Introduction
A good team building package is judged on the activities in the brochure far more often than it should be. At Holiday Gogogo, the team building packages that actually work for a company share a handful of traits that have nothing to do with how exciting the itinerary looks on paper. This article covers what those traits actually are.
TL;DR: Key Takeaways
A good team building package is built around a clear objective and facilitated structure, not just a list of fun activities. The venue, group size fit, and balance between structured content and downtime matter more to the outcome than any single activity does, and logistics support determines how smoothly it actually runs.
- A clear objective should shape the package, not the other way around.
- The facilitator’s experience matters more than which specific activity is chosen.
- A mix of structured content and genuine downtime beats either extreme alone.
- Transport, meals, and facilitator fees should be itemised, not bundled vaguely.
What Should a Good Team Building Package Actually Be Built Around?
A good team building package starts with a clear objective, communication, leadership, or cross-department bonding, rather than a generic list of activities chosen for how fun they sound. Everything else in the package, the venue, the facilitator, the schedule, should be built to serve that objective specifically.
A package built backwards from an objective tends to hold together better than one assembled from a menu of popular activities, since every element has a reason for being there rather than just filling time.
Does the Facilitator Matter More Than the Activities Themselves?
A facilitator matters more than the activity itself, since the same exercise run by an experienced facilitator versus an untrained one produces very different outcomes. A good package names who is running the sessions and their relevant experience, rather than treating facilitation as an afterthought to the schedule.
Questions Worth Asking About the Facilitator
- What is their relevant training or facilitation background?
- Have they run this specific format for a group your size before?
- Is a debrief or reflection component built into their sessions?
Should a Team Building Package Be Fully Scheduled or Include Downtime?
A well-built package balances structured activity with genuine downtime, since back-to-back scheduling leaves no room for the informal conversation that often does as much for team cohesion as the activities themselves. A package that is either entirely structured or entirely unstructured tends to underperform a mix of both.
Table 1: Signs of a well-built package compared with a weaker one.
Element | Well-Built Package | Weaker Package |
Objective | Stated clearly upfront, shapes the schedule | Vague or absent, activities chosen for novelty |
Facilitator | Named, with relevant experience described | Unnamed, or facilitation treated as incidental |
Schedule | Mix of structured content and downtime | Fully packed, or fully unstructured |
Pricing | Itemised — transport, meals, facilitation | Bundled into one vague total |
How Do You Get a Team Building Package Built Around Your Objective?
Answer a short set of questions about your group size, objective and preferred dates, and Holiday Gogogo’s itinerary planner returns a team building package shaped around those answers rather than a fixed template. [VERIFY: does a consultant review the itinerary before it is confirmed, and at what point?]
It’s most useful when a standard package doesn’t quite fit your objective — a mixed-department group, a specific skill focus, or a date that has to work around several teams’ schedules.
Start with a few questions and our corporate team will help shape it from there.
Frequently Asked Questions About Team Building Packages
1. Does a good team building package need to be HRD Corp claimable?
Not necessarily, and a package should not be judged as good or bad purely on this basis. Some companies want a purely recreational trip, while others need it structured for a claim. What matters is whether the package is honest about which one it is.
2. How many activities should a good package include?
There is no fixed number, and more activities do not automatically make a better package. A smaller number of well-facilitated activities tied to a clear objective usually delivers more value than a packed schedule with little real structure behind it.
3. What group sizes do team building packages usually suit?
Most well-designed packages work for groups from around fifteen up to a hundred or more, though the venue and activity format usually need adjusting at different sizes. Confirm with the provider directly that their format actually suits your specific headcount.
4. Should a package be fully scheduled or leave room for free time?
It should include some of both. Fully scheduled programmes leave no room for informal bonding, while fully unstructured time risks producing little beyond a nice trip away. A mix tends to produce better outcomes than either extreme on its own.
5. What should be included in the package price?
Transport, accommodation, meals, and facilitator or trainer fees should generally be included and clearly itemised in the price, not added on as surprises later. Ask for a full breakdown before booking so you know exactly what the quoted price covers.
Conclusion
A good team building package is defined by its objective, its facilitator, and its balance of structure and downtime, not by how many activities are listed on the itinerary. Checking these before booking says more about the outcome than the brochure ever will. At Holiday Gogogo, we build every package around this same set of priorities. Request a group quote to start planning yours.