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Team-building activities get exciting as companies send their staff for things such as bloop soccer or art jamming sessionsLast June, Ms Wapi Saidi jetted off to a private island in Vietnam with her colleagues.迷你倉There, on the idyllic island off the country's south-central coast, near the city of Nha Trang, they paddled on boats, played camp games and held dance-offs.It was work, though: Ms Wapi, a senior business manager at printing firm Asiawide Print Holdings, and her co-workers were on their annual team- building exercise.Forget generic icebreakers and trust circles in air-conditioned conference rooms. Companies these days are finding more fun and adventurous ways for employees to bond - sometimes spending up to $2,000 a person on some corporate retreats.In Vietnam, Ms Wapi, 40, fretted over whether she could complete the intense games at first. "I thought they were more suited for my daughter, who is 18," she recalls.However, it worked out in the end: younger co-workers did the "running and legwork" during games, while older colleagues prepared games and talked strategy. The three-day trip, fully paid by the firm for 50 employees, bridges the age gap between workers, says the company's chief business officer Terrence Hong, 33.The firm's employees are aged between 18 and 60, and differences in seniority can create "tension" at work, he says.Transplant these cubicle rats to the beach and their "office masks" come off, he says. "Everyone becomes more human when we have fun away from home and work."Little things matter too: Casual chats on the airplane and ferry ride to the island, as well as after dinner, drew co-workers closer.The flights, accommodation and programme on the island cost between $1,000 and $2,000 for each employee. It was well worth the investment, says Mr Hong, who believes that happy workers translate into better customer service.Sports team-building company Playlor!, which arranged the trip, started organising trips to the private island in December 2012. Two companies - Mr Hong's Asiawide and gaming firm Wargaming.net - have engaged their services so far, sending about 50 employees each time.Other companies, too, are pumping in resources for their employees to bond in unique ways. Standard Chartered bank organised a cycling trip through Cambodia, Thailand and Laos for 22 employees last October to raise funds for charity.On home turf, other companies send their employees to bond over "bloop" soccer - a variation of football in which players are strapped into giant inflatable balls, mix cocktails together or get their hands dirty at horticulture workshops.Software product company Solutions Lab and beauty company Estee Lauder have sent employees to art-jamming sessions, where co-workers do freestyle painting by turning blank canvas to art. Others prefer to tap their inner film maestro with a movie- making session. These activities are usually held once a year outside the office.Bonding activities may address cracks in the organisation because they are done in a fun and indirect manner, says Mr Josh Goh, 39, assistant director of corporate services at human resource firm The GMP Group."Instead of a high-handed preachy tone, casual activities with an important message go down better with employees and allow them to embrace the lessons," he explains. This complements other training and development activities back in the office, he says, helping to strengthen corporate culture and build camaraderie among staff.However, the company must set out with clear objectives, such as reinforcing the company's vision or inculcating a team culture, so that the activity's effectiveness can be judged. He adds: "Otherwise, it becomes just another social event which has limited impact."Life!Weekend checks out the array of corporate team-building activities available here.keziatoh@sph.com.sgSECRET ISLAND CHALLENGECall it Survivor-meets-The Apprentice: Team Building Edition.After a three-hour flight and hour-long ferry ride, you are dropped off on a private island.For three days on a private island near Nha Trang in Vietnam, you do battle with co-workers, using your wits and teamwork in tasks such as building rafts out of bamboo poles and racing through obstacle courses to locate the key that opens a mystery box.Instead of a televised reality show, the whole shebang is a corporate bonding exercise.An unfamiliar location outside of people's comfort zones forces them to work more closely with one another, says Mr Felix Sim, 30, founder of sports team-building firm Playlor! which organises these