It’s no wonder that Jackson, WY has become one of the most popular team building destinations in the US, offering world-class accommodations, dining, and shopping nestled amidst scenic mountains and a largely undisturbed wilderness teeming with wildlife.
Jackson Hole offers many options for team building activities, and in this article we are going to highlight the unique benefits of the Amazing Race Adventure, and why we think it’s the best team building option for most groups visiting Jackson Hole.
Why should you listen to us?
Our Experience
Grand Dynamics has been based in Jackson Hole since 1998, and we have delivered highly impactful events for clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies like Google and Delta to Small to Medium Sized Enterprises. We have facilitated hundreds of executive groups, large and small, through experiences ranging from professionally facilitated indoor team building activities to outdoor adventures including rock climbing, canyoneering, off road excursions, cold plunging, fire walking, whitewater rafting and a wide variety of team expeditions. This work is our passion, and we will stop at nothing to be the best in our field.
Grand Dynamics delivered an OUTSTANDING and memorable program that my attendees are still raving about. It was a customized program, and we were able to enjoy the highlights of the area, take lots of pictures, and get fired up with a little friendly competition. Some on my team said it was the best activity they have ever done!
MARGUERITA WILLETT| GENENTECH
The key elements of a successful team-building experience
Before jumping into the Amazing Race Adventure, let’s look at what makes for a great team building event, based on our 25+ years of experience.
Keep it fun, engaging, and informative
Everyone should walk away from a team-building event having learned something, but that won’t happen unless you make learning fun and engaging. Forget boring, one-sided lectures and bullet-point slides. Embrace activities that encourage everyone to get involved and contribute.
Adults also love to be challenged, solve problems, and break up the routine. Along the way, they’ll learn to depend on each other and take charge when necessary, and have fun during the process!
Don’t be afraid of a little competition
The right amount of competitiveness can inspire team members to come together and make amazing things happen. Creating a friendly rivalry encourages team members to push their limits and work hard to achieve a common goal. In fact, if we look at the Latin origin of the word compete, the meaning is to strive together!
Foster collaboration and communication
Every team needs open communication and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Team-building activities should stimulate collective problem-solving, idea-sharing, and active listening. Avoid activities that allow most participants to follow the lead of one or two people passively. Look for activities that require joint decision-making and effectively exchanging information.
Inclusivity
No one should feel left out. Make sure everyone can participate, regardless of age, physical ability, or experience. Plan a variety of activities and divide your team into diverse groups of people. By creating an inclusive experience, you create an environment where each team member feels a sense of belonging and learns to respect people with different qualities.
Make memories that last
Ensure you allow time for team members to bond spontaneously, enjoy candid conversations, and show new sides of themselves. Encourage them to celebrate each other’s achievements and remind them that they can overcome challenges together. The beauty of a spectacular team building experience is that it creates lasting memories and impact that will be felt long after the event ends. You can also create physical reminders of these experiences through photos, videos and mementos.
Professional Facilitation
The effectiveness of the team building activity you choose is largely based on how it is facilitated. A great facilitator will ensure that the activities are appropriate for your team and goals, frame the experiences so participants go into them with the right mindset, facilitate the event to ensure its safety and effectiveness, and conduct a debrief so people can apply the lessons to their daily lives. This is no easy task and is a profession unto itself.
Unlike many leadership and team building companies, the founders and staff of Grand Dynamics are professionally educated in the field of Applied Business Psychology and Experiential Learning. Our training and experience allow us to offer clients a combination of business savvy, adventure experiences and leadership lessons that inspire and get bottom line results long after the completion of our events.
What is the Amazing Race Adventure?
The Amazing Race Adventure is a thrilling 1 – 3 hour competitive team building event. In small teams, participants locate race checkpoints, solve intricate team challenges and then travel to the next checkpoint to rack up points. The team with the highest score at the end of the race wins!
It mirrors workplace scenarios where strategic thinking, time management, and effective delegation are paramount. This race strengthens team cohesion, strategic planning and execution skills.
The Amazing Race keeps everyone active with the perfect blend of fun, competition, and team-building strategy. It’s great for small and large groups alike, anywhere from 10 to 500 people.
So What Makes The Jackson Hole Amazing Race Adventure So Special?
The Amazing Race Adventure ticks all the boxes for an ideal team building event.
- Fun and Educational – It’s fun, exciting and actually fosters important lessons in team communication and leadership.
- Competitive and Collaborative – It has elements of heart-pounding competition between teams and team-bonding collaboration within teams.
- Inclusive – Anyone can participate in the event regardless of physical ability, age or experience.
- Memorable – Besides having an unforgettable experience, groups walk away with an inspiring and fun video comprised of participant submissions that they can take home and watch long after the completion of the event. Some companies also choose to use the video in their marketing or leadership training materials.
- Professionally facilitated – The event is facilitated by team building professionals who kick off, monitor and close out the experience ensuring that everything goes off without a hitch, and that participants return home with key lessons learned.
I liked that the activities were challenging, thought provoking, and required communication and teamwork in an outdoor active setting.
NUVASIVE EVENT PARTICIPANT
How does the Jackson Hole Amazing Race work?
- Your entire team is divided into groups of 2-6 people.
- Using our custom smartphone app, each team hunts around town to find checkpoints and complete challenges. Some challenges are done at specific places, while others are completed “on the go.”
- Teams arrive at hosted checkpoints where our staff provide creative and fun “live” checkpoint challenges.
- Using the app, teams submit challenge solutions via text, photo, or video, and each challenge is worth a certain number of points.
- Teams can track each other’s progress and see who’s winning by checking out a live stream of submissions and the leaderboard.
- Our team monitors all submissions for point scoring.
- Everyone comes together at the closing ceremonies to watch a video recap of the event, swap stories, discuss lessons learned and celebrate the winners!
Check out highlights from past races here:
Extra Bonuses:
A Local Insider’s View
The Amazing Race Adventure takes you and your team to places you wouldn’t find on your own – historic landmarks, iconic locations and secret spots that give you the insider’s view of Jackson. See what downtown has to offer and experience the local culture. Find out about local hot spots that most visitors never see.
Highly Customizable
Customize your race with specially chosen locations or activities (Gondola ride anyone?). We can even incorporate corporate messages and event themes into the event to highlight your key business objectives. Specialty activities like the Amazing Maze, Alpine Slide, and Tomahawk Toss can also be incorporated. You can even do the Amazing Race on bikes. Choose the “Around the Hole” course to visit locations outside downtown Jackson (accessible via SUV, van, or small bus).
Budget Friendly
The Amazing Race Adventure is a great value for teams, and can be designed to accommodate various budgets. Typical event prices per person ranges from $150 to $500 per person, depending on the final design of your “Amazing” experience.
Flexible start and end points
Don’t worry about coordinating your team to start the race. We’ll come to you! The event can start and finish at your hotel or a local park downtown.
Epic Closing Ceremonies
We’ll coordinate the closing ceremony at a convenient location with prizes, food, beverages, and lots of fun! We can even have the edited event video ready to show at the closing ceremonies within an hour after the event completion! And the winner is….
Is the Amazing Race right for my team?
The Amazing Race Adventure is right for your team if you want to:
- have a fun and thrilling experience that will actually help your team perform better
- create a positive and unforgettable experience for your team
- incorporate elements of competition and collaboration
- be inclusive of everyone on your team regardless of physical ability, age and experience.
- ensure your event is safe and effective by having professional facilitation
- customize the event to support your company messages and meeting themes
Past teams have loved the experience, and we are confident that your team will, too. Your next adventure awaits!
ARNO ILGNER
ASHLEY CHAPMAN
