Numerous studies show that investing in business events brings huge benefits. Everything from team away days, when done right, adds to the bottom line. For example, talent management expert Kenexa found that 50% of improvements in communication between team members relate to social interactions outside of the workplace.
But it’s not enough to simply book the swankiest venue near head office. To truly engage employees, the away day has to entertain as well as educate. It needs to be hosted in an environment where people can have fun. This helps them to let their guard down a bit, engage with colleagues on a different level and really get to know them. Only then does the long-term bond form and the communication channels really open up.
Increasingly companies are realising that Edinburgh ticks all of the boxes, when it comes to team building venues here’s why.
Plenty of choice
When it comes to choice you can’t beat Edinburgh venues, the city offers everything from huge conference venues to snug pub rooms. It does not matter whether a company is hosting several hundred or a dozen employees, they will find a venue with the right capacity.
A diverse range of activities
Edinburgh offers the chance to engage in literally hundreds of different activities. Here is just a taste –
- Mini golf and bowling at Fountain Park
- Flight Club darts in the St James Quarter
- Axe Throwing at Game of Throwing
- Team building cookery classes at Edinburgh New Town
- Escape rooms – 10 at the last count including the magic themed Department of Magic
- Canal cycling and kayaking at Bridge 8 Hub
- Pub Olympics
- Ghost and food tours
- A smartphone scavenger or treasure hunt
- Hiking up Arthur’s Seat
- Chocolate making
- A summer party at one of the city’s rooftop bars or parks
The city and nearby locations also offer fantastic sports facilities, paintball, archery, tree adventures (Go Ape) and much more.
Specific team building venues
The city is also home to innovative team building providers that offer a range of task-based team building activities. Examples include Chain Reaction, Stop the Clocks and Challenge 100.
Plenty of history and culture to explore
To say Edinburgh has an eclectic culture is an understatement. It really does offer something for everyone and enjoying it with work colleagues is a great way to build strong connections between team members.
There are lots of ways to do this, including :
- Team treasure hunt at the National Museum of Scotland or Edinburgh Castle
- Private tours of Edinburgh Castle, Greyfriars Kirkyard, Grassmarket and more
- Team building at Edinburgh Zoo
- Dundas Castle and Winton Castle are both available for private hire
Time spent learning together and experiencing these special venues is the ideal way to create unforgettable memories.
A highly developed food scene
In January 2025, The Good Food Guide announced that Edinburgh was the winner of the “Most Exciting Food Destination Award”. While restaurants have closed in many of the UK’s other cities, Edinburgh has bucked the trend with a series of high-quality new openings, during 2024. Importantly, all tastes and dietary needs are catered for and eating out in the city need not be crazy expensive. For example, there is a thriving street food sector.
The chance to dance
Edinburgh has a global reputation for being a great place to party. For teams, dance parties are perfect for having fun while working together as a team to perfect the moves. In the evenings, clubs like Sneaky Pete’s and Cabaret Voltaire offer the chance for a memorable night out.
Almost year-round special events
The fact that there is always something special happening in the city is another reason so many firms opt to host their team building events there. Barely a month goes by without a festival and in August there are 6 internationally renowned events to enjoy. Not to mention the Fringe, and Christmas events that run from November right through to January and Hogmanay.
At the moment, company team building events only represent a small percentage of the city’s annual visitors. But, as word spreads, this is changing with companies taking advantage of the city’s great transport links and huge choice of accommodation to turn away days into team building weeks.
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