Formats chosen for the weather they survive
The activity that looks best in a proposal is usually the one most likely to be cancelled. Building a programme around the reliable formats and treating the water-dependent ones as upside is the difference between a good day and an improvised one.
Formats by weather dependency
| Format | Destinations | Weather dependency | Group size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor challenge or workshop | All three | None | Any |
| Cooking challenge | All three | None | Up to about 60 per kitchen |
| Amazing race, city | Da Nang, Hoi An | Low | Up to about 150 |
| CSR build or community project | Da Nang, Phu Quoc | Low | Up to about 100 |
| Beach games | Phu Quoc, Da Nang | Medium | Up to about 200 |
| Boat or kayak programme | Phu Quoc, Ha Long Bay | High | Varies by vessel |
| Water sports | Phu Quoc | High | Up to about 80 |
Put a weather-independent format in the slot that carries the programme and a water format in the slot that does not. The common mistake is the reverse — kayaking as the centrepiece, an indoor game as filler — and then losing the centrepiece to a forecast.
Assigned teams, and why we insist
Self-selected teams reproduce the org chart, the existing friendships and the existing silos. That is the opposite of what the exercise is for, and it is the most common reason a well-run activity produces no result.
- Send the client's department and seniority list and let the operator mix it.
- Mix across function and across level, not only across department.
- Do not let captains be chosen by acclaim — it selects for confidence, which most teams already have enough of.
- Avoid formats that publicly rank individuals inside an incentive programme that has already rewarded the top performers.
Ratios and safety
| Element | Standard | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Facilitator | 1 per 25 participants for scored formats | Plus scorers above 60 participants |
| Guide | 1 per 28 guests | Programme-wide, not activity-specific |
| Coordinator | 1 per group, or 1 per vessel on the bay | On the water the ratio is per hull, not per head |
| Medic | From 100 participants | On site for the activity block |
| Water safety | Dedicated safety boat | Not the programme's own tender doing two jobs |
| Life jackets | Mandatory, all participants | Regardless of stated swimming ability |
Suspension decisions belong to the operator's coordinator, on conditions rather than on schedule. A client cannot override them and neither can a sales team. Worth telling your client in advance so a cancelled water session is not read as a service failure.
Questions partners ask most
How much activity fits in a programme?
Two usable blocks in a typical three-day programme, and the second is often short. Agendas routinely assume four. If team building is the primary purpose rather than one element, a dedicated venue near a city will deliver more for less.
Can non-swimmers take part in water formats?
Yes, with mandatory life jackets and paired equipment so nobody is alone. Supply the numbers at brief stage rather than at the beach.
Do you provide the facilitator?
Yes, bilingual, and scorers above 60 participants. The facilitator and the coordinator are separate roles and we do not merge them — an activity that runs but does not land is usually the result of merging them.
What is the substitution process?
Every outdoor element has a written substitute in the programme document your client receives before travel. When conditions rule the primary out, the substitute runs. Nobody improvises on the day.
Where to go next
Four fields and you can send
Send the outline and we will come back within eight working hours with feasibility — whether the dates hold at that headcount and what constrains them — and a detailed net quote within three working days.