Use (Don't Abuse) Technology

I'm not sure if I am in the minority by saying this but I have noticed that some of the people in my life have developed an unnatural attachment to technology.  They're emailing and texting while they're driving, they consume more Facebook content than soak in their surroundings, and the mobile phone has become the window into the world outside of them.  They seem to be missing out on the natural connections that, in my opinion, fuel our humanity.

Please don't misunderstand me.  What I'm saying is not that technology doesn't have a very large role in the evolution of our culture (obviously, it does) but rather that it wasn't intended to replace vital interpersonal interactions.  It was meant to augment those relationships.  Many people are no longer picking up the phone for a quick conversation but rather texting.  ATM's are replacing the friendly faces of tellers.  And libraries have become archaic only to be replaced by the leviathan we know as Google.

Flash Mob Team Building

Are you looking for a new creative way to engage your team?

We have just the thing.  Charlotte Arrangements has taken “Flash” mob to a whole new level.  You have 3 options to involve your team in activities designed to bring them together.

#1 Flash Picnic

Your office may seem like an unusual place for a picnic, but we think it’s the perfect place to rally the team.  Waiters and waitresses in uniform will swarm your office with delectable mocktails and invite employees out of their cubicles to a central dining location decorated and ready for their arrival.  Upbeat music will highlight the delicious fare and employees will feel appreciated and valued as they eat and share time together.


#2 Flash Dance Teams

At a location of your choosing, your group will be divided into teams that they will name.  A choreographer song to will be assigned to each team so that they can learn a routine.  After a little practice time each team will perform for pre-assigned judges and awards will be presented.  You can add video services and Youtube uploads for residual impact.

#3 Flash Party

Bring your group to a meeting where we set the expectation that they will be watching a Powerpoint presentation just like the ones they've seen before. Once everyone is seated, the room will be transformed before their eyes into an elegant soiree or sports bar.  We will interrupt the meeting with large scenery moving into the space, food displays, decorations, and fun activities transforming the room into a good time.

Why Team Building?

Reinforce your corporate culture by providing your employees with an outlet for socializing.  Company culture comes from the top and can thrive when it is supported by activities built around engaging the team on a social level.  Nothing speaks team work more than running the 3 legged race with the boss, or watching the VP of sales get drenched in the water balloon toss.

The investment to create a memorable experience for your team and to bring them together in a way that improves communication among the ranks could be the difference between a motivated group of individuals striving for the same goal and a group of individuals seeking self gratification.  How many opportunities do the players on your team get to communicate offline in a safe environment?

What do you think the difference would be if they had this opportunity?

Other Picnic Ideas we can do for you:

• Boat Cruises
• Theme Park Picnics
• Outdoor Venues
• Gourmet Cooking Competitions
• Carnivals built on-site
• Old Fashioned picnic with games

Unique Marketing - POW!

Working among a throng of right-brain professionals, I often find myself saturated with unique and creative ways to sell our business. One such idea that was sparked several weeks ago was meant more as an internal exercise than external marketing material. During one of our weekly staff meetings, a few jokes were made about one of my colleagues who is known for the occasional inappropriate quip. He later earned the nickname: "HR Man." Realizing the diversity in the room, our business manager tasked us with individually brainstorming on super hero style nicknames for everybody at our office. A few weeks later, we'd vote on them and everybody would have a new persona.

We eventually did finalize our nicknames and I walked away with "Binary Man." I received this name because of my expertise in technology. A few other names: "Zippy" for our facility manager whose creativity with the uses of zip-ties and gaff tape has saved many of days, "Longshot" who is often tasked with the most impossible sales calls, "The Phantom" for the young woman who took a job elsewhere for several months and then returned, and "Cruncher" for the accountant. Having completed our task, most of us moved on and never thought of the names again.

Team Building

As the weather transitions from the dreary, cold winter to the warm, sunny spring and summer seasons, staff members crave a chance to step away from their cubicles, phones, and computers. Grant their requests by scheduling a day to conduct a team building activity.  Here are some the trendiest outdoor programs that are sure to please even the grumpiest co-worker:

Pontoon Photo Pursuit:  This unique team building experience will add fun and excitement to any corporate meeting. Guests will divide into teams and trek on a timed photo journey around a lake. They may be asked to snap a shot of a waterfront restaurant, a specific mile marker or just of themselves having fun on the water.  Once time is up, the team with the most challenges documented on the camera will earn bragging rights!

