Escaping Traditional Board Meetings

I was asked to plan an activity for a group of people as a break from their grueling two-day corporate meeting. They were in a conference center and had access to a couple other rooms, however we couldn’t leave the facility because of time constraints. My contact provided me with a list of activities the group had done previously; including which ones they liked and which ones they didn’t. We talked a bit about the type of attendees that would be present, what the goal of the break was, how much the organization had in it’s budget, and what else should be included in the experience besides the activity like F&B and decor.

I researched some options and came up with tabletop escape rooms. I found a particular brand of boxed rooms that seemed to be challenging, included some props, and had different themed rooms so not everyone would have the exact same experience. I purchased the games and tried to “escape” from the rooms myself. I consider myself to be pretty good at problem-solving, puzzles, and trouble-shooting, so I thought if I could get through these rooms and be entertained myself, they might be suitable for this corporate group.

I was surprised to find that these rooms were hard! They had cards and maps and hidden clues printed on things. I had to use the box, poke holes in things to view other things, line up doo-dahs just right, and more. Each room was unique and entertaining and engaging. I couldn’t wait to pass the current test to see what was next. I honestly didn’t mind that these were boxed games. They were challenging and I had a blast.

So, I planned an escape room event for a team of corporate executives. They were hesitant at first as I anticipated, but as they broke up into groups, delved into their rooms, and saw the fun in the challenges, it was game on. People can be very competitive, especially with coworkers. It was amusing to watch the lightbulbs go on as the attendees realized they needed to tear the corner off of a card here, find a clue on the box there, and stack things just right to find their next clue.

To encourage engagement, the organization offered prizes for participation such as: “First Team to Escape their Room,” “Team that Worked Best Together,” and “Person Who Had the Most Right Answers on their Team,” to name a few. We coordinated food and beverages that were different than they had during their regular meetings and rearranged the spaces we had available to us. This helped the group feel like they were truly having a different experience within their corporate meeting, therefore allowing their minds and focus to drift from work to play.

The benefits of this type of extended break with different stimulation, environment, F&B, music, attendee groupings, and more is multi-faceted. One is that you can mix up the attendees so they’re paired with people they may not normally interact with; those from other departments, with different personalities, or from varied generations. A game like this is safe for introverts and extroverts alike. Just about everyone can participate in some way.

Another benefit is a change in how they are using their brain. This type of shift shakes attendees from their “meeting stupor” and allows creative juices to take over. Ideally these will carry into the following meeting sessions allowing for diverse conversations and more effective outcomes. Plus, as the manager of the group, you can watch how people interact with each other; who takes charge, who is a follower, and who is disinterested. These can be indicators of the future of someone’s longevity with your organization.

After everyone was recovered from their escape room and it was determined that no person was left behind, it was back to the white board and the meeting carried on. If I was asked to do another team-building-type of event, I would definitely consider these boxed escape rooms again.

Have you tried a tabletop game for a group and liked it? Leave it here in the comments or shoot me an email!

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Thames & Kosmos. EXIT: The Game