Posts

los angeles team building with surfboards on the beach

50 Top Team Building Ideas In Los Angeles CA

/in , /by

Use our Los Angeles team building list of 50 top ideas to explore the lights of Hollywood and the glamour of Beverly Hills for your next corporate team outing or retreat in California. Find fun hikes, Giveback CSR team activities, scavenger hunts, and more as your plan your California adventure. As locals, our team will help you find the best spots to eat, drink, and meet. We know what it takes to pull permits, navigate the traffic, and get the most of your time in Los Angeles.

Read more

corporate group team building escape room

Mobile Escape Room – Team Building @ Pasea Hotel

/in /by

The clock was counting down and nobody wanted to see it hit ZERO! That was the scene during our mobile escape room experience at the Pasea Hotel in Huntington Beach for our client’s team building sessions. The first few moments are chaos and then the wheels start turning. Your group begins to unravel the puzzles, tasks, and challenges that lead to the answer. Switches get flipped to reveal important information. Wires are cut to avoid catastrophic meltdowns. If your team makes the right moves, communicates well, and can embrace trust they’ll save the world.

escape room team building corporate group meetingFor this client they had 2 groups of 15 people that they wanted to pit against the super villain we built our room around. We ran the room in 2 sessions with a debrief at the end. In the team building world we know that it’s not the activity that is important. It’s how your group shows up and performs during the activity. The debrief allows us to help the group reflect on the experience and draw meaning from the day. Escape rooms are a natural fit for team building and we LOVE watching the excitement build as the groups solve our puzzles. They’re an exciting new way for groups in Los Angeles and Orange county to revisit the skills that successful team need to succeed.

Add an escape room team building experience to your next conference, meeting or outing in Los Angeles, Orange County, or San Diego. Call us at 877.267.1939

hollywood scavenger hunt team building

Hollywood Scavenger Hunts – Los Angeles Team Building

/in /by

Gather a group of your closest pals or round up your co-workers to take on one of FireFly Team Event’s most engaging team building challenges: Hollywood Hunts & Rodeo Rallies! These action packed scavenger hunts guide you through some of Los Angeles iconic locations. Perfect for building team engagement and boosting morale for any size group.

Hollywood Hunt

There’s team building  fun to be had in the heart of Tinseltown at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue!  See a whole new side of this star-studded city as you work with teammates to be the first to complete our over-the-top challenges!

Can you find Michael Jackson’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and strike up a flash mob to Thriller? Perhaps you need to grab the attention of record execs by donning shades and holding a rap battle at the doors of the Capitol Records Building! Your Hollywood team building experience will be unforgettable as you soak in the lights and glamour.

Read more

wall that lights up when you put water on it at corporate events team building

10 Corporate Event Surprises Your Guests Won’t Forget

/in /by

When working with corporate event meeting planners we hear about “wow” all the time. No matter what type of event you’re planning, you want the “wow” factor. Something your team will be talking about weeks later. As our team building events have often been used as that “wow” factor we keep our eyes out for other event surprises.  Below you’ll find links to Los Angeles area vendors (mostly), but these event surprises can be produced around the world. Surprise your guests at your next corporate event with something breathtaking!

1. Water Graffiti
We admit it, we’re big fans of this art and it’s many forms. Whether you bring in an artist for a live demonstration, or get behind the spray can yourself with our Graffiti event you’re guests will enjoy the experience of seeing art created before their eyes. Worry about paint getting messy? Check out Antonin Fourneau’s water light graffiti- hundreds of LED lights activated by water to create temporary luminous designs. (this is not a Los Angeles vendor)

http://www.waterlightgraffiti.com/

Read more

highland park bowling alley corporate events

10 Unconventional Outdoor Event Venues in Los Angeles

/in /by

With summer around the corner you may be looking to host your next corporate event outside to take advantage of the warm southern California weather. We’ve assembled a list of our favorite unique outdoor venues in Los Angeles sure to wow your guests.

