the site inspection, and today you signed the contract!”

Murder of the Decade at The Lake Chalet

2010-12-10T17:26:00.000-08:00

Join Murder on the Menu® and the Lake Chalet in Oakland

for a fabulous New Year's Eve Celebration!

The Murder of the Decade!

Gingerbread Cookie Decorating: Perfect Corporate Holiday Party

2010-11-11T13:25:00.000-08:00

The Holidays are almost upon us, and that means Corporate Holiday Parties!

TeamBuilding Unlimited/Murder on the Menu offers lots of different types of holiday party entertainment and team building -- from Mysteries to Charity Challenges to Culinary Team Events! Gingerbread Cookie Decorating is an all-time favorite. Many of our clients decorate and donate to the VA, to Hospitals, to Food Banks. Some clients just decorate and eat their creations!

TeamBuilding Unlimited provides the specially baked Gingerbread Cookies, Icing and Frosting, Tools, Decorations, and Technique instructions. You supply the Creativity! Your Gingerbread Men and Women can be whimsical, holiday oriented-- the sky's the limit! Last year one of our clients had a Gingerbread Decorating Throw-down!

Gingerbread Cookie Decorating is a fabulous way to 'spice' up your Holiday Party.

During the Holidays, we confine ourselves to the San Francisco Bay Area--Monterey to Healdsburg to Sacramento. O.K. that's more than the Bay, but you get the picture!

This year we're also offering Instructions and Directions on How to Host a Gingerbread Cookie Decorating Party to our clients outside the Bay Area. We have all the information you will need to have the very best party!

Contact us for more information on a Gingerbread Cookie Decorating Party.

Remember, you'll only limited by your Imagination!

And here's a very apt cartoon strip from my favorite cartoonist: Hilary Price of Rhymes with Orange

Vampire Halloween Party? Penny Warner Guest Blogs

2010-10-26T10:33:00.001-07:00

Want to organize your own Halloween Party? Penny Warner, party planner extraordinaire, guest blogs today with a few tips.

Penny Warner has more than 25 years of experience as an author and party planner and writes for party websites, such as BalloonTime.com. She has published more than 50 books, including 16 specific to parties. Her latest books include LADIES’ NIGHT, HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY, and HOW TO CRASH A KILLER BASH. HOW TO SURVIVE A KILLER SÉANCE will be out March 2011.

I VANT TO SUCK YOUR BLOOD HALLOWEEN PARTY
by Penny Warner

Vampire Parties are all the rage, thanks to books, TV shows, and movies like “Twilight,” “True Blood,” and “Vampire Diaries.” If you’re a fan of vampire Team Edward or werewolf Team Jacob, barmaid Sookie Stackhouse and vampire Bill Compton, or good/evil vampire brothers Stefan Salvatore and Damon Salvatore, host a blood-sucking party to celebrate Halloween

Eerie Invitations

Put some bite into your party invitations. Make a Coffin Invitation by folding a sheet of black construction paper in half. Draw the shape of a coffin on the paper, making sure one side of the coffin is on the fold. Cut out the coffin and write “Do not open until midnight” or “Open at your own risk” on the front using a blood-red sparkly pen. Or you can type it up on the computer using a vampire font, print it, cut it out, and glue it to the front. Find a picture of your favorite vampire on the Internet or in a fan magazine and copy it for each invitation. Open the coffin and glue the picture on the right-hand side. On the opposite side, write the party details. For added fun, add a set of vampire teeth, a glove of garlic, or a small cross inside the envelope, and seal with red sealing wax.
Creepy Costumes

Ask your guests to come as their favorite vampire—or werewolf—past or present. When they arrive, offer them face paints, vampire teeth, and vials of fake blood to add to their costumes. Make simple capes out of black fabric and hand them out to guests.

Dreadful Decorations

Create a gothic atmosphere with black and red balloons. Turn the lights down and light candles, or use a string of red lights around the room. Replace regular light bulbs with black lights and red bulbs. Make a giant coffin using a large appliance box. Paint it black, add a string of garlic or a wooden cross to the top, and place it in the center of the room to use for setting out snacks. Place vampire fangs, garlic, and plastic bats around the room or hang them from the ceiling. Cover your mirrors and black out your windows. Set the table with a black cloth and bright red paper products. Use vampire teeth as napkin rings. Make a centerpiece using a glass bowl, fill it with red tinted water, and float black candles. Make some personalized tombstones from cardboard or foam, and write epitaphs on them for each guest. Set them around the room. Play Clair de Lune, Muse, and Coldplay music in the background.

Ghoulish Games and Activities

Team Trivia. Divide guests into two teams and have them answer trivia questions about vampires and such from “Twilight,” “True Blood,” or “Vampire Diaries.”

Quoth the Vampire. Write down quotes from the vampire books or shows and have guests try to identify the speaker.

Vamping Vampires. Write down scenes from your favorite vampire film, book, or show, and have guests act them out for one another to guess.

Fortune Teller. Have a fortune teller stop by and tell the guests their futures. Or write fortunes on small pieces of paper, roll them up and insert them into balloons, then inflate the balloons with helium. Have the guests pull down a floating balloon and pop it to read the fortune.

Vampire Shirt. Let guests make their own t-shirts with their favorite vampires or sayings on them. Print pictures of vampires and sayings on iron-on paper using the computer, then let guests iron them on and decorate them with glitter glue, sequins, and other embellishments.

Vampire Videos. Watch videos of your favorite vampire films or TV shows. Don’t forget the originals, such as “Dracula,” or the popular “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Bloody Good Refreshments

Serve lots of red-colored food to satisfy that thirst for blood—red licorice, sliced red peppers, strawberries, red apples, red salsa with red tortilla chips, French fries with ketchup dip. Ask the bakery to tint a loaf of bread red, then make sandwiches with red jam. Cut out bat-shaped cookies, bake them, and spread with chocolate icing.

Offer a variety of red-colored drinks for the vampire guests, such as tomato juice, cranberry juice cocktail, red punch, red sports drink, etc. Freeze gummy worms in red water to make ice cubes for the drinks.

Make a coffin-shaped or tombstone-shaped red velvet cake, covered with chocolate icing.

Frightening Favors

Give the vampires plastic teeth, black capes, fake blood, posters of hot vampires, face painting makeup, videos of the shows, or other vampire related gifts—there are lots available!

Holiday Party: Bears that Care Charitable Team Building

2010-10-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited has lots of philanthropic Charity Challenges that are perfect for your Holiday Party. This short film is from a Genentech holiday party 2009! Contact us for more information. Build cameraderie and give back to the community!

It's All Happening at the Zoo: ZooQuest

2010-10-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited will custom design a ZooQuest to navigate your team through the animal kingdom at your local Zoo. TeamBuilding Unlimited will use creative anthropomorphism in our ZooQuest to allow your people to see each other through animal eyes. Creativity, efficient resource allocation, intensive problem-solving and effective time management will propel teams into the wild as they learn the secrets of the Animal Kingdom and their peers.

Any Legal Eagles out there? Perfect for your team. Contact us for more information. Groups of 5 to 300. Any Zoo in the U.S.

So You Think You Can Dance? Team Dance Competition

2010-09-14T05:13:00.000-07:00

Being able to dance has become more and more popular, just turn on your TV to the multiple reality dance shows. We've come a long way from Dick Clark's American Bandstand. So taking Dance Fever a step forward, TeamBuilding Unlimited has added a Team Dance Competition to our Menu of Interactive customized events. Dancing is so much fun, especially when done with your own colleagues.

So You Think You Can Dance: Team Dance Competition can take place in an office, at a conference center, in a ballroom, at your hotel, or even outdoors. Our professional choreographers will help your group explore their creative side!

In this amazing team building activity, teams are taught different dances by Professional Choreographers. Later in the evening each team will perform their dances in front of the rest of the group. Prizes are awarded for the ‘Best’ Dancers.

Each team works with a Professional Dance Choreographer to come up with a 60-90 second dance routine. Different dance styles will be incorporated into the instruction and performance.

Teams will perform their 60-90 second routine later in the evening in front of their colleagues. Judges will critique each team on originality of the routine and group unity.

TeamBuilding Unlimited’s corporate team dance program will reinforce work teams by enhancing communication, relationships, self-esteem and social awareness. Corporate participants will strengthen key skills as they listen, learn, persevere, and perform in a relaxed fun-filled environment.

So put your Dancing Shoes on and Build Your Team!