events."Our challenges are also designed to be highly competitive, which in turn encourages participation," he says.Since the programme launched in December 2012, two companies - Asiawide Print Holdings and Wargaming.net - have signed up. The package, which includes accommodation and flights, costs about $1,000 to $2,000 for each participant.Asiawide Print Holdings, which does a large-scale team-building event like this once every two years, says paying for its employees was money well-spent."After all, we spend more than 12 hours in the office a day, so we might as well make the atmosphere more comfortable for everyone," says chief business officer Terrence Hong, 33.This "corporate kinship" that develops also heightens morale, he says.It is not just fun and games, however. Each game is followed by a debrief, which outlines the objective of the game.Says Mr Hong: "Because it is team building and not an orientation camp, we still have to put in an educational message. For example, if a raft breaks, everyone in the company is affected and has to work to rebuild."PLAYLOR! ISLAND OUTCASTThis indoor and outdoor sports team-building firm has conducted sessions for companies in activities such as frisbee and handball. Their Island Outcast programme takes about 50 co-workers to the private island for a 3D2N retreat.Cost: About $1,000 to $2,000 a personInfo: E-mail enquiries@playlor.com or go to .playlor.comLIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTIONThe famous hammer of Norse god Thor was hastily assembled with crushed paper and sticky tape, while pieces of large cloth became makeshift capes.This was the set of The Avengers (2012), but not quite, recalls Ms Joline Lim, 28, head of marketing and public relations at the Screening Room in Ann Siang Road.There, co-workers can attend movie-making workshops to tap their inner Spielberg: learning to plan, rehearse and act out three- to five-minute sequences which are video-taped, edited and screened.A bizarre array of props are available, and it is up to you as to how you would like to use a fedora hat, wizard's wand or a feather boa, for example.The team-building classes started in 2007, with up to 30 people each session, conducted once a month. The companies that have participated have declined to be named.Sessions last between four and six hours, depending on the group's size. A minimum of 12 participants is required.Participants can choose to pen their own scripts or choose a movie they would like to re-enact.Co-workers bond after they have accomplished a seemingly impossible task such as movie-making by working as a team, says Ms Lim."The critical element is integrating factors such as having a common goal, working with limited resources and celebrating it with a great final product which they get to keep as a DVD memento," she says.MOVIE MAKING AT THE SCREENING ROOMHoused in a renovated shophouse in Ann Siang Road, the Screening Room shows films of all genres.Where: 12 Ann Siang RoadCost: From $240 a person. Final fees are subject to client requirementsInfo: Call 6532-3357 or go to .screeningroom.com.sgDOING GOOD OVERSEASFor seven days last October, 22 employees from Standard Chartered Bank cycled through Cambodia, Thailand and Laos.The goal of the 815km trip: corporate team- building, and to raise money for charity, pledged by family, friends and colleagues.Along the way, the team also stopped at local villages to build schools and teach English, computer skills and financial literacy.The US$102,000 (S$129,245) raised went to projects to end avoidable blindness in people in developing countries, which include early treatment for blindness caused by infection in children and a technology programme to develop expertise in eye care.The physically demanding team-building experience was "truly an amazing adventure", says Mr Aki Ismasufian, 39, head of corporate strategic initiatives at Standard Chartered Bank Brunei. The trip was paid for by the bank, although it declines to say how much it spent.He says: "I'm not only proud of completing the ride, but also that we managed to raise funds. Overall, it was an experience of a lifetime and something I will remember for a long time."The trip was organised by social enterprise Gone Adventurin', which has held four such trips since it started in 2010. Doing good overseas makes employees "brand ambassadors", says Gone Adventurin's co-founder Ashwin Subramaniam, 26.He says: "We always discover inspiring stories when co-workers come together and immerse themselves in a social or environmental charity through adventures. These experiences become a wonderful