Friday, February 18, 2011

McDonald's Slated to offer Ultra-cheap McWeddings

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?

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Mural/Quilt Art Project: Perfect Team Work

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!

Friday, February 4, 2011

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

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.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

How to Measure ROI from an Event

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.