The Conference Call

2010-08-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

The reason you need to Meet in Real Time:

Cemeteries Hold Parties to Die For

2010-08-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

Couldn't help but mention this article from the Wall Street Journal. "To Attract Future Customers, Cemeteries Hold Parties to Die For." I always thought cemeteries would be fabulous venues for Murder Mystery events and Scavenger Hunts. But this article puts a broader spin on the Cemetery Venue.

In a marketing move that has drawn some criticism, graveyards across the nation are opening their grounds to concerts and clowns, barbecues and dance performances. The goal: to nurture warm feelings about the cemetery, in hopes that folks who come to cheer sky-divers today will return in more somber tomorrows.

A few cemeteries have been doing such outreach for years. Hollywood Forever in Los Angeles draws thousands to summertime films projected on mausoleum walls. Michigan Memorial Park in Flat Rock, Mich., has long invited disabled children to fishing derbies held at a serene pond amid the headstones. Davis Cemetery in Davis, CA, plans poetry workshops, bird walks and art shows. Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, NE, hosts a Shakespeare festival and rents its quaint chapel for weddings. In Wheat Ridge, CO, Olinger Crown Hill Cemetery staged a Memorial Day party with fireworks and sky divers.

Still, "there's always a tension between mourners…and picnickers," says Jeff Richman, a historian at the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, N.Y. In the 1850s, the cemetery had its own police force to keep the two groups apart. One must be respectful.

One of my favorite cemeteries is Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, CA. So many famous San Francisco Bay Area folks buried there. Besides walking tours, this cemetery holds a flower show every year, as well as having one of the best outdoor tulip displays. The Julia Morgan Chapel (Morgan is buried at Mountain View) is a breath-taking example of her architecture. Halloween eve brings neighbor children and families together for a spooky evening of readings and fun in this fabulous venue! And, the Fourth Annual Pumpkin Festival will be held this year on October 30 with a fun-filled pumpkin patch meadow, games and treats.

Love to hear if you've ever used a cemetery for a teambuilding or special event.

Read the WSJ Article HERE.

Corporate Art in the Park: TeamBuilding event

2010-08-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

Last week a small team from Genentech participated in an Art in the Park teambuilding event. They were in Golden Gate Park for the Impressionist exhibit at the DeYoung Museum.

After viewing the exhibit, this group put on their smocks and berets and began to work on a Quilt/Mural that represented their workgroup. The theme of their artwork was decided as a team, and each person was responsible for a specific team function or acronym. The creative energy was everywhere as the group jumped into the project. When each individual masterpiece was finished, the entire worked together to arrange their work on the big canvas.

TeamBuilding Unlimited's Marvelous Mural/Quilt Art Project is a variation on our Flags Flying team Event. Although we did this particular event in the Park, it can be done at the office, meeting or special venue. Participants work in teams to "design" a piece of a Mural or Quilt that when assembled represents their group, products, company or another theme.

Deciding on the theme of the quilt or mural is part of the challenge. TeamBuilding Unlimited works with the teams on color palette and technique --but the best part is the creativity of your participants.

TeamBuilding Unlimited guides the team's creativity, provides the materials, and facilitates the event. The "quilt or mural" is then assembled by your teams and can be displayed back at the workplace or donated to shelters, hospitals or other sites.

This team building event involves creativity, leadership, strategic thinking, sequenced planning and communication. Quilt/Mural Making is about Process, as much as art. Facilitators work with the teams to encourage them to think BIG.

The final product is a visual documentation of your team's understanding and awareness of the theme they have selected and the process through which they went.

Variations: Can be done with mixed media including found objects (recycle, reuse).

Goal: Separate parts that add up to one vision! The Big Picture!

Bears that Care: Charitable Team Building for Your Holiday Party

2010-08-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Now's the time to plan your Holiday Charity Challenge Party. I can't imagine a better type of event than something that gives you pleasure while you work together and pleasure when you donate your work.

Bears that Care is one of those events. Teams work together to put together bears and other animals, design and execute t-shirts for the animals, make cards for the recipients and package each in a beautiful red gift box. Lots of children with lots of smiles.

Plan your Company Holiday Party now to include Bears that Care or Trikes for Tots or another fun Charity Challenge!

TeamBuilding Unlimited brings everything you'll need. We can even provide charity contacts in your area. Philanthropic TeamBuilding for your Holiday Party--or any other time of the year!

Other Holiday Party ideas.

A Taste for Chocolate: Chocolate TeamBuilding

2010-07-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

Team BuildingUnlimited offers Chocolate Teambuilding, but we also offer Chocolate Appreciation events such as our Ultimate Chocolate Tasting. Participants have an opportunity to truly understand the word "Chocolate!"

Chocolate brings to mind a flavor sensation that the entire world savors and craves. Food and nutrition, romance and love, health, history, power and culture are found in the cacao pod.

TeamBuilding Unlimited's Chocolate Facilitator guides your group through a tasty sensation tour of the world of cacao from the bean to the bar. History, geography, culture and myths are explored.

Use all of your senses as you discover and discuss this magical botanical wonderland of flavors, tastes, smells, touch and sights. "Chocolate!" is a fun and entertaining experience.

Participants will taste a variety of high-quality chocolate products to reach all of your senses and make this interactive event entertaining and memorable. If you're a confirmed chocoholic or a serious bystander, learning about chocolate can best be done by tasting.

Participants rate and discuss the chocolates based on appearance, aroma, texture--and of course taste. The group may also sample chocolate lotions, and other chocolate related products.

The Chocolate Tasting is awesome--and delicious. It's like a wine seminar only better--but all about chocolate. Frank Price is the chocolate facilitator, and he expounds on the culture, history and lore of chocolate. Usually he starts with a tasting of 45% cacao and goes through 6-8 other %s ending up with 85% cacao. That's a lot of chocolate.

Green TeamBuilding

2010-07-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

Team Building Unlimited's Green Team Building was featured in an article in eHow.com.

If you're trying to raise morale while emphasizing your organization's commitment to staying green, boost team spirit with some environmentally-friendly team-building activities. Whether the activities you choose directly help the environment or just use green materials, you can work a bit of your environmentalist corporate culture into future team-building exercises.

Create Trophies or Centerpieces
TeamBuilding Unlimited suggests using recycled materials to build trophies or centerpieces for your next corporate dinner or awards meeting. Don't throw out old boxes, dying pens and paper towel tubes. Use them to have teams build creative, green testaments to peoples' achievements. Give the "trophies" out to award winners at the company luncheon or dinner later. They'll mean more than conventional awards, because recipients will remember the teamwork that led to their construction.

Get Workers to Invent
# Have employees split into groups with recyclable materials, including old boxes, cans and anything else you can find lying around the office. Challenge groups to make a prototype of a green invention. Although the model doesn't need to function, groups need to explain their invention's purpose to the rest of team. As per TeamBuilding Unlimited suggestions, assign extra points to inventions that relate to the company and its products.
Read the rest of the article HERE.

Go to TeamBuilding Unlimited Green TeamBuilding for more GREEN team ideas.

Chili Cookoff Challenge!

2010-06-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited offers several different Culinary Challenges. One of the tastiest is our Chili Cookoff! in which teams compete to create the Best Chili Ever!

After a brief history of Chili, groups are divided into teams. Each team is given rules, ingredients, hotplate, pot, knives and other materials that they will use in order to develop a great recipe and final product.

Not all team members are “cooks.” Team members select from a variety of different roles and responsibilities, but each team has the same amount of time.

The “Chefs” are given the basic ingredients needed to make a great tasting pot of chili. Chefs experiment on flavor and ingredients, recording their mistakes and successes.

While the Chili is cooking, other team members create either a visual presentation (depends on size of group) and/or marketing campaign to promote their gastronomic creations, chef’s hats with logos (or aprons), sales pitch and Chili Chant.

Teams have 2-4 hours to complete the challenges.

Large Groups: Each team will be given paper and markers and begin the event by creating Chefs' Hats. After preparing the Chili and letting it ‘steep’, teams prepare a visual presentation and Chant for their Chili that includes information on their team, their company, the meeting and their Chili recipe and taste. Depending on the size of the group, there may be a module in which each team prepares an oral ad and marketing plan/supported by visual materials and the Chant.

Judging. Depending on the size of the group, judges chosen from 'within the ranks' choose the best among 5-10 teams with a final “Chili-off”. Judges make the final determination as to whose “Bowl of Red” is BEST. This is always a blind tasting. There are several different criteria for best Chili that will be introduced at the beginning of the event. Flavor is just one component. Prizes will be awarded for Chili Chant, oral or visual presentation and more.