sourmini storagee of camaraderie and lifelong bonds."GONE ADVENTURIN'This social enterprise designs immersion experiences based on adventures to help brands create a movement with a social and environmental impact, such as the Seeing Is Believing campaign for Standard Chartered Bank.Cost: On request due to customised programmesInfo: Go to .goneadventurin.comA TEAM TIPPLELearn to shake up a "team cocktail" - a Tequila Sunrise, a Cosmopolitan or a Kamikaze - at this tippling club.Since drinking is such a popular social activity, it makes sense to teach co-workers to concoct cocktails together, says Ms Angela Sim, 36, of mobile bar business Drinkdings.The sessions can be held wherever clients desire, including at your workplace.She has been conducting the workshops since 2011, and has done about 50 for companies such as American Express and Accenture.Says Ms Sim: "The activity creates a shared purpose and gives people something to talk and laugh about for a long time."One Degree 15 Marina Club also started the cocktail workshops about three years ago, and has conducted more than 30 sessions at its Sentosa Cove venue last year.It is not dubbed the Cocktail Masters for nothing: Participants get housepours such as vodka, rum and gin; splosh them with mixers and garnishes such as mint leaves, black pepper or orange peel are used to create whatever they like.Corporate high-fliers will also have a chance to trump others outside of the boardroom: The course's instructors will judge their concoctions and select a winner.A One Degree 15 Marina Club spokesman says that companies these days are looking for more unique team-building activities.The cocktail-mixing workshops "encourage the team to take time out of the office and from their desks", he says, "to do something different and fun".Like at any regular party with a bar, participants are free to relax and try - at their own risk - one another's concoctions.ONE DEGREE 15 MARINA CLUB COCKTAIL MASTERSA competition for wannabe bartenders: Participants get a range of mixers, housepours and garnish to create their own concoction. The final product will be judged on taste, presentation and creativity.Where: 01-01, 11 Cove Drive, Sentosa CoveCost: About $50++ a person for 11/2 hours. Minimum of 15 peopleInfo: Call 6305-6990 or e-mail catering@one15marina.comDRINKDINGS COCKTAIL/MOCKTAIL WORKSHOPSThis mobile bar brings its tipples to you, with non-alcoholic versions of its workshops available.Cost: About $60 a person for about two hours. Minimum of 10 participantsInfo: Call 6284-4727 or go to .drinkdings.comBLOOP SOCCERGrown men and women encased in giant inflatable zovb balls, bumping and shoving against each other in a clumsy attempt at soccer.Welcome to a bloop soccer match, a riff on the beautiful game where clumsy missteps and self-deprecating laughter prevail.The game combines the "layman sport" of soccer with the cushioning of a zovb ball, which means a lower risk of injury for players, says Mr Tony Loo, 31, manager of The Wow Experience, which runs sports team-building programmes.It started bloop soccer in December 2012, an idea inspired by watching people sumo-wrestle in a zovb ball.In bloop soccer, the zovb ball is smaller compared to the conventional one used to tumble down a slope: It measures about 1.5m in height, leaving your head, arms, ankles and feet free.It takes a minimum of 10 co-workers to play, with a maximum of 40 people. Like the real thing, players can be rotated, and an hour-long session is divided into first and second halves.At least four corporate groups sign up for bloop soccer in a month, says Mr Loo. The games are played at venues such as Kovan Sports Centre."Because it looks slightly comical and cushions your fall, it draws people who might not usually warm to the idea of a sporty team-building programme," he says.THE WOW EXPERIENCEA sports company which also runs team-building programmes for corporate types. Bloop soccer is its newest offering, but it also conducts activities such as laser tag and high and low elements courses.Where: Kovan Sports Centre, 60 Hougang Street 21Cost: $48 a person an hourInfo: Call 6779-1031 or go to .wowexperience.sgFREESTYLE PAINTINGJust paint whatever you like, as much as you want, that is the objective of an art jam.While "jamming" denotes jazz musicians playing informally together (or garage bands creating a cacophony), art jams involve amateur artists experimenting in a relaxed atmosphere. So what if that giraffe you painted looks like a diseased tree?The beginnings of art jamming can be traced to Hong Kong in 2000. Hong Kong company Meli-Melo