1. The Rooftop at The Standard Hotel

When you close your eyes and imagine the quintessential Los Angeles scene, it probably looks a lot like this rooftop party spot. Its convenient location in downtown offers panoramic views of the city to enjoy while you swim in the pool, sip on a cocktail, or lounge on a waterbed (that’s right, they have waterbeds!). Trendy without being cliche, there are state of the art sound systems and video projectors to aid in your presentation or just create an Instagram worthy dance party.

2. Iconic Los Angeles Beaches

Summertime is the best time for a day at the beach. Our favorites include The Strand at Manhattan Beach, Venice Beach, and the wide open sand of Santa Monica.  To add value to your team’s fun in the sun consider organizing a corporate team building event. We love running a competitive Team Olympics or a lesson in Sand Sculpture Building. These experiences promote team bonding by encouraging interaction that doesn’t normally occur in the office.  Parking at any beach is limited and metered so we recommend carpooling and arriving early. Even in the summer, the coastal breezes can get chilly so be sure to bring a light jacket for layering, especially if you’re sunburnt.

3. Greystone Mansion

Imagine holding a corporate dinner party in a real life haunted mansion. The Greystone Mansion is one of the most commonly filmed estates, and boasts its own sordid past of mystery and murder. The Tudor architecture and intriguing backstory make it a unique setting for an LA Film Noir themed party or fundraiser.  The living room is spacious enough for a 70 person meeting, while your breakout sessions could resemble a game of Clue (Director of Marketing with a Powerpoint in the Library!).  End the outing with elegant cocktails on the terrace.  Staff will be equal parts thrilled by the spooky stories and mesmerized by the opulent decor.

4. Corriganville Park

We all want our employees to be healthy, and what better way to encourage worker’s wellness than a walk through the movies?  Bring the team out for a company picnic complete with an Old West themed Amazing Race style competition featuring challenges and trivia inspired by the park which was at one time in history home to a bustling movie ranch. As you amble across the sandstone you’ll recognize sets from The Lone Ranger, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Star Trek to name a few.

5. The La Brea Tar Pits

Fit for an elegant gala or a wild scavenger hunt, the La Brea Tar Pits Museum hosts fossils from Ice Age creatures including mammoths and dire wolves.  After dining next to ancient fossils, move the party outside to the lush gardens where you could pack school supply kits for paleontologists of the future.  Centrally located on the Miracle Mile, parking is surprisingly easy!

6. Velaslavasay Panorama

A historic theatre featuring the exhibition of the dying art of panoramas. Step into a 360 degree painting that immerses you with audio effects and three dimensional properties. Acoustics in this round space are excellent for a meeting or presentation. Outside in the living garden you can host a quirky cocktail mixer under the stars or a daytime training workshop. We love the art deco Union Theatre building and its quirky artistic vibe it gives the city.

7. California Yacht Club
Take to the seas by chartering a cruise through the California Yacht Club. Most opt for the ritzy yacht party, but we enjoy seeing teams working together to trim the sails on one of the club’s sailboats, or puttering around in the smaller dinghys. A sunset cruise is a great sales incentive trip, and in early spring you can catch the gray whale migration. You could even hire two boats and have your staff engage in the awesome sport of yacht racing.

8. Walt’s Barn
All aboard, for classic train fun. Located in Griffith Park, Walt’s Barn houses the numerous train models made and run by Walt Disney that later inspired the train that circles the Magic Kingdom. Use the grounds for a staff field day with lawn games, or charity event. A passion project by the Carolwood Foundation, the barn and exhibits will encourage staff to follow their own dreams.

BONUS: Indoor Spots to Beat the Heat
When that California sunshine gets too warm, step into these awesome spaces to relax in the A/C.

9. Highland Park Bowl

This bowling alley, built in 1927, has been recently restored to its vintage glory. Not your local franchised alley, this venue offers supple leather couches, craft beers, and artisan pizzas. An office league or a staff night would both find comfort in this classic.

10. SPiN Los Angeles

A loft space that can host up to 300 people, this venue is run by a local ping pong social club. It comes with a full A/V system, bar, restaurant and ping pong professional players to help up your game. This is your chance to hold that 80s ping pong tournament you’ve always dreamed about. This venue will keep staff active, while they have fun.