Debriefing on goals and objectives, communication and more. At the end of the Debriefing, teams taste as much chili as they’d like. Small bowls provided for overall tasting!

The TBU Chili Cookoff goes great with the Sangria Challenge: Pop the Cork!

Sensational Sandcastle Building

2010-06-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited has a fun and interactive teambuilding event for groups meeting at or near the Beach:

Sensational Sandcastle Building

Teams are challenged to construct a "creative" themed Sand Castle. The process is grounded in both the reality and uncertainty of the task. This is not your usual trip to the Beach!

Goals: To Design a Sand Castle (an architectural "masterpiece") using the sand and tools and other materials and information provided.

Company/Group/Goals and Objectives must be included in the final structure in some way. Groups will be judged on creativity, ingenuity, resourcefulness and other criteria involved in creative team-building.

What a great way to do some teambuilding/teambonding! Contact us for more information. Groups of 5 to 500.

Our events usually take about 2 hours to 1/2 day, and they are very creative. But if you want to see some incredible sandcastle building, take a look at this article on the World's Most Incredible Sand Festivals. These festivals take place in Australia, British Columbia, Germany and other countries. Locally in the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Cruz has an awesome sand castle building festival.

GSA Green Art Project

2010-05-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

Over 75 Northern California Government Property Managers gathered together last week for a day of teambuilding with TeamBuilding Unlimited.

Warming up with an ice-breaker and a series of competitive TeamBuilding Unlimited Wacky Games, the final event was a Green Art Challenge which was a combination of our Green Art and new Green Product events. Using recycled materials, each team had to design and construct a building that could be 'LEED certified'. Not only did teams have to build it, but they had to explain their 'masterpieces' to the other teams.

Since these GSA people deal with government buildings in their 'real lives', this gave them the opportunity to translate what's important on a smaller, and certainly more manageable scale. It was really interesting to see what they would include in their Green buildings. Child-care, yes, but one team included Elder Care. Now there's a step forward. It was all about being green and reusing and recycling.

Our motto: Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose, Recharge.

TeamBuilding Unlimited met the goals and objectives of this group!

Check out some of our other Green TeamBuilding Activities.

Green Art Project

2010-05-25T15:25:00.001-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited does a lot of Green Team Building. Some of our events include Recycled materials like our Green Art Project. I must admit that our participants don't always create masterpieces, but their goals are different.

I came across this PC Art and thought I'd share. This is truly the ultimate Green Art Project.

Go Fly a Kite! The Ultimate high flying team activity.

2010-05-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

It's time to get out of the office and into the Great Outdoors! TeamBuilding Unlimited is here to make your experience fun and interactive and teambonding! What could be better than Kite Flying?

By nature, event and meeting planners want to control all of the factors and forces that go into making an event a success.

Go Fly A Kite “flies in the face” of our natural instincts. Go Fly a Kite is the perfect activity for an offsite, meeting or retreat! You’ll definitely want a place with wind, but this can be done on the Beach, at a picnic or in the park.

TeamBuilding Unlimited supplies each team with a variety of kite designs and plans on kitemaking. Each team is also given colorful pieces of rip stop nylon, wood for framing and all of the necessities and information to design, cut and assemble a team kite.

Then the fun begins. Each team selects the best person to launch the kite and keep it in flight. A touch of knowledge of physics is included in the TeamBuilding Unlimited packet, but teams sometimes struggle with the elements. How much wind is enough? How long should the kite’s tail be? In what direction and what method does the team use to launch the kite.

There are many forces and factors that each team must deal with that are beyond their “control”. As in business, teams must learn to adjust and coexist with these forces. Disaster may be just a moment away.If the kite flutters to the earth rather than going into a steep kite breaking nose-dive it can be, most likely re-launched. But can the team make the repairs to send up its kite again after the crash. Will it be on the sidelines of the challenge?

The range of possibilities can change in a moment. Teams learn that success can be on the edge of disaster. Pushing the kite, pushing the envelope, are metaphors for how to deal with the unknown forces that are not within our normal everyday environment. Quick reactions are required to deal with the ever changing environment.

TeamBuilding Unlimited's debriefing does not take the wind out of any team’s sails. Go Fly a Kite is a perfect team building activity for a day or afternoon outdoors! It's a Breath of Fresh Air!

Where to see and participate in Kite Flying on your own in the San Francisco Bay Area:

World Kite Museum, Long Beach, WA
Kite League, Berkeley. Different times of year around Berkeley, CA. Demonstrations& Kite flying.
Old City Kites, Sacramento
Baylands Park, Sunnyvale. Wind and room to run and fly!

The Marshmallow Challenge: Great TeamWork

2010-05-07T20:38:00.001-07:00

This is a great video that really exemplifies the essence of Teambuilding exercises --what they're about and how they reflect the workplace and your own teams.

Tom Wujec presents some surprisingly deep research into the "marshmallow problem" -- a simple team-building exercise that involves dry spaghetti, one yard of tape and a marshmallow. Who can build the tallest tower with these ingredients? And why does a surprising group always beat the average?

Tom Wujec is a Fellow at Autodesk. He's the author of several books, including Five-Star Mind: Games and Puzzles to Stimulate Your Creativity and Imagination.

Build a Tower, Build a Team!

Vendor/Client Relationship Video

2010-04-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Recently on LinkedIn in my Event Planning & Management group, we've had a discussion about the new economy and budgets for special events and meetings. This video may be tongue in cheek but it surely reflects what we often see. :-)

Tri-Valley CVB "Road Show" April 15, 2010

2010-04-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

The Tri-Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau will be bringing it's Show on the Road to Silicon Valley, Thursday, April 15 . This will be the first ever Tri-Valley Road Show-- a mobile mini-destination showcase of Tri-Valley meeting and event venues.

This FREE lunchtime event will be held at the NETWORK MEETING CENTER at TECHMART in Santa Clara, CA. Learn more about the Tri-Valley venues and events at a lively and engaging lunchtime event showcasing fresh and unique venues. Enjoy great food, some fun team-building, and terrific company.

TeamBuilding Unlimited/Murder on the Menu will be there with some special fun and prizes!

Thursday, April 15, 2010
11:30-1:30 p.m.
Network Meeting Center at Techmart
5201 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara

If you're a Meeting Planner in Silicon Valley, Register today. It's FREE.. and fun!
See you there!

TeamBuilding Unlimited in BizBash Los Angeles

2010-03-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Recently TeamBuilding Unlimited was featured in BizBash Los Angeles. The article focused on Vendors with Charitable Tie-Ins. We're actually based in San Francisco, but we work everywhere in the U.S.

Our Bears that Care Activity was the focus of one part of the article. This was a Quality event for Genentech Vacaville, and they made some Quality Bears and Animals at their Holiday party. These Stuffed Bears that Care were later donated to several different organizations. Over 200 Bears and Animals were stuffed, decorated and boxed.

Read the entire article HERE.

Angel Island DiscoveryQuest

2010-03-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited creates many customized DiscoveryQuests (Scavenger Hunts) on Angel Island, one of the San Francisco Bay Area's most historical sites. Angel Island is a California State Park located right in the middle of San Francisco Bay.

1. Angel Island Discovery Quest

To make the most of all the spectacular aspects of Angel Island-- the historical setting, the natural flora and fauna and the distant cities, waterways and more--TeamBuilding Unlimited's facilitators, will divide your groups into teams. Each team will be given specific instructions that direct them to numerous locations on the Island.

Throughout the Quest, teams will answer questions, take guesses, make observations and record the results. An incredible variety of clues-- all different and challenging--from road rallye to word puzzles-- will bring out the best of Angel Island as well as each team's creativity and perspicacity. Because the island includes so many possible locations, this DiscoveryQuest "walking tour" has some twists and turns that will allow the teams to make many fun decisions.

You'll also "Discover" a lot about your co-workers! What a fabulous setting and event to accomplish this!

2. Angel Island Discovery Challenge Quest

A variation of our Angel Island DiscoveryQuest includes Challenge Facilitators at different locations along Team Routes. While the routes of the Discovery Quest and the DiscoveryChallenge Quest may be similar, the difference is that in the Challenge Quest, our facilitators have different special, surprise challenges at various semi-hidden locations along the Quest. Teams must compete at each activity and scores are recorded. Teams must make a whole new set of choices.