Limited lays claim to creating the social painting experience on March 4, 2000, as a way to combine art with networking. Today, it operates art jamming venues in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui.Corporate types are taking notice: Art entrepreneur Teh Chan Kerk, 44, who goes by the moniker Chankerk, has been running team-building workshops since 2008. He currently runs My Art Space in Istana Park.Since then, the studio has done about 300 events with companies such as Estee Lauder, Singapore Polytechnic and Solutions Lab.About 30 people attend each session. They sit in front of blank canvases while soothing music plays. Tips on tools, materials and paint application are doled out, and after that, it is up to you, says Mr Teh.He says: "It is the perfect fusion of relaxing music and carefree therapeutic painting that inspires everyone to unleash their creativity."Bringing co-workers out of the office also gives them a chance to think out of the box, says Mr Teh.A theme can be assigned by the company if it wishes - "happiness", "dreamland" and even "my best office" are some of the themes in the past. Groups of co-workers can also work jointly on a painting. A peer review session follows, where participants talk about their artwork and painting experience.Taking her team of 22 IT executives to an art session two weeks ago was a "unique experience", says Ms Cher Lee Fung, 43, a manager at software product company Solutions Lab.They painted in groups according to themes, such as "excitement", which yielded a piece showing a young man on a rollercoaster ride; and "bonding" (a painting of a heart and the entire team's fingerprints).The company spent about $1,900 in total.Says Ms Cher: "Our guys are quite technical and seldom chat at work, so it is nice to expose them to something so out of sync as art, and see everyone bond."MY ART SPACEManaged by professional artists, this studio set amid the flora and fauna of Istana Park runs art workshops, art appreciation programmes and tours.Where: Istana Park, 31 Orchard RoadCost: From $45 a personInfo: Call 6222-1662 or go to .myartspace.com.sgBONDING AMID GREENERYThe mission: Pot a plant in the quickest time. The catch: You need to bid for materials such as scissors and soil to complete the task and beat the other teams.More often than not, a bidding war erupts in this corporate team-building exercise.Two weeks ago, 21 sales, customer service and logistics employees from LSH Industrial Solutions participated in this activity at Gardenasia. The 12-year-old venue, set within a Kranji nursery, also runs a bistro and eco-workshops.Says LSH's general manager Tammy Lee, 43: "It really pushes us to be more vocal and loosen up with one another; and today, the potted plant sits proudly in our office." (Spoiler: Teams of co-workers eventually figure out that they can complete the challenge faster by sharing the items they need.)Her company spent about $5,000 on the workshop.Other team activities include a numbers game where co-workers step on cards in a sequential manner, and a task to transport as much water as they can, using their wiles and a pipe dotted with holes.Employees, particularly those in less creative industries, seldom "think out of the box", she says, so such activities help to encourage them to do so.Gardenasia started conducting nature-based team-building workshops in 2009, based on feedback that companies were seeking eco-themed activities to foster camaraderie, says its director Kenny Eng, 39.It was a good way to stand out from other team-building operators, and is timely as more businesses are becoming eco-conscious, he says.So far, it has conducted more than 10 of its programmes at their Kranji venue for companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Changi General Hospital and Temasek Primary. Each programme is customised for the client, but follows the rubric of a warm up, a main programme, then a debrief to discuss the learning points of each activity.Apart from its fun element, the programme also shows the bosses who to take note of, says Ms Lee.She explains: "Even though it is a fun activity, it takes a different type of employee to step up and say 'something is wrong here' and lead his group, so it is a chance for employees to step up and get noticed."GARDENASIAOpened in 2001 in a Kranji nursery, Gardenasia runs team-building workshops, in addition to terrarium, soap-making and fruit enzyme-making classes.Where: 240 Neo Tiew CrescentCost: From $65 a person, for about four hours. No minimum group numberInfo: Call 6898-9111 or go to .gardenasia.comself storage