Team building is a great way to create deep bonds within the workplace. Whether employer or employee-run, planning events can be both fun and stressful. Figuring out new ways to connect is exciting, but organizing them might be a different story. Additionally, you want to ensure that most people are going to enjoy the event.

How can you create a team-building activity your coworkers will love? Here are seven tips for organizing a group outing employees can be excited about attending.

1. Start as Early as Possible

Giving yourself lots of time to plan your event will set you up for success. You can get a group together to brainstorm ideas. Spend a few meetings coming up with the logistics for each plan. Then, poll them with everyone to see which activities sparked the most interest.

The whole planning process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months. While it might be long, remember that these activities are incredibly beneficial for employees. Team building allows coworkers to create better relationships and feel happier at work.

2. Specify the Event or Activity

As you’re in the planning stages, get more specific about who you’re inviting and where you’re going. Also, ask yourself what the event is for. Are you trying to encourage more connections in the office? Is this a reward trip for a team that met a goal? Once you and your committee have outlined these specifics, you’ll have an easier time choosing activities.

If you’re interested in traveling, you may want to consider locations with activity spaces and accommodations for your team members. Combining these will save you on additional logistics planning. You can all stay and play in one place, making your bonding time run smoothly.

3. Build a Budget

Budgeting will help you focus on what kinds of team-building activities are feasible for your workplace. You might need to adjust certain rentals or trips to stay within your company’s available spending. Finding creative ways to work within a budget can be some extra fun. Perhaps you ask your coworkers to bring in their favorite comfort food for a winter party or find some extra money to use on the event. 

However it works out, creating a budget is great for knowing how to plan. If you’re the employer planning the event, you may already know how much you’d like to pay. When you ask fellow employees to create the activity, make sure they know what kinds of caps you’d like to place on spending.

4. Plan for Themes

One fun idea is to create a theme for the activity. Creating a dress code or deciding what kinds of food and drink you’ll provide gives the event extra excitement. For instance, if you’re planning a spring party, centering your ideas around decorations and activities will help wow your coworkers. Try to make the theme a fun idea and allow attendees to dress up or participate to their comfort level.

5. Find a Time and Date

Once you have an idea of what you’d like to do, start looking at possible days for the team-building event. Whether you choose to travel or stay local, find out when the most people can attend. Try to plan around that and let them know of any specific accommodation or flight plans. For indoor or outdoor company parties, simply choose a time when people can come to enjoy the festivities.

6. Ask Who’s Going

As you’re narrowing in on getting everything together, create a definite list of who will be attending. Decide if you want the event to be mandatory or can people choose if they want to go? What kind of accommodations will be necessary for employees with disabilities? Does the venue you’re choosing require a certain amount of people? Figure these things out ahead of time to keep the organization process flowing.

If you need a certain amount of people for an event, start asking around early and encourage sign-ups. If a place offers group discounts for entry, promote the reduced cost to your team. Concrete numbers might interest more people to attend.

7. Create Reservations

Now that you’ve got a plan, it’s time to start making everything official. If there’s any equipment you need to rent or catering to purchase, you can begin making those bookings. For those traveling, it may be best to wait to reserve hotel rooms in this case. 

While buying plane tickets in advance can help bring down prices, experts say booking hotels closer to the check-in date can lower costs. If you have a big group, you may not want to wait long, but a little patience can go a long way.

Improve Your Next Team-Building Activity

The biggest thing that will upgrade your next team event is solid organization. When you start early, you have the opportunity to create an effective activity all your coworkers will love. By planning with their interests and time in mind, you can help them bond inside and outside the workplace.