Geoteaming:  Explorers are equipped with GPS receivers to track and pinpoint hidden checkpoints.  Splitting into small teams, participants decode visual and written clues to move along with the GPS system that will lead them to the treasure known as a “cache”. This game of high-tech hide and seek will test communication skills, build trust, and sharpen their competitive edge.

Float Your Boat:  Guests are not just boarding a boat, they are building one…with just cardboard and duct tape!  With no choice but to think outside of the box, participants must put their heads together and figure out a way to stay afloat utilizing these classic non-waterproof materials.  Once they think they can manage a successful trip across the water, teams will race against each other in their boats with only the safety net of a paddle and life jackets.

Retro Recess:  Miss gym class and being picked to play on a dodgeball team?  Well here is your chance to rediscover everyone’s favorite school activity…recess!  Take a trip through childhood lane by playing dodgeball, four square, kickball, red rover, and flag football.

Don’t forget that these activities will encourage hearty appetites, so treat them to a rewarding meal afterwards, such as:  a picnic, outdoor seating at a well-known restaurant, or keep the teambuilding momentum going and supply the teams with the ingredients to create their own ice cream flavor!  The possibilities are endless as will the direction of your product/service once you get them away from their dark and drab desks and inspire them to have a renewed work spirit!

After the Storm

A few days have passed since our big event Friday.  The event was a garden party at Maya Angelou's house for a school in Africa sponsored by Oprah Winfrey.  Oprah and several of the girls of the school were there to celebrate their accomplishments and absorb some of the wisdom offered by Dr. Angelou herself.

To be honest, I had left the event well before the festivities truly began.  Normally, I would feel disappointed in being absent to such a wonderful party adorned with African traditions, music, and activities.  However, deep in my realm of exhaustion, I was quite satisfied for some R&R away from the set.  After hanging pipe and drapes for the first time in my life, some guests trickled in and we, the crew, knew our time had come to a close.  Polishing off a few final pieces, we clambered towards our modes of retreat and sought the refuge of our hotel.

Behind The Scenes

I joined the Clarke Allen Group at the beginning of the year and have made a role for myself in the company as a jack-of-all-trades (perhaps master of none but I like to think I am).  Throughout most weeks, I find my daily responsibilities ranging from IT troubleshooting, website design, a bit of graphics, occasionally taking out the trash, and most recently, video production.

Strangely, video production is one of my strongest talents, being as I spent several years in television news and film making.  It's not common for a company like the Clarke Allen Group, which is usually associated with event and experiential design, to employ a videographer.  This, however, is possible through a division of the company with whom I do the most work, Creatrix Design.

Briefly, Creatrix Design is a segment of the whole, the whole being the Clarke Allen Group.  In the past, Creatrix specialized in temporary and permanent installations.  Basically, we designed and built anything ranging from trade-show booths to elaborate scenery for massive events.  Now, Creatrix is expanding its services beyond the physical environments and branching into the world of virtual.  This encompasses web presence, multimedia, graphic design, and believe it or not, video.  That's where I come in.

Riding Together

The crack of the first baseball bat rings in the spring along with many other wonderful sporting opportunities.  The Quail Hollow Championship is just around the corner, and the Sprint Cup races and legendary Coca-Cola 600 are next month.  It's an exciting time and these events allow businesses to network while enjoying the outdoors and the activities.  You can maximize the time you have to network by arranging to ride together, here are a few of the advantages of having everyone together in a van or on a motorcoach:

• Think back to those Sunday drives with the family where you shared car games and stories with each other.  It's hard to get uninterrupted time with family let alone clients, this could be your golden opportunity. 
• Riding together is a "Green" way to travel by combining people into one vehicle it reduces the carbon footprint.
• If the group plans to enjoy some intoxicating beverages you can rest easier knowing they won't be driving.
• Parking is a breeze because someone else will be doing the driving.

You can leave the driving to Charlotte Arrangements this year, we can arrange for any size vehicle to accommodate  your group, provide you with transportation coordination, or even an escort to handle the details of your day.  Time is precious and if you are entertaining clients at sporting events you will want to get the most out of the experience. 

www.charlottearrangements.com