This list only scratches the surface of possibilities in Los Angeles. We skipped over the obvious ones to try and inspire your next venue search. Good luck on future projects!

For help planning a staff engagement activity, outing, or team building event at these or other locations, contact us by emailing james@fireflyteamevents.com!

Women in front of baskets filled with donation items for team building charity

Give Back With Charity Team Building in Los Angeles

/0 Comments/in , /by

If your corporate team is looking to give back, Los Angeles is home to many deserving charities in need of your service. We work to ensure your charitable giving is matched with enthusiasm and energy. We infuse these events with extra fun challenges to “win” the supplies to complete the donation. Charity team building events fulfill corporate social responsibility and promote pride in the staff attending. Los Angeles is home to plenty of good causes. In the past we’ve partnered with charities such as Boys and Girls Club, Families Forward, local children’s hospitals and Together We Rise to produce team building experiences like these:

Bike Builds

Bicycles are often the first sign of independence for children. Learning to ride takes bravery and commitment, which is rewarded by the exhilarating freedom of being able to travel under their own power. Many children are not given this experience simply because of their families’ socioeconomic standing. We bring in bicycles for teams to build and toss in some fun challenges as well. Once construction is complete we encourage teams to deliver marketing pitches for their bicycles which usually degenerates into giggle inducing skits. Craft supplies are provided for teams to create cards to include with the bicycles for the lucky recipient. Our charity bike builds are the perfect way to incorporate CSR into your meeting.

Super Hero Starter Kits

Many children are forced to face challenges too scary for most adults in the form of chronic or terminal illness. Luckily Los Angeles is home to an amazing children’s hospital St. Jude’s as well as neighbor to Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). We celebrate these young patients’ bravery with our Super Hero Starter Kits. Kids are thrilled to open these packages containing a mask, cardboard shield and craft supplies. They love decorating their super hero shields to suit their own personality. Teams can help kids fight their battle by assembling these kits during our high spirited super hero team events.

Care Package Builds

Sometimes it’s basic items like school supplies or canned food that are the most appreciated. Our care package builds for team building can be customized to suit your team’s interests. We’ve hosted Minute to Win It competitions where items are won through challenges and recently, we had teams create miniature golf courses out of the pantry items that were being donated to Second Harvest.  Care package builds are always well organized with each team donating their own package, identical to the others save for any decorations team members may have been added.  We love seeing teams having a good time, while giving back to the community.

Charity events are always an excellent team building experience as groups have a fun, memorable time while doing something worthwhile. To find out how you can give back to your community and plan a charity event contact us at james@fireflyteamevents.com

team building graffiti

3 Creative Los Angeles Team Building Ideas

/0 Comments/in /by

Los Angeles is a mecca for the arts. From Hollywood starlets to modern art exhibits, LA is saturated with creativity. You don’t have to be a skilled artist to benefit from the out of the box thinking the city is known for. Many worry about the quality of their artistic exploits, but as with all team building endeavors it is the process that yields the value. To encourage innovation from your group, consider these unique, creative team building ideas.

Launch It!
Who ever said scientists aren’t creative? With Jet Propulsion Laboratory minutes away, be inspired to blast off! We provide the materials and guidance to help your sales team go to infinity and beyond during our Rocket Design Challenge. Construct your team’s bottle rockets with an eye for distance, accuracy, and design. After you’ve used as much glitter glue as possible to attach the awesome cardboard wings you designed, we’ll set up the launch pad where teams will compete to see who made the best rocket designs. It’s 3, 2, 1…blast off as your rockets soar into the sky. You’d be blown away by how far these things fly!

Play It!
Want to inspire creativity and inspiration? Everyone loves playing games like Tetris and Pac Man, but we don’t want to isolate ourselves with these single player pleasures. At our Team Arcade we get everyone in on the fun. Utilizing a makeymakey controller, we allow your team to become game designers where anything can be a button. We pair challenges with creativity techniques that can boost your innovation curve back in the office. Teams will collaborate to create solutions that land outside the box in this team building event. Don’t worry if you’re not tech-savvy, we’ve simplified the technology so ANYONE can be a creator.

