The mere mention of corporate away day ideas and team building activities can strike fear into the heart of employees. Enforced bonding with work colleagues while doing activities designed to foster personal and professional development doesn’t always go down as hoped. But when done right, company away days have many benefits.
Benefits of Corporate Away Days
From improved employee wellbeing and boosted morale to better communication and stronger motivation, team-building days away from the office can encourage creativity, collaboration and innovation that can positively impact the future performance of the team.
Planning a Successful Company Away Day
To create a corporate away day that has your employees recounting their fond memories of it for years to come, there are certain elements that you should ensure you bear in mind when planning your team-building activities for your company away days.
Consider the Purpose
When considering corporate away day ideas, firstly, think about the purpose of your team away day. Are you looking to facilitate brainstorming, strategising and innovation related to specific company challenges? Or is this a social exercise that allows team members to let off steam or a celebration that rewards them for their hard work? Whatever the purpose, make sure that the team is aware of the goal.
Get the Balance Right
Not all team members will share the boss’ love of paintball so it’s important to try to cater to a variety of interests and preferences. Get to know the team members who will be involved in the team-building day and the kinds of activities that they are most interested in. You may have to go with the majority when making a decision on corporate away day ideas or you could have smaller groups doing different activities.
It’s also important to find the balance between corporate activities and fun team bonding activities. Make sure everyone knows what the boundaries are and how they are expected to behave.
Choose the Location
The location is a very important factor in any company away day. Corporate team-building days should take place away from the office as this is rarely conducive to creativity or innovation and isn’t really somewhere we associate with fun or relaxing.
Instead choose a neutral territory and preferably somewhere inspirational. We may be biased, but what more inspirational place is there for a corporate away day than the beautiful coastal location of North Devon. Our diverse array of landscapes captivate and inspire visitors.
From the dramatic cliffs and rugged coastline of the South West Coast Path to the serene, sandy beaches to the region’s rolling hills and lush, green countryside and moorland, North Devon provides the perfect backdrop for team-building outdoor adventures.
Select Your Venue
Photo by Guy Harrop. Pic of Carlton Hotel, Ilfracombe image copyright Guy Harrop info@guyharrop.com 07866 464282
When you know where to hold your team building away day, you will then need to find a venue to host your team members. The venue will act as a base where your employees will take part in the activities that you have organised for them. If you’re planning a longer event that requires an overnight stay choose somewhere that has enough accommodation for your team.
Hotels are always a good call as we can cater to all your needs. Here at the Carlton we have business facilities that can be used, plenty of rooms to accommodate large groups and the dining facilities to keep your team fed and fuelled.
We can create bespoke corporate away day package to suit your needs and make sure that your team-building away days run smoothly.
Choose Your Activities
All that is left to do now is choose your team-building activities. And we are really lucky up here on the North Devon coast. We are spoilt for choice here especially when it comes to outdoor adventure and getting out in nature. But that’s not all, there are all sorts of fun activities that we can help you to organise for your corporate team building away day in North Devon. So, let’s take a look at some of the corporate away day ideas that you could consider here on our doorstep in North Devon.
Corporate Away Day Ideas in North Devon
Water Sports
H2Outdoor is located a short drive away in Woolacombe and offers an exciting range of water sports and outdoor activities all in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Whether you’re looking for coasteering, or kayaking, surfing or stand-up paddle boarding or wild swimming H2Outdoor can provide top-class adventure activities and packages that your team will love.
H2Outdoor Adventure Specialist Matthew De Havilland says: “H2Outdoor has packages available to provide the perfect solution for your corporate event requirements. We are able to organise sessions ideal for entertaining clients, creating incentive reward schemes and for providing challenges aimed at general team building and enhancing individual strengths. Specific activities are combined to meet your team-building requirements, whether that is extreme adventure for the adrenalin junkies or a relaxing paddle along the coast for more informal occasions. Fantastic activities with high-quality equipment and first-class facilities at the New Ilfracombe Water Sports Hub.”