Both of these Scavenger Hunts are great for a Day on the Bay of Team Building/Team Bonding. Ferries leave San Francisco and Tiburon throughout the day. Angel Island has picnic grounds and other recreational facilities. There are rocky coves and sandy beaches, grassy slopes and forested ridges. Let TeamBuilding Unlimited lead your group in an amazing DiscoveryQuest you'll never forget!

Virtual Attendees Are Real People: Mistakes with Hybrid Events

2010-03-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

Michael McCurrey had a great post at McCurry's Corner on Virtual Attendees and 5 mistakes with Hybrid Events. He makes several very good points, and the comments to his post are good too.

He begins:
Both events had their highlights, including some great program content, but my “Ah Hah moment” this week was the realization, that event professionals have much to learn about perfecting the virtual attendee experience. To be fair about it, most organizations have not been playing in the Hybrid or Virtual event arena for very long, so it is reasonable to expect there is still much to learn about them.

McCurry lists 5 Mistakes and gives excellent solutions. Read the entire post HERE.

FIVE MISTAKES
#1 Poor Customer Service
#2 Inadequate Internet Bandwidth to Support Event
#3 Poor Attendee Engagement Strategy
#4 Dysfunctional A/V Integration
#5 Education Misaligned with Event

What do you think? Were you a virtual attendee at MPI Meet Different or the Virtual Edge Summit?

Community Service Garden Project: Project Green Thumb

2010-02-28T09:49:00.000-08:00

New Green Program offering at TeamBuilding Unlimited:
Project Green Thumb: The Community Service Garden Project

TeamBuilding Unlimited will lead participants through a hands-on Green Gardening TeamBuilding event in which they work together to add trees, shrubs and flowers to public spaces, school, parks and/or median strips. Project Green Thumb will match up your participants with organizations that are in charge of these locations, and TBU will provide participants with all the tools, plants, and soil they will need to “Green the Community.”

The addition of new plants will add aesthetic as well as environmental value to the area selected. The selection of the appropriate plants will be done to insure sustainability and durability. Participants will receive basic training in planting skills, information on urban gardening and become familiar with different urban gardening and decorative projects.

A strong garden project needs strong teams. Teambuilding Unlimited will divide participants into teams to establish clear lines of communication and clear roles and responsibilities. There are many types of jobs and responsibilities in this green community service garden project, and not everyone will be suited for every type of role. People will be matched to roles according to their interests, experience, and skills.

The Goal of Project Green Thumb is to establish a community service project that builds relationships through hands-on activities to establish community gardens, provide technical assistance, and provide a valuable service to the community.

Often this is a start of community programs by laying the foundation for a more comprehensive and effective community-building project for the specific organization that benefits by the new plantings.

Through working together to accomplish tasks in the garden, teams practice and apply life skills including teamwork, communication, self-motivation, and problem solving. They will be inspired by the sense of community they gain from working with others and feeling the significance of contributing to the greening of the area.

Consider this for your Earthday Celebration... or Any Time for your community service. Give Back. Go Green!

Variation: Teams can 'landscape' their office. Roof gardens, potted gardens and more!

Video: Professional or Not?

2010-02-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

Everyone and anyone in social media today says that every business should have a video or YouTube on your website, blog, Facebook and other social media places. I don't have a video on TeamBuilding Unlimited yet, but I have had short videos from events here on TeamBuilding Talk. They're not the best, but then I'm not a professional. I put those up because at one of the last workshops I attended, the facilitator said it didn't matter how good they were. Just get it up there. I agree with him. I know I'm a perfectionist, and maybe that's why I was waiting.

However, I came across this video from 'professionals' who are looking to help businesses add video to their websites and blogs. This was on a discussion for Event Peeps: For Live Event Industry Professionals on LinkedIn. Thought you'd enjoy this as much as I did. My videos don't look all that bad compared to these folks!

Love to hear your comments!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC0sR5_NTFo

San Francisco Scavenger Hunt

2010-02-16T13:55:00.000-08:00

30 participants weathered the storm Friday to scour the Waterfront in San Francisco in search of 'treasure' that they could possibly.. but not probably... use in a marketing campaign for their SF based company. What a Great Scavenger Hunt.

Since TeamBuilding Unlimited does a lot of Chocolate Team Building, San Francisco chocolatiers and specialty shops such as Tcho and Recchiuti found their way into the hunt. From Ghirardelli to the Ferry Building to the Metreon, the brave teams found historical markers, SF icons and so much more.

Frank Price set up the ScavengerQuest for Calypso, and even did some debriefing at the end. Each team had to make a presentation based on what they found, their own creativity and the values and mission of their company--oh yes, and San Francisco. Very animated presentations.

Bottom line: This San Francisco Scavenger Hunt was a fun way to discover and rediscover things about San Francisco, Everybody's Favorite City, and each other. Great TeamBuilding/TeamBonding event!

Meeting Must Have Apps

2010-02-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

Sue Hatch at MeetingsNet did a great round-up of 9 Must-Have Apps for Meeting Professionals. All nine of the 'must-have' apps are built for the iPhone, but there are similar apps for the BlackBerry coming soon. These apps are very inexpensive, too which is always a good thing, especially since it's an investment in your meeting productivity.

For the full story and details on these apps, go HERE.

1. Track your boxes: Package Tracker and Delivery Status for UPS, FedEx DHL and UPS.

2. Track Your Flight: Flight Track

3. Better Photos of Big Spaces: Auto Stitch (can merge up to 20 overlapping pictures to create wide-angle camera effect)

4. Dictate, Don't Type: (I love this one!) Dragon Dictation (Free) voice-recognition app that crates voice-to-text transcriptions that can be sent email or text, or pasted into any iPhone app.

5. Web Conferencing: Cisco WebEx Meeting Center app (free) or Fuze Meeting.

6. Track Your Expenses: Xpense Tracker

7. Fina a Business: AroundMe identifies your positiionon a map, shows nearby businesses in several categories.

8. Get Some Work Done. Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite & Documents to Go

9. Get Organized. My Lists, Todo

Related Articles:
Be in Your Attendee's Pocket: Smart-Phone Apps for Meetings
Mobile Tech Tools for Meetings & Trade Shows
Apple Meeting App

Bridging the Resources: HR Team Builds Bridges

2010-02-10T14:32:00.000-08:00

The HR department of a Silicon Valley company approached TeamBuilding Unlimited to create a team building event that would reinforce their values and mission while having fun. Previously this department had worked with Murder on the Menu, the entertainment department of our company, on an interactive customized mystery event. Rovi Corp wanted to engage their HR team through some real teambuilding/teambonding. Bridging the Resources, a customized interactive event that relied on our Dynamic Construction Project format met their goals and objectives.

40 HR specialists gathered together at the Fairmont Hotel San Jose where they were given materials to build a new "Bay Bridge" that would also bridge their team with the employees at their company. Besides specific building restraints and instructions, this bridge had to exemplify and improve the future, benefits, and lives of their employees. Balsa wood, glue guns, balloons, plastic people and animals and a lot of other special materials were available.

Rovi Corporation is focused on revolutionizing the digital entertainment landscape. Just as their technology solutions enable consumers to intuitively connect to new entertainment - from many sources and locations, the team bridges had to revolutionize their company and the Bay Area.

This team of HR professionals threw themselves into the challenge. The final test was the remote control car that had to cross over the spans in this creative, competitive and challenging activity. Even with specifications, some of the teams built too tight a causeway. And, isn't that just like the real world?

At the end of the event, the business model was debriefed, but the bottom line was that this group was challenged, had fun, and learned a lot about themselves and their co-workers. The Dynamic Construction Project, be it a bridge, a castle, a recreation center, is the perfect activity to reinforce a company's values and mission.

Change Management in Team Building Events

2010-02-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

Over the years different corporate groups have asked T eamBuilding Unlimited to incorporate Change Management into our Team Building activities. We've actually always included change as an important component in our events; however, we can stress this in the debriefing or in the selection of the type of event. Team Building Unlimited always consults with our clients, so we can address and meet client needs, goals and objectives.

TeamBuilding Unlimited handles the idea of change in our activities in various ways. One way is to divide groups into teams and give them an assignment or task, maybe building a bridge out of balsa wood, creating a unique 'new green' product or building a sandcastle. Half-way through the activity, the facilitator might change various portions of the deliverables to cause this activity to have a totally different outcome. How individuals, teams and groups handle this change is observed and commented on by the facilitator, as well as by the teams, themselves.

