Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Chili Cookoff Challenge!

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!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Sensational Sandcastle Building

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.