Off Road Adventures
If adrenaline-fuelled activities are what you are looking for, Keyypitts Off-Road Adventures may be right up your street. Try quad biking around 200 acres of challenging scenic terrain or learn to drive off-road in a Land Rover Discovery 4X4 adventure. Alternatively, try your hand at one of their motorcycle trials and take on the range of terrain Keypitts has to offer.
Golf
At Ilfracombe Golf Club you can see the sea from every tee making it one of the most spectacular locations in the South West for a team-building round of golf. As you tee off on the rugged cliffs of the North Devon coast, you get to take in the awe-inspiring view over to the Welsh Coast, Lundy Island and off to the Atlantic horizon. What could be more inspiring than that?
Clay Pigeon Shooting
If golf doesn’t sound like a hole in one for your company away day, may clay pigeon shooting will hit the target instead? We have a number of clay pigeon shooting ranges to choose from up here on the North Devon Coast.
Located in a beautiful valley setting just off the main road to Woolacombe Beach, you’ll find North Devon Shoot Ground. Here they cater for all levels of shooting experience so whether you’re a dab hand with a gun or never pulled the trigger before, you will get the support and guidance that you need to enjoy your team-building away day activities.
Right here on our doorstep, the South West Shooting School also caters to groups and corporate away days tailoring them to suit your experience or fit with your timetable.
Vineyard Visits
If high-adrenaline activities and sports are not to your liking, consider maybe a leisurely vineyard tour and wine tasting experience. Saunton Vineyard is a boutique vineyard here in North Devon, situated between the beautiful hamlets of Lobb and Saunton. Regular vineyard tours and tastings take place throughout the summer months and allow you to sample three different wines.
Art Activities
Maybe something more creative would go down well for your team-building activities. If this sounds like something you would like to explore we could help you to organise an art workshop with a local artist.
Mark Woollacott is a professional coastal artist based in Ilfracombe and he runs classes for beginners as well as artists with some experience. He specialises in landscape and coastal painting so if this is something you and your team are interested in, let us help you set it up.
Horse Riding
Spending time with animals can be a really great way to bring your team together. Mullacott Riding Centre can offer hacks around its 600 acre farm for all abilities or a gallop along a local beach for more experienced riders.
Chocolate Making Workshop
Who doesn’t love chocolate? They don’t call it the food of the Gods for nothing. Down in Ilfracombe town centre you will find The Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium, where handmade artisan chocolate is loving crafted and sold.
Owner Jeanette will take you and your employees on a journey of understanding how chocolate is made and will then teach you how to make your own and how to temper, flavour, shape and decorate your handmade chocolates.
Plus, you get to take them home with you afterwards.
Cookery Course
If your team don’t have a sweet tooth, maybe a cookery course would be of more interest. Coastal Cooking Ilfracombe offer informal and relaxed cookery classes to help you create an enjoyable and engaging team building day.
Whether you’re interested in bread, game, fish, vegetarian food, pasties & scones, pizza, seafood or different cuisines, there are plenty of options to choose from.
Book Your Corporate Away Day in North Devon
If any of these team building activities sound like they fit the bill for your corporate away day, why not contact us to discuss how we can help you to organise it.
North Devon is the perfect location to get away to, with stunning scenery and endless options for activities, your team will be spoilt for choice.
The Carlton Hotel is ideally situated in Ilfracombe to serve as your base while your employees go off to explore all that the region has to offer and take part in their team building activities. We have all the facilities you need to make your stay memorable and productive. Our luxurious rooms can accommodate your staff members overnight and our conference facilities can be used to get your team together. They can dine in the Brasserie and relax in the bar.
Whatever your needs are, we are sure we can help you to create a corporate away day that your team will actually look forward to. We can create a bespoke package to meet your needs facilitated through our partnerships with local artisans and activity providers.
To plan your company away day and discuss your requirements contact Eliot on 01271 862446 or email eliot@ilfracombecarlton.co.uk