Many people are task-oriented. When a team makes a plan to complete an activity it consciously or unconsciously decides on a plan of action to reach the final destination or goal. If each team is given enough time to complete the activity and then the facilitator changes the course of the activity, the team has a new challenge in order to meet the new goal in a race against the clock.

Building Bridges: A concrete example would be any type of team building activity that involves “construction” which is the contract. A team, call it the building team, gets some input as to the overall structure from a competing team, call it the boss team, and agrees to build and include specific things in the final project. More than half way through the construction, each team is surprised when the boss team asks the first team to make at least one change, either a deletion or addition to the original plans that the building team must fulfill.

Another form of Change is to exchange players half-way through the event. Each team would send one player to one team and another to a different team. For example Team B sends one player to Team A and One to Team C. Who gets sent is part of the change. Who stays? How is this dealt with by the new teams.

A top down form of change can be added to a construction event when the TeamBuilding Unlimited facilitator announces a major change in the rules or the goal or removes certain materials. Example: Prior to completing the construction participants are not given the how and the who that will determine the best construction. Another form of change is that after the competition is complete, each participant is give a specially marked ballot and told to vote for the best team’s construction other than his/her own team. The ballot has his/her team’s number on it.

In some of the TeamBuilding Unlimited Wacky Games, a handicap can be added to the leading team on a random basis, such as time for the next activity or “immunity” from participating in the next activity so that the team automatically gets certain points without playing. The order of participation in an activity can be adjusted to favor the last place team so they have an advantage in the next event.

TeamBuilding Unlimited has included change management as an important aspect of many of our team building activities. Ask us about other activities.

Bike Building for Kids: Community Service Philanthropy

2010-02-01T09:15:00.000-08:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited worked with TakedaSF on a fun and philanthrophic teambuilding Bikes for Kids Team Building event last Thursday. Takeda employees from the South San Francisco office built 17 bikes of varying models. At the end of the building portion of the event, boys and girls from the local Boys and Girls Club came to claim their bikes. In addition to building the bikes, each team designed a t-shirt for the lucky recipient of their bikes. This is just one of our many Charity Challenges.

Events such as this, as well as Trikes for Tots, Bears that Care, Have Your Cake and Donate it, Too, Operation Military Giving, and Cookie Decorating and Donating (with Sugar Cookies), and Community Mural/Quilt Art Project are all great ideas to fulfill your Community Service while doing some teambuilding/teambonding. Philanthropic TeamBuilding is needed All Year Round. Contact me for more info, or go to our website.

New Charity Challenges will be up shortly on our site.

Tips on Staying in Business in the Event Business

2010-01-28T08:52:00.000-08:00

Eventline (the latest event industry news) had an article yesterday entitled: Alive and Thriving: Tips from Veteran Event Pros on Staying in Business. A panel of five veteran event professionals shared tips on developing and sustaining a special event business in "130 Years of Event Experience: Ask the Experts," held Jan. 15 at The Special Event Show 2010 in New Orleans.

Here's there Sage Advice.

1. Don't wait for clients to find you.

2. Give clients what they ask for—and a bit more.

3. Know who the gatekeeper is.

4. Curb costs fast.

5. Be flexible.

6. To win new clients, take good care of old ones.

Read the entire article here.

Team Building Unlimited: Green Events

2010-01-25T14:11:00.000-08:00

As part of 2010, TeamBuilding Unlimited is trying even harder to make a positive impact on the environment: with our meetings, at our office, and in our TeamBuilding events.

I posted an article about Green Meetings: The Green Checklist the other day, and in the past I've posted about specific Green TeamBuilding Events at TeamBuilding.

We here at TeamBuilding Unlimited know that we have to make a positive impact on the environment.

Here are just a few ways our company is making a difference with our events:

Chocolate Tastings: We use fair trade, organic high quality chocolates. TeamBuilding-Unlimited can deliver a sweet and successful Team Bonding activity for your team. We have other Chocolate Teambuilding Events.

Trikes for Tots/Bikes for Kids: Giving less fortunate children trikes and bikes helps them experience at an early age that recreation is fun and it's a great way to get around with using a car. As part of our Charity Challenges, teams do some TeamBuilding and TeamBonding as a unique way to give back to the community for the future.

Scavenger Hunt: Learn Team Building and Team Bonding at a foremost LEED Certified Museum in Energy and Environmental Design: The California Academy of Sciences, with our AdventureQuest.

TeamBuilding Unlimited also has several specific Green TeamBuilding Events. Our motto is Reduce, Recycle, Repurpose, Recharge. Some of our Green Events include: Tower of Power, Gimme Shelter, Green Art Challenge, New Green Product Invention, Corporate Grand Prix, Marvelous Mural/Quilt Art Project with mixed media found objects.

What are you doing to make a difference? Post a comment.

More on Green Meetings: The Green Checklist

2010-01-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited/Murder on the Menu is working on becoming greener not only in our team building activities but with our partners. Since we don't always pick the venue, we ask our partners to consider the following because every meeting and event planner needs to Think Green in 2010.

Smart Meetings printed a Green Checklist in their October 2009 issue that bears repeating. This list was was developed by Gap, Inc. as part of their Green Meeting Program. The San Francisco CVB posted it as part of their new Ecothusiasm segment on their website.

Love to be able to add more to this list. Feel free to comment.

Hotels
Lists of environmentally responsible hotels can be found at greenlodgingnews.com; environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com; greenhotels.com; and usgbc.org. Some guides to consider when selecting “green” hotels are:

Hotels that provide recycling in all guest rooms.
Hotels with water conservation fixtures in hotel guest rooms.
Hotels with programmable thermostats with motion detectors used to control HVAC in guest rooms.
Hotels which have a property-wide linen re-use program that is clearly communicated to staff and guests.

Food & Beverage/Function Space

Hotel will provide clearly marked recycling containers in meeting rooms.
Hotel will not use disposable serviceware made out of Styrofoam.
Hotel will use cloth napkins and silverware in lieu of paper and plastic when possible.
Hotel has a food donation program.
If the facility does not have a food donation program, hotel will agree to work with the group to provide food donations at no cost to the group.
Hotel will provide condiments in serving containers and not individual packets when possible.

Miscellaneous
Hotel has energy-efficient lighting throughout the property.
Hotel will provide a recycling program to include paper, plastic, glass, aluminum cans and cardboard at no cost to the group.
Hotel will use cleaning products that do not introduce toxins into the water and air.

While On-Site at a Hotel
Heating/Cooling: Ask hotel to keep meeting space temperatures comfortable, but not too extreme with air conditioning and heating. Advise venues in advance so they can set thermostats appropriately.

Transportation
Ask vendors the following:

* Do you recycle oil, vehicle batteries, antifreeze and tires when they need to be replaced?
* Do you take actions to ensure vehicles are environmentally responsible; i.e., using refined oils, performing regular maintenance, using biodiesel fuels and conducting emissions tests?
* Do you have any fuel-efficient/hybrid vehicles in your fleet?

Collateral A huge area for improvement.
Mailings:

* Consider sending confirmation information electronically, instead of mailing packets. This will save time (collation and transit time), create an electronic “paper trail” and save trees. Hotel information can be accessed on their website, so sending hotel brochures is not necessary.
* At the least, if you consider a travel mailing to be critical (ex: luggage tags are being provided), use smaller envelopes, eliminate the hotel brochure and post the hotel URL on the conference website.

Handouts:

* When considering handouts, consider the need. Alternatives to printing handouts for each attendee:
* Provide information (PPT slides, speaker notes, etc.) electronically after the event.
* Print one handout per table.
* Replace binders of materials with a flash drive containing all documents.
If handouts are necessary:

* Print double-sided.
* Print multiple slides per page.
* Use recycled paper.
* Ask your printer if they can use soy or vegetable-based inks.
* Make sure your venue recycles any extra paper. If your venue doesn’t recycle, and you are trucking materials to/from your event, put them on the truck and recycle them back at the office.
* Donate leftover collateral (signage, paper handouts, giveaways, etc.); keep brand standards in mind when considering what materials can be donated.
* Always do online surveys vs. handing out paper evaluation forms at the event.

Name Badges/Lanyards:

* Collect lanyards at the end of your event and use them for your next event.
* Research using recyclable name badge inserts.

