As we mark our 30th year in business, we’re kicking off a new blog series, celebrating the journey so far and everything that makes us, us.
We’re starting with one of the defining parts of our ‘Positively Different’ ethos: staying ahead of the curve.
It’s not just something we aspire to, but something that’s very much baked into the Team Tactics DNA. It’s why we’ve been able to navigate everything from the financial crash to the pandemic and come out the other side, still evolving. Here’s how it’s played out over the last three decades.
Jump to:
Moving away from a saturated market
Team Tactics began in the world of corporate hospitality, organising experiences at the likes of Ascot and the Chelsea Flower Show, where our then-FTSE100 portfolio entertained their clients.
But quickly, the market became crowded. Competitors employed large telesales teams with little real knowledge of the events themselves. It became volume-led, about putting ‘bums on seats’, rather than delivering something meaningful. At the same time, venues began selling directly, cutting out the middleman altogether.
It wasn’t sustainable, and more importantly, it wasn’t what we wanted to be known for. However, it did spark a change in direction that would define the next 30 years.
We shifted towards creating more interactive, memorable experiences – events that people actually engaged with, rather than simply attended. That move into more creative, experience-led events opened up a new direction for the business, and by 2004, we were delivering just as many staff events as client entertainment days.
A new kind of demand
A shift was already underway. Businesses were starting to think differently about their people. Employee engagement was no longer a ‘nice to have’ yielding ‘soft benefits’. It became a business priority with clear links to productivity, retention and performance.
Richard Branson’s philosophy, “if you take care of your employees, they’ll take care of your business,” was gaining traction.
We spotted this early, and began developing fun, memorable team building activities designed to bring people together and boost morale and connection.
The move away from corporate hospitality accelerated with the introduction of the Bribery Act 2010, which changed how businesses approached corporate entertaining altogether. But first, we had another significant hurdle to overcome.
Adapting under pressure
The financial crash hit, and the ensuing recession in 2008 changed the landscape drastically.
We witnessed a rippled effect of clients cancelling their events, even if they were already paid in full, because they simply couldn’t be seen to be spending in the middle of redundancies.
Budgets contracted significantly but the demand didn’t disappear entirely. Clients still wanted team activities, but at a much lower budget. We introduced a corporate cooking experience priced deliberately under £100 per person, providing something accessible, different, and perfectly timed for what the market needed.
At the time of launch, our only corporate cooking class competitor was Prue Leith! There was little else like it in the corporate space, and by getting there early, we were able to capture that demand before others caught on.
The pandemic pivot
We slowly built the business back up after the banking crisis and the period from 2014 was one of excitement, creativity with new event ideas, and marketing vigour. However, the next challenge for us was just around the corner.
When Covid hit, demand for in-person events disappeared almost overnight. Website traffic dropped dramatically, and like many in the industry, we were facing serious uncertainty. By 15th March 2020, 100% of our client events had been cancelled or postponed.
At the same time, search demand for virtual team building surged. Within just two weeks, we had developed and launched a fully virtual experience. We adapted quickly, creating new formats, updating our website, investing in marketing, and rethinking how we delivered events entirely. From virtual games to sending out materials for at-home experiences like gingerbread house building, we found ways to keep teams connected.
Financially, it was tough, but being able to respond quickly meant we were there when clients needed us, even in completely new circumstances.
Events with purpose
Today, expectations around team bonding continue to evolve. It’s no longer just about bringing people together for something fun, although that still matters.
Increasingly, employees want experiences that reflect their values and make a positive impact. Research shows that companies implementing CSR initiatives experience higher employee retention rates as well as improved engagement and loyalty.
These kinds of experiences have long been important to us as a team. We channeled our deep office-wide love for dogs into support for canine disability charities and started our Wheels for Walkies event to unite corporates behind a purpose-led mission to build wheelchairs for our four-legged friends in need.
We offer a range of CSR and charitable team building events today. These experiences create a different kind of connection, not just between colleagues, but with the wider world.
Still evolving after 30 years
We don’t know exactly what the future holds. Geopolitical tensions and cost pressures add uncertainty to a challenging market, and spending decisions and business pipelines are slow.
But if there’s one constant over the last three decades, it’s that standing still isn’t an option. Everything we do, from the events we create to the way we market them, is deliberate.
Recognising trends early and having the confidence to act on them has been, and will continue to be, crucial to our business model. Because in an industry built around bringing people together, knowing what people need next is what makes the difference.
If you’re looking for something new, different, and genuinely meaningful for your team, or simply want to find out more about the range of activities we offer, get in touch – our friendly team is always happy to help.
