5 Reasons to Organise a 2019 Kick-off Event

As a new year begins, new strategies are made and targets are set. But after the celebrations of the Christmas holidays, it’s not easy to hit the ground running. A Kick-Off Event can set the tone, and focus minds, and ultimately help your team avoid starting the year by falling behind the competition.

Overcoming post-Christmas malaise, the exhaustion that often comes after the intense seasonal build-up and celebrations, and inspiring your team to take on the next big challenge requires something special. An uplifting event, that brings colleagues together and sets them on the path with their best foot forward.

Kick-Off Events deliver exactly that, but are much more than just a cheerleading bash. There is purpose behind such a gathering, and a number of benefits to take from them.

Why A Kick-off Event Is Worth Having?

1. 1. Celebrate the successes of 2018 – As one year departs, a Kick-Off Event can be used to remind colleagues what was achieved in the previous 12 months. This is important because it revives a sense of continuity, and a context your people will operate in. So, revisit any major achievements and relive the joy. Did the company win a major contract? Did it win a major award? Was the launch of a new product the highlight of 2018? And did a new innovation revolutionise the field you operate in?
   2. Eyes forward, and look to the year ahead – As its name suggests, a Kick-Off Event is all about … well, the kick-off! True, we have just highlighted the importance of celebrating the past, but only so your team will be energised to take on the next big challenge. But they also need to know what that challenge is. So, at the event, you can share your program for 2019, set out the key objectives for the coming year and the strategy to get there. Being a party to these key factors is guaranteed to boost team performance.
   3. Give your team due recognition – An important element of a Kick-Off Event is to create a sense of inclusion, and that means recognizing the key role your team members have in the year ahead. Research shows that applauding good work has a positive effect on a company. The Walt Disney World Resort, for example, saw a 15% increase in staff satisfaction when they introduced an employee recognition program, which correlated with higher guest-satisfaction scores and a strong intent to return. That resulted in increased profitability.
   4. Gets the whole team focused – What better way to focus the attention of a whole team than with a shared experience. Instead of a series of monotonous meetings, a team is together and as one as company plans for the coming year unfold. Conversations ensue, agendas are discussed, roles and responsibilities are clarified. In fact, the organizational energy is at its peak so there is hardly a more ideal time to get talking.
   5. Galvanizes unity through fun – A shared experience may help colleagues focus as one, but a bit of fun can galvanize the sense of unity. The most effective Kick-Off Events have ice-breaking games and team challenges mixed in, getting team members working together from the start and setting a tone not just for an upcoming project, but for the whole year to come.

We offer a wide variety of Creative Team Challenges that help your team to crack the creative process and come at things from a new angle with fresh eyes. City Build is the perfect experience for your 2019 Kick-off event; combining collaboration, creativity, strategic thinking and project planning.

At Orangeworks, we want to help get your team off to a great start in 2019. Get in touch to discuss some options for your team’s kick-off event. Tell us what you need, we’ll create the experience and you be the hero.