Paint It!
As you travel through Los Angeles you’ll notice there’s some graffiti that looks more like art and less like tagging. That impressive graphic was more likely a commissioned masterpiece than a misdemeanor. In fact graffiti has landed on the walls of art museums all over the world. Experience this unique modern art form with our team building graffiti events. We bring in a world class professional graffiti artist to help each person design their own tag, and then we have everyone contribute to the group mural. No art degree is required, just be ready to have fun and maybe get a bit of paint on your hands.

Don’t be scared by any perceived lack of talent. Our creative team building events are focused on fun and innovation. To get your creative juices flowing contact james@fireflyteamevents.com

team building scavenger hunt

Hollywood Scavenger Hunts That Don’t Suck

/0 Comments/in /by

Our scavenger hunts make your team the stars of your Hollywood corporate team building adventure. Rather than fighting throngs of tourists to take the same pictures you see on the internet, we put your team in front of the camera ensuring you finish your day with an album of great memories. There’s no useless knick knacks to collect, no confusing maze of directions for you to follow; just totally awesome break dance battles, duck faces and swagger. Show off how your selfie skills are on par with Kim Kardashian and strike a pose.

To guarantee you have the most fun team building scavenger hunt experience we utilize a smartphone app in our Techno Rallies. After you load the free app you’ll find dozens of challenges we’ve custom designed for your group and location. While you’re exploring Los Angeles simply choose a challenge, snap a pic, and earn points! Some of our favorite challenges include challenging kids to a tug of war, ninja fighting with strangers, and re-enacting famous paintings complete with makeshift costume pieces.  Surprises will pop up along the way as our staff find ways to ignite your competitive spirit.  After the event we’ll provide all the photos your group took so they can be shared around the office or on social media.

If you want a unique teambuilding event you’ll love being able to customize and theme the challenges. We love seeing teams get into the spirit and dress up, and we’re even able to create challenges tailored to your group. Take advantage of your famous LA location and host a celebrity inspired photo shoot, a tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood or a movie trivia extravaganza. We’ve had teams decked out in 80s fashion, superhero capes and even Oscar worthy formal wear. You’ll be amazed at just how cool your coworkers can be.

To book your corprate team building scavenger hunt in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, Seattle, Las Vegas or other major cities contact James @ 949.439.9641 or james@fireflyteamevents.com

Holiday Team Building Ideas for your Christmas Party

/0 Comments/in , /by

charity team buildingWe’re starting to get calls about corporate christmas party events that involve team building. We’re only a couple months out – I like the initiative people! For those of you brainstorming event ideas, especially team building event, here’s a few suggestions if you’re in the Orange County or Los Angeles area.

Holiday Minute Madness

Based on the TV show Minute To Win It – your teams will compete in a series of wacky goofy fun challenges! Each challenge will give you team a chance to earn points. It could be as simple as wiggling a cookie from your forehead to your mouth…. with no hands. Or you might be stacking apples higher than your opponent. This is the perfect cocktail hour event and great for venues like Pelican Hill near Newport, Montage in Laguna Beach, or the Hyatt Regency. OR we can come to your meeting site or offices in Irvine, Tustin, Anaheim, Lake Forest, Orange and beyond! Our Minute Madness can be set-up in ANY location. It’s huge laughs and massive smiles!!!

Holiday Reality Rally

Can you catch Santa’s Elves? Think you know all the reindeer names? You’ll be dashing through the streets trying to outwit and outplay your opponents in our version of the Amazing Race. Imagine the Amazing Race and Survivor mashed together with a lot of caffeine and holiday spirit. You’ll need strategy, spirit, and lots of cheer if you want to be the big gift winner! This team building competition plays well with Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and Balboa.

Be Charitable

We have some great charitable holiday ideas with our food bank and local community partners. Let us know if you’re interested in finding a way to give back for your holiday party this year.

Want more ideas? Call us at 877.267.1939 or email james@fireflyteamevents.com