let's break the ice!

Post by TMM guest blogger
Darin Roper, Account Executive



TMM recently came up with unique teambuilding event that was really "cool".  The attendees just loved it, and as a teambuilding, it really "chipped away" at any inhibitions. 

We started the event with a master ice carver doing a demonstration on how these works of art are actually made.  Then our guests were required to create their own masterpieces in ice.  We supplied them with all the necessary tools and precut ice pieces.  Their task was to form a sculpture with the supplied geometric forms, and to use the chiseling tools to embellish it.  Creativity was a must, and no two sculptures turned out the same. 

Illuminated by the light boxes, the sculptures were truly amazing!  The guests were so enthusiastic about the competition, and our client was so pleased.  She wants us to replicate this event for her in....Budapest!!  Now that is one great teambuilder.

The master ice carver begins the demonstration

The team works together to build their sculpture

A finished ice sculpture

sitting on the other side of the table

Fabienne and Patty

I recently had the opportunity to work as a Trip Director for a high level corporate program in Barcelona, Spain.  I only go on the road in this capacity once every year or so.  Part of my motivation was the caliber of this program; the chance to see Spain (which I had not yet visited) and to work with my dear friend, Patty Blank who was responsible for much of the planning.

I was responsible for the evening events which included private dinners for various business units at some of the city’s most famous and popular restaurants; a dine around for 350 guests and two venues (including the famous Casa Battlo and Can Travi Nou) for offsite dinners.  The DMC services were being provided by Anne Karine Vogt and her company, “another konzept”.  I was looking forward to this assignment as I felt well prepared based on my 32 years in the DMC business.

Casa Battlo

Can Travi Nou

What became so interesting to me over the course of the program was to recognize the “markers” – the indicators – that our partner was really, really good.  As each day and event passed, I became less concerned and more appreciative of their skills and commitment to this program.  It caused me to evaluate our own company from the outside in.

The primary markers for my appreciation were:

• Key staff were aligned with key functions – i.e. transportation; daytime activities and evening events. . . we were set up to mirror that structure
• another-konzept was on-site at the hotel with us – working side by side to confirm, change and add services as needed
• The DMC staff was knowledgeable, well-known to their vendor partners and highly respected
• They were as flexible as they could be
• We worked as PARTNERS – addressing needs and challenges together
• Their paperwork was simple – allowing us to match up services and charges line-by-line
• I knew within days that I could trust them and believe what they told me
• We had FUN working together

So – what can I say about this experience, sitting on the other side of the table?  It reminds me to mirror our structure to match our clients’ needs; to stay close and available during demanding and ever-changing programs; to work as Partners; to keep our paperwork simple; to be trustworthy and yes, to remember to have FUN TOGETHER!

what do you learn when you are hanging on for dear life?

Last year – “Survivor SoCal” was our theme for the year. We trimmed our business and our expenses in every possible way. Projects were put on hold and our “In To Lunch” campaign was our marketing initiative for the year. 2010 has brought with it a cautious recovery, but we continue to take one step at a time as we rebuild our business platform.

Gathering in Idyllwild in May, our Leadership Team arrived to again review our progress against our Plan, make any adjustments necessary for the remainder of the year, assess the market as it is and to re-focus our team’s effort to deliver a successful year. I have always believed that experiencing personal and business lessons is far more effective than reading about them. So – into the trees we went.


Working closely with Paul Blanchard, owner of A New Team Adventure one of our favorite partners in Southern California, we identified our goals and what we could accomplish with the time we had. Though rock-climbing was #1 on our list – three people on our team had conditions that prevented them from participating at that level of activity( pregnancy + wrist surgery + bad hip) do not add up to rock climbing! So – we opted for another option - a dynamic, challenging and thought-provoking ropes course.



How to have fun – try something new – and learn about ourselves and our work habits. No matter our individual fitness levels – everyone participated in the wide range of activities. Whether on the ropes as part of a two-person team – on their own –coaching and cheering from the ground - or traversing trees blindfolded and directed by their peers – each person had the opportunity to explore the scope of their individual strength, fear , coaching skills and focus.


One of the most interesting lessons of the day. . . with each subsequent effort, we considered or recognized a better way to do it on the next turn. Each team’s efforts provided insights and tools to be more effective the next time – resulting in continually improving success. Now, how does that apply to our daily work? How do we learn from each other’s efforts?

Something else we learned . . . we make assumptions all the time. When given instruction – we add our own interpretation to the meaning of the task. We often make the assignment more complicated than it is.

Our work style. . . we take action before we plan. How familiar does that sound? For some reason, we feel compelled to move before we identify a strategy; gain consensus and fully communicate the role each of us is to play. How does that habit show up each day?

We learned a lot that day – we recognized our own self-imposed limitations and viewpoints – and we recognized that we influenced each other greatly. We had fun! Time to come down from the trees and get back to work – we’re keeping our balance.