Food & Beverage/Catering

* Don’t print hotel banquet menus!
It’s a lot of paper to have in your binder.
It’s better to partner with the chef to select seasonal, local ingredients. Reduce “food miles” generated by transporting nonseasonal foods from their origin to your meeting.
* Provide filtered water stations instead of bottled waters.
If branding is the goal, give each attendee a branded water bottle that they can refill from water stations throughout the program.
* Avoid individual packaging; serve snack items, condiments, cream/sugar, etc. in bulk. This will save you money and reduce waste from packaging.
* Choose seafood from the “Best Choices” list on the Seafood Watch list.
* Tableware: Use china instead of paper products.
* Box lunches: Most materials typically used to package box lunches end up in the trash. Some options:
Instead, create a grab-and-go lunch (pre-made sandwiches, etc.) that can be eaten on china at tables, but is quick and easy to put together. Provide bags at the buffet for those who need to depart.
If a box lunch is necessary, choose paper packaging that can be recycled. Make sure recycling bins are provided by the venue.
* Look at bio-plastics as options for disposable tableware. The options are improving in this area. Some providers of bio-plastics are: NatureWorksllc.com, Ecoproducts.com and Worldcentric.org

Donating Food

* Many venues are reluctant to donate food due to liability. There are “good Samaritan” laws that protect donors in the United States and Canada, so always ask, particularly if the food items are packaged.
* If you do want to donate food, ask your venue before you arrive on-site.
* Some food donation suggestions can be found at pcma.org or America’s Second Harvest.

Décor

* Eco-flowers are increasing in popularity and availability. These control the growing conditions as well as labor practices for harvesting.
* Donate flowers to elderly, sick and terminally ill people in the local area.

Cartoon of the Day

2010-01-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

Companies Turn to Virtual Trade Shows

2010-01-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

USA Today had an interesting article last week "Companies Turn to Virtual Trade Shows to Save Money" by Roger Yu. I'm both a meeting planner and supplier. I plan meetings for the mystery community (readers/writers), and I supply meetings with interactive entertainment and team building events. So I looked at this article from both perspectives.

Even as this article was being published, I was making plans to attend three live trade shows in the meeting industry, all the same week. I am only "exhibiting" at one of these three tradeshows--the smallest least expensive one, at that, and I'm attending the other two as a planner as I need sites for some upcoming conventions and meetings. I would welcome the opportunity to have a virtual trade show for both sides of my business.

It's not just the travel, but its the expense of setting up, taking time from other business, as well as the fees for these trade shows. This past year I did a trade show where no one showed. I know that's about the marketing, but I think people in the meeting industry, especially, should be at the forefront of virtual trade shows.

Now, I'm not saying all trade shows should be that way. I'm attending the Fancy Food Show this week for my Chocolate TeamBuilding Events and DyingforChocolate Blog (two hats there, too), and let's face it, there's nothing like food samples and great salespeople to make a sale and endear a customer. But some trade shows can be virtual. I've attended one wedding virtual fair. The technology wasn't smooth, but, that can be tweaked.

According to the article, "Virtual shows combine the latest technology in webcasting, online chats, video streaming, webinars and avatar graphics to offer the elements of trade shows: exhibitor booths, speeches, seminars, distribution of marketing literature and social "gatherings."

The technology companies that develop virtual-meetings software, such as Unisfair, ON24 and Second Life, say they're seeing big demand. Event-planning firm Champion Exposition Services says about 70% of companies that it has queried are "producing, considering or interested in pursuing virtual events."

As the article says, there are pros and cons.

The Pros: they're cheaper and easier to plan. Speeches and seminars can be archived. International participants can "attend" with little or no expense. Speakers and moderators don't have to linger all day. And participants' interests and activities can be monitored.

The Cons: Networking opportunities are limited. There are no face-to-face meetings or serendipitous run-ins with clients. Participants can't touch products.

What do you think?

Read the Entire Article HERE

Marvelous Mural/Quilt Art Project

2010-01-13T15:13:00.000-08:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited's Marvelous Mural/Quilt Art Project is a variation on our Flags Flying team Event. This can be done for the office, for the team or to be donated to a senior center, charity or another venue.

Participants work in teams to "design" a piece of a Mural or Quilt that when assembled represents their group, products, company or another theme.

Each team gets 1-2 squares to design about their theme and/or company. Deciding on the theme of the quilt or mural is part of the challenge. TeamBuilding Unlimited works with your teams on color palette and technique -but the best part is the creativity of your participants. TeamBuilding Unlimited will guide your creativity, provide the materials, and facilitate the event. The "quilt or mural" is then assembled by your teams and can be displayed back at the workplace or donated to shelters, hospitals or other sites.

This team building event involves creativity, leadership, strategic thinking, sequenced planning and communication. Quilt/Mural Making is about Process, as much as art. Facilitators work with the teams to encourage them to think BIG.

The final product is a visual documentation of your team's understanding and awareness of the theme they have selected and the process through which they went.

Variations: Can be done with mixed media including found objects (recycle, reuse).

Goal: Separate parts that add up to one vision! The Big Picture!

Operation Military Giving: Charity Challenge

2009-11-20T09:15:00.000-08:00

Operation Military Giving: Especially at the Holidays, but all year round, TeamBuilding Unlimited offers this very special team building event that supports our troops!

This Charity Challenge incorporates Corporate Social Responsibility with TeamBuilding/ and TeamBonding. TeamBuilding Unlimited will lead your teams through an engaging, team-building activity that culminates in the final challenge: the assembly of fun and important items in ‘care’ boxes for U.S Troops. Items included cover a large variety of toiletries, books, dried food, cookies and candy, batteries, music, clothing, Ziploc bags, games, beverages, and other snacks which will be used to fill the boxes to the top. Choosing the items to go into the boxes will also be a team effort and will be coordinated by the TeamBuilding Unlimited facilitators. Whenever possible, the staff from the benefiting service organization is there to receive the donations and convey their appreciation. This will also inspire the teams to continue to be involved and send much needed care packages in the future. The reward for packing the boxes is the reward of giving back to the troops. What a great team bonding activity for your team! In addition, each team will design and execute a t-shirt to go with the donation of each box.

TeamBuilding Unlimited can also include a series of fun 'military' games to set the mood and determine the order of gift selection for the boxes.

Perfect Teambuilding

2009-11-20T07:25:00.000-08:00

Gingerbread Cookie Decorating & Donating

2009-11-09T12:52:00.000-08:00

More Culinary Charitable Team Building: Gingerbread Cookie Decorating & Donating

TeamBuilding Unlimited has added another fun and interactive team event for the Holidays that also gives back to the community. We provide Gingerbread Cookies, decorating tools, decorations and icing, and your group provides their time. Gingerbread Cookies are appreciated by everyone. They can be whimsical, holiday oriented, the sky's the limit! Cookies can be donated to hospitals, firehouses, family shelters, senior centers and lots of other places. Teambuilding Unlimited will work with your group to insure that the organization you choose or we suggest will accept food. Our materials do not contain raw eggs or nuts.

We can also add a Competitive Part to this teambuilding activity with prizes for winning designs. It's another Win-Win situation from TeamBuilding Unlimited as your Holiday party is the setting for a "working" event that provides happiness to those less fortunate. Your team has fun, and the community benefits.

This event is also available with shortbread cookies throughout the year. Giving is important all year round.

Wente Vineyards: Perfect Venue for Your Holiday party

2009-11-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

Wente Vineyards invited TeamBuilding Unlimited/Murder on the Menu to their Open House: 'Tis the Season of Celebration! event the other night. We were asked to exhibit, but we would have attended anyway. It's always nice to be asked, though, and it was the cream on our coffee to be able to showcase our company to such a presitigious gathering.

I love Wente, and Murder on the Menu has been working there for over 20 years. We've done mystery events there for corporate clients such as Chevron, Genentech, Kaiser, Robert Half and many others. We've created sensational New Year's Eve and Halloween events for Wente Wine club members, and we've even created a mystery wedding for a very special couple at Wente. TeamBuilding Unlimited has done Wacky Games and Par for the Course: Mini-golf putting solutions on the beautiful lawn at Wente. So we were thrilled to be a part of their very special evening.

The food was sensational, the ambiance was terrific, and needless to say, the wine was incredible. We met so many great people, including "realtime" meetings with many clients. It's often email and voicemail only. How fun!

Our booth was all about Charitable Team Building for the Holidays: Trikes for Tots, Bears that Care.

Blue Lotus Photography captured everything so well. Check out their Blog for more photos and comments about this great evening.

Looking for a spectacular and memorable venue in the San Francisco Bay Area? Consider Wente Vinyards for your next event. Contact Robert or Heather.

