“The Amazing Race was a great opportunity to meet new people and ‘leave yourself at the door’. One of the best team bonding/ice breaker events I have ever participated in” - Big 5 Accounting Firm.
Leadership summits, meetings, retreats, and conferences are more than endless slideshows, presentations, and networking breaks over buffet coffee. They’re about people - building connections, sparking fresh ideas, and pushing big goals forward.
But let’s be real: all the talking, presenting, and networking can sometimes feel like an endless marathon. So, how do you break the cycle? You play. Yes, even the stuffiest, spreadsheet-loving professionals need a chance to play. It’s fun, it’s memorable, and it’s surprisingly effective.
Why Your Leadership Meetings Need Fun
Let’s be honest - people remember experiences, not slide #46 (even if it was a really great slide)! Your team may forget that "strategic initiative" bullet point, but they’ll never forget when Tom’s paper airplane not only failed to qualify for the finals but did a 180 and ended up behind him (Amazing Race Challenge).
Here’s why a thoughtful breakout game should be on your next conference’s agenda:
- Break the Networking Ice: Not everyone is great at internal networking (most people aren’t) and the "So, what do you do?" gets a bit stale. Games instantly get people talking, laughing, and collaborating naturally. Conversation - started.
- Get People Moving & Energized: After hours of sitting (or a long evening), it’s only a matter of time before people hit "zombie mode." Get them up, moving, and doing something active, and suddenly we’ve got energy and creativity.
- Supercharge Creative Problem-Solving: A wild challenge, quirky puzzle, or scavenger hunt forces people to think differently. Guess what? That mindset shift stays with them when they return to their actual work. Win-win.
- Boost Motivation (Because We’re All Competitive): People are more motivated to work with teammates they genuinely like and have shared moments with. Fun shared experiences = stronger team spirit. Our games get wrapped up with epic highlight reel videos - which bring it all together.
“The Amazing Race was a great way to meet new colleagues and get everyone out of their shell first thing. This also helped start up conversations throughout the summit when introducing yourself to other colleagues” - Big 5 Accounting Firm
New People, New Ideas, New Goals - Here’s How Games Help You Hit All Three
- New Connections: As mentioned, games give you something past the opening “What does your team do?” intros. Instead, blended teams are laughing, collaborating, and teaming up with colleagues they’ve never met.
- New Ideas Take Flight: Play puts people in a creative mindset. When your team is laughing and using their imagination, suddenly you’ll find people building on ideas (more ‘and’, less ‘but’).
- A New Bar: Want to hit those big conference goals? Teams that have fun together are more motivated to achieve shared goals together. One Amazing Race isn’t going to change it all - but it’s a starting point. When your team feels like they’re truly part of a team they’ll show up stronger for each other.
3 Games to Make Your Leadership Summit Fun and Memorable
Stay on Site with The Amazing Race
Built around your venue, teams will ‘race’ to complete as many challenges as they can before time runs out. High stakes “route marker” challenges (which are live stations hosted by us - and you, if you want) are often used as ‘best of’ challenges ensuring we have winners galore!
Explore the City with the Ultimate City Hunt
Groups who are looking to get off premises (for example if you are staying downtown) might want to dive into this action packed city adventure built right outside your venue’s door, featuring 15 GPS stops and up to 50 challenges - it’s controlled chaos at its best.
Inside or Out - Let’s Kidnap YOUR Boss!?
Customized to put your team into the story (Your Boss is Kidnapped, 5 of your people are the suspects) this game is great for either onsite, the city or both. Teams must solve riddles, complete puzzles, and tackle photo and video challenges as they work through the story, staying cool under pressure and showcasing those leadership skills (no acting required)!
Ready to Make Your Next
Summit Legendary?
Here’s the part where you say - sure everyone wants an unforgettable experience. Something that will score high on the post even survey and actually connect people.
That of course is where we come into play. We’ll help you design something that your group will connect over that fits your location, schedule and goals.
Turn your leadership summit into a year’s highlight event.
Just contact us and we’ll make it happen! We’ll bring the fun, you bring the team.
Make Your Event More Fun and Exciting
Setting up a Social Scavenger experience is easy. Get in touch with us today to learn how.
