As Covid-19 restrictions and guidelines begin to loosen, and the world starts to inch back towards “normal", many of us are looking forward to gathering again with coworkers, friends, and loved ones. But whether it’s a corporate outing or a casual celebration with friends, being the person in charge of planning the next big group activity can be extremely stressful. Lucky for you, the River Queen Voyages team is well-versed in facilitating group outings and team building activities and has picked up some tips that will help anyone take the stress out of planning any group outing.

Check out these 8 tips to make planning a big group event as easy as possible!

Build an Action Plan and Get Organized

Organization is the key to planning stress-free group activities. Building a long-term timeline and action plan will help you manage your time (because we know this isn’t the only project you have going on), set expectations, and make sure you stay on track with each element that needs to be tackled leading up to the event day. Use organizational resources like spreadsheets, calendars, and even free project management tools to make it easy to follow. If you are traveling, make sure to book your stay early so you can check that off your list. These tips from the lodging protocol can help you out with that! Once you have these key points and tools in place you can take a deep breath and really get started!

Create a Budget (and stick to it!)

Knowing what your spending limits are will make the planning process ten times easier. Is someone covering the whole bill, or will attendees be contributing? You may have a set budget coming from management, or perhaps you have friends who want to weigh in on what they can/can’t afford - either way, once you have the budget set you can really dig into planning, securing a location, identifying what your fun team building activity options are, etc. Read up on event budget basics to help you get started and look over this event budgeting template to start plugging in the numbers.

P.S. River Queen Voyages has options for almost any budget and group configuration. Browse through our group packages if you’re looking for an outdoor team building adventure in the heart of Nashville!

Gather a Team of Reliable People

Just because you are leading the charge does not mean you need to do it all on your own. Get a team together to define roles and help delegate parts of the planning process. Or if you already have an activity/venue/etc in mind, see if they have people or resources in-house that are there to help take a few things off of your plate! Take care to make sure you delegate effectively by choosing the right person for each task, set clear expectations, avoid micromanaging, and establish trust—otherwise you’ll just make more work for yourself!

Read Customer Reviews

Speaking of reliability, nothing will stress you out more than booking an outing with a company that you don’t trust. Reading customer reviews is sometimes so obvious that it gets overlooked—but it’s obvious because it’s SO IMPORTANT! By using free, bountiful resources like Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor you can find group activities and companies that have 4 or 5 star reviews from previous clients. Often, past clients have great tips and insights that can assist in your planning, and help ensure you’re going with the right activity and company to make your day the best it can be.

Talk through the Event Experience

The company or vendor you choose to spend your day with probably wants to make it as enjoyable as possible for your group as you do. Read the company’s FAQs and make sure you talk to them about what the experience is like so you are as prepared as possible. Be sure you know about things like weather and rescheduling policies, suggested dress codes, time allotment for the activity, etc.

For example, here at River Queen Voyages, we want to make your outdoor adventure planning fun and stress-free. To help, we have detailed FAQs, helpful blog posts, and can customize any group outing to fit your needs! Whether you want to hop on the Pedal Pontoon Party Boat to cruise through downtown Nashville or add on a fun team building Scavenger Hunt to your group kayaking adventure, it’s likely we can arrange something your whole group will love.

Have a Backup Plan

When planning a group outing, know that there are some things that are just out of your control. You could have a fun day in the sun planned only to face downpours on the big day. If possible, have an alternate day held with the company you are booking with and discuss back up ideas with your team to make sure nothing stands in the way.

Develop an Event Day Agenda

After months of planning - the big day is about to be here. The key to a stress-free event day is building a detailed agenda for your team to use as a day-of check list. If you have this set in stone the day-of will be a breeze and, as the organizer, this is the best way to make sure you get to enjoy yourself too! Don’t forget to talk to the company you book with to check on things like arrival times, shuttle timing, and tour lengths to make sure you don’t miss a beat. We recommend going the extra mile to do things such as linking locations to Google maps like we do in our blogs, and include info on where to park or direct your rideshare.

Take care of yourself!

Last but definitely not least, make sure to take time for yourself to decompress as you plan your group or corporate outing. Simple stress-relieving practices like unplugging for a day, exercising, and eating well will do wonders for your mental health.

Interested in booking your next group activity in Downtown Nashville with River Queen Voyages? Of course you are. Browse our group offerings and book online now, or give us a call/text or email so we can check this off of your list.