Charity Challenge Builds Great Kaiser Team

2009-10-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a Kaiser Permanente team came together to do some philanthropic team building with TeamBuilding Unlimited. Half the team was from Southern California, while the rest were from Northern California. They wanted to bond over a philanthropic team event.

To begin the event and get into the mood of the children who would be the recipients of this philanthropic teambuilding, the teams were challenged to some fun competitive children's games. These included jacks (a favorite), building the tallest tower out of Tinker Toys (one team actually built a tower that touched the ceiling--a first), and several other interactive team games including the suitcase relay.

After prizes were awarded to the teams, individuals then stuffed a variety of animals from bears to unicorns to monkeys. Each person also designed a t-shirt for the animal. Thrive, Kaiser's motto, appeared on several tiny t-shirts, along with hearts and rainbows. The bears and animals were donated to Children in the Oakland Hospital. To end the day on a sweet note, Frank did a chocolate tasting with the group, an added bonus to their day.

A great time was had by all, and we accomplished our clients' goal of getting together, having fun, teambuilding and contributing to the community.

Here's what our contacts wrote:

Thank you both for your work in ensuring that everyone had such a great day. What a treat it was to be able to get together as a team and just relax and have some fun.
--Laurie Williams, Medicare Operations Program Manager

Thanks for allowing Frank to host our Team Building Event. He was great. Everyone enjoyed the activities. I loved the Jacks the best. Frank provided us with great conversation and showed a tremendous amount of enthusiasm.
--Vernicko Seraphin, Project Analyst

Charity Challenges are great for the holidays or any time of year. There's always a need. Groups donate to shelters, fire stations, police stations, hospitals, and specific charities. Giving back to the community is special.

Team Building Culinary Halloween Parties

2009-10-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited/Murder on the Menu offers an array of Halloween Parties to fit every budget. What could be more fun than a company Halloween party. Great reward and teambonding event.

TeamBuilding Unlimited Culinary Halloween Events

GINGERBREAD HALLOWEEN HAUNTED HOUSES

Teams work together to design, build and decorate the best Haunted House to reflect their company and/or their group within the company. All materials are provided including instructions, gingerbread, decorations, icing, candy, sprinkles and other goodies! You supply the resourceful creativity and dynamic energy. So roll up your sleeves and get down to food basics. Design a delicious Haunted House that reflects the raison d'être of your group.

CHOCOLATE HALLOWEEN HAUNTED HOUSES

What could be more tempting than building a Haunted House completely from Chocolate? In this case, chocolate and chocolate related foods. TeamBuilding has never been so Sweet!
Group will be divided into teams and provided with all kinds of chocolate based foods that might include chocolate-covered graham crackers, M&Ms, chocolate Gummy Bears, Hershey bars and anything you can think of that is made of chocolate. We go for different shapes, sizes, and textures.

Teams then compete to build their own Chocolate Haunted House. The result has to stand up on its own and, except for the white cardboard base, has to be completely edible. Teams are given time to design and build, and then they have to present the results.

HALLOWEEN BAR TO BAR TO BAR SCAVENGER HUNT

Using the diversity of sights, sounds and materials of a city of your choice (San Francisco, Napa, Carmel, New York, Chicago?), teams will compete as they comb through the essence of the area's core to provide the winning touch to an exciting scramble related to the company, the group, HALLOWEEN and "The Bar to Bar to Bar" Hunt.

What are the most important three basic food groups? Caffeine, Chocolate and Alcohol! This Scavenger Quest is not for the faint of heart. The HALLOWEEN Bar to Bar to Bar Quest is for great team building and team bonding. There is an emphasis on fun, creativity and enjoyment.

Teams must visit and bring back proof of the visit—electronic, paper, product or otherwise—from a place that serves or sells coffee, a place that serves or sells alcohol, and a place that sells or produces high end chocolate that has specific Halloween-themed products.

HALLOWEEN HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT, TOO!

This is not just Icing on the Cake... Teams design and decorate cakes to reflect their team, their company, and Halloween.

Each person designs and decorates a chef's hat with their team name. Then the real fun begins. Each team is challenged to create and decorate a cake that symbolizes the team itself, the company, and Halloween. Spiders? Ghosts? Vampires?

Each group will be given a large sheet cake that can be carved or left as is. With a variety of cake design supplies, tools and assorted cake decorations, the group will turn their concept into reality. And, in the end, participants will enjoy their creations. You can have your cake and eat it, too!

Contact TeamBuilding Unlimited for more information on these events. Make Your Halloween a Howling Success!

Halloween Parties: Fun & Easy & on the Cheap

2009-10-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

If you want to have a fabulous Halloween Party, hire Murder on the Menu to do a full blown Interactive Mystery Event. But if you want Halloween on the Cheap and are doing it yourself, I have several ideas. All it takes is time and ingenuity!

Chocolate: I have a blog called DyingforChocolate, so be sure to check later this month, so you can make your own cool Halloween cupcakes and candy! It will save you money and be lots of fun! I have several recipes up from last Halloween, and I'll have more Dirt Cupcake Cemeteries and DyingforChocolate recipes later this month. Speaking of food, pumpkins make great decorations, and you can always use the pumpkin to bake with later.

Decor: Because I have a mystery event company, I have lots of Halloween decor. I collect it all year because I just love Halloween. Target and Walmart have great stuff, but to be thrifty, you might want to wait until after Halloween and buy stuff on sale for next year. I shop the White Elephant Sale in Oakland (benefits the Oakland Museum) in February. Lots of Halloween--and other decor-- at budget prices. However, if you need it now, you can always use black fabric, candles, candelabras and votives. Holiday lights add ambiance, and you can drape your mirrors with black fabric.

Drinks: Not so cheap, but great for the adults.
Check out Special Halloween Cocktails from DrinkoftheWeek.com:

Spider’s Kiss
1 oz. Midori melon liqueur
1 oz. vodka
Squeeze of fresh Lemon
Grenadine (optional)
Chocolate syrup

Draw a chocolate web into a cocktail glass. Place in freezer and chill. Shake Midori, vodka and lemon juice and strain into glass. For a blood effect, drizzle grenadine down the side of the glass. Garnish with a chocolate-dipped orange slice.

If you want to spend a little bit of extra for great visual impact: Creep out your guests by serving a blood-red punch out of a dispenser that looks like an IV drip called In My Veins Drink Dispenser. Remember punch is cheaper than mixed drinks.

Drink of the Week has also put together a collection of dastardly Halloween drinks, murderous martinis and creepy cocktails! There are links to Halloween Punch Recipes, Glowing Drinks and more!

So here are a few ideas to get you started. Great for office parties, home parties, children and adults.

More theme ideas to come!

Where to get rid of leftover event stuff?

2009-10-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

What to do with all that left-over event and exhibit stuff? Even before this age of recycling and reusing, I always felt it was a shame to see leftover decor in the trash or even the recycle bin (although that's sometimes o.k). I spend a lot of time finding things for my events for TeamBuilding Unlimited at fleamarkets and in the dumpster. Yes, the dumpster.

Terri Hardin had an article in examiner.com on just this topic, and she offers many ideas for what to do with your left-overs. I have a few more suggestions. I welcome comments.

First, many charities accept donations.

Food: In the Bay Area, Project Open Hand, the Alameda Food Bank, and several other organizations welcome your uneaten portion of food & beverage. Be sure and contact these groups before your event, so there will be a smooth transition. Some places will not accept food, and you need to know that in advance. You might have to assign one of your staff to take the food there, but if you have a lot, some of the organizations will pick up.

Exhibit floor displays and furniture: Many non-profit and not-for-profit organizations like schools and churches accept tables and chairs. In Oakland, the Oakland Museum's White Elephant sale organization will accept donations and for large items can schedule a pick-up. You can also ask the meeting venue or the local CVB (convention & visitors bureau) for a list of charitable organizations.

Leftover Decor. If you're like me, you don't have anywhere to store most of this, even though you're 'sure' that you'll reuse it within the next 10 years. If you have the time or staff, you can try selling it on eBay or Craiglist but here's a useful site for Event Planners: Usedeventstuff.com. Make sure you can arrange this in your area.

Florals: Hopefully your florist has taken these away and will reuse them. Maybe the attendees took them home? But if not, check with the venue about their composting policy. If you have a lot of plant material, contact a local composter. Again, the venue or CVB should have a list.

We at TeamBuilding Unlimited have several Green TeamBuilding Events in which we use recycled materials, so feel free to contact us with your leftover goods. Our motto is Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose, Recharge. Have a look at our Green Art Challenge and New Green Product Invention.

So before you throw away all those leftovers from your event, check out your options for recycling and reusing.

Halloween: Amusement Parks are Tricked out

2009-10-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween. Shouldn't come as any big surprise since I run Murder on the Menu. So over the next few weeks or so, I'll be giving some info about places to go for a fun Halloween event--for your company or your family. I'll also be giving you links to recipes and other ideas for the holiday--and a link to mystery novels set during Halloween.

I saw a great article in today's USA Today about Amusement Parks that are tricked out for Halloween. Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia is having "Terror Behind the Walls". Six Flags in various states will hold a "Fright Fest". Universal Studios in both Universal City and Orlando will have "Halloween Horror Nights". Even Hersheypark will have "Hersheypark in the Dark." Read the entire article here.

If your local park isn't on the list, check them out online. They may be doing a Boocrew or Howloscream or at least a Haunted House!

Live in the San Francisco Bay Area? Check out the Haunted Bay website. Calendar, lists of haunted houses and pumpkin patches.

Want Murder on the Menu/TeamBuilding Unlimited to provide entertainment or team building for your Halloween party? We can do a Monster Mash Murder or any theme you'd like, as well as a delicious "Have Your Halloween Cake and Eat it, Too!" team building event. Now that's a major treat. You design and decorate cakes for Halloween and either eat them when you're through or take them back to the office. Great idea for a Halloween party!

World Chocolate Masters: Chocolate Challenge

2009-10-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited/Murder on the Menu does a Chocolate Challenge that's a lot of fun and pretty scrumptious. In this team challenge, each team must build a structure entirely of chocolate or chocolate related products. I've seen great buildings, hospitals, palaces and castles from different teams at Genentech, Hitachi, and PDL BioPharma and other companies.

Taking this competition a step further and having nothing to do with us: :-), the World Chocolate Masters competition invites Chocolatiers from all over the world to enter a similar competition.

The finalists of the World Chocolate Masters 2009 work within a limited time of 11 1/2 hours. Each of the contestants has to create a complete range of chocolate items:
- a chocolate showpiece to the theme of "Haute Couture"
- a moulded and a dipped praline
- a chocolate pastry
- a gastronomic chocolate dessert
- a decorated "Haute Couture" hat

It's the hat that's the building part of the competition. Talk about a Chocolate Challenge!

The objective of both the National Selections and World Finals is to "provide a high interest format to promote the best artisans around the globe and support the best chocolate practice."

Lionel Clement, the French born chocolatier and the head chocolatier for the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel, is the U.S. Candidate at the World Chocolate Masters competition. He topped four other pastry chefs at a daylong competition in NY last November. In the structural part of the competition he used several layers of chocolate to produce a silhouette of a woman's face, with long hair and a fancy hat. That won him the chance to compete in the world competition.

Clement will face chocolatiers from 12 other European countries, China, Japan, Thailand, Russian, Canada and Mexico. The showdown will be in Paris. Clement has been practicing for four months with his flavors, four months designing and developing his show pieces and 4 months practicing, so he'll be able to get everything done within the 11 1/2 hours at the biennial culinary competition that starts October 14. The judges will judge competitors on a roughly 25-pound showpiece, as well as two identical layered cakes to serve eight people, a gastronomic chocolate dessert, two different pralines and the decorated haute couture chocolate hat.

"It has to be unbelievable, and at the same time you've got to be able to make it because otherwise it's not going to work," said Clement. "It's not only how to make and build master showpieces, it's also about flavor."

The competition is serious even if its participants wield only sweets; a prize of euro 75,000 ($109,000) is on the line including a euro 20,000 package (roughly $29,000) for the winner. The competition is organized by Barry Callebaut, the Switzerland-based cocoa and chocolate manufacture. The large showpiece has to be made almost entirely of chocolate or cocoa-derived products. They stay together with cocoa butter or melted chocolate.

Another amazing part of the competition is that each competitor works alone in hauling and assembling their piece and is also judged on how clean their workspace is 45 minutes after they're done. Clement said, "During the whole competition, it's only you and yourself — that's it."

At TeamBuilding Unlimited, nothing is singular. We encourage our teams to work together to build their showpieces. Everything we do at TeamBuilding Unlimited is customized to include the theme of the meeting, goals and objectives, jargon and buzzwords. In the Chocolate Challenge, we supply the chocolate materials and usually give you about 1-2 hours to complete the project. We have prizes, too, but not monetary! After all, the goal is to work together as a team in a fun challenging teambonding way!

To read more about the World Chocolate Masters, go Here.
The Participants
The Jury

To read more about the Chocolate Challenge at TeamBuilding Unlimited, go here.

Barrango: The Perfect Holiday Venue

2009-10-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I knew most of the more unusual venues in the San Francisco Bay Area, but I was wrong. Recently I had a tour of Barrango in South San Francisco, and I was stunned. Barrango is a bit of Toyland and Candyland mixed with huge holiday displays plus more--and it's all behind a secret door. As I wandered through the incredible lifesize and supralifesize displays, I felt like I had fallen down the rabbit hole.

Barrango is the perfect venue for a holiday party--or any time. It's always a Winter Wonderland there, with a nod to the tropics in a few places. Barrango, known for their quality manufacturing and designs of seasonal decor since 1906, as well as fully working carousels, has created several very unique event spaces for holiday parties, weddings and other events in their showplace. Barrango can hold small intimate board meetings, seated events of 5 to 150, or large cocktail receptions of more. There are also several imported antique bars in the space that are just fabulous. Read the history of Barrango here.

I can't wait for Murder on the Menu and TeamBuilding Unlimited to work at Barrango. What a terrific place to do Trikes for Tots or Bears that Care! Bring your holiday party to Barrango!

Culinary TeamBuilding

2009-09-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

TeamBuilding Unlimited and Murder on the Menu offers many different types of culinary team building. Our latest is Murder on the Menu: The Ultimate Cooking Experience!

Murder on the Menu, California's #1 mystery event company, partners with Paulding & Company, a local long-established San Francisco Bay Area Professional Kitchen & Catering company, to bring our clients a customized interactive murder mystery event, set in the Paulding & Company kitchen—where your guests are the chefs, and the mystery unfolds as you cook and dine.

Our Murder on the Menu crew of improv actors will add to the drama. What could be better? You get to cook great food, eat well...and solve the mysteries that unfold one clue at a time. It's a recipe for success!

Available for groups up to 65!

Power of Teamwork

2009-09-26T09:06:00.001-07:00

I came across this great video from simpletruths.com. What a terrific video on The Power of Team Work. Check it out!

TeamWork separates the winners from the losers. The Blue Angels set the standard every day.
TeamBuilding Unlimited can't promise the Blue Angels, but we can meet your needs and objectives!

Northern California Meetings + Events

2009-08-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

There's a new meeting/event planner magazine in town, and the premiere issue just came out. Northern California Meetings + Events covers everything from venues to tips to team building and other activities I was profiled in this first issue. Here's the article by Janet Fullwood. Photo by Frank Gaglione

***

It started with Nancy Drew, the girl detective with the robin's-egg blue eyes that matched exactly the color of her 1930s roadster.

The summer Janet Rudolph was nine, "I read every one of those books, my mother's old ones with the blue covers," she recalls. Her dad sat beside her, equally absorbed in Ellery Queen mystery magazines.

Call it the "Case of the Passion that Led to a Career." Rudolph began teaching mystery fiction in the 1970s and went on to earn a PhD in literature and religion. Meanwhile, she founded a pair of businesses, Murder on the Menu and Teambuilding Unlimited, offering creative problem-solving experiences for corporate groups.

Murder on the Menu specializes in highly customized interactive dinner theater parties and events for a clientele that includes lawyers, bankers, law-enforcement organizations, medical students, software geeks, hospitality-industry groups...you name it.

"What we do that's unique is write the script around the client," Rudolph says. "We investigate what the company is about, who's going to be at the event, the individualism, the jargon. I get really involved."

The Teambuilding Unlimited division of the enterprise also incorporates sleuthing into corporate agendas, often through scavenger quests tailored to fit a company goal.

The "Mistress of Mystery" doesn't live by team building alone: She also blogs, Twitters, hosts a mystery book club and edits the Mystery Readers Journal, a publication she founded.

Her life might be tied up in mysteries, but the key to Rudolph's success is no secret: Hard work and keen business sense are the clues that give it away.

Get Connected:

Murder on the Menu / Teambuilding Unlimited // Berkeley / 510.845.3600