Alcohol and Events
Before or During
It is almost too obvious to say that participants must not drink before taking part in team building activities, particularly motorised and shooting.
We have a policy of no alcohol at all before or during any events. It is impossible for us to police a situation where people are allowed 'one or two' so we provide soft drinks and hot drinks during events where the facilities allow us to.
After
When activities have finished then teams typically head off for a barbecue or meal and then drinks. Consumption of alcohol can be a problem on events and it is those drinking sessions which continue on into the early hours which are better avoided.
Preparation
If you have exclusive use of a bar area ask the hotel to close it at a sensible time, say 11 p.m. If you don't have exclusive use then you can ask the hotel to set up a separate area which you can control and say that drinks purchased in other public bars must not be charged to the company account.
This way you can also restrict drinks to wine and beer and steer away from spirits. This will encourage delegates to get to bed early and have a good night's sleep.
Drink Driving Awareness
We have recently seen a situation where a delegate driving the morning after a heavy drinking session was pulled over and found to be still over the limit. We are promoting awareness of this situation because the Police are increasingly targetting people early in the morning for drink driving.
We recommend that people avoid driving until after lunch if they have been drinking the night before.
A Good Start For Team Building
To start a conference in a fresh state of mind choose a country house hotel with access to good walking territory and have a team building walk after breakfast.
Often teams start a conference after a large breakfast having not left the centrally heated environment of the hotel building; not the best way to get yourself going.
We often arrange a light hearted aerobic session before an event; nothing too strenuous, primarily fun but out in the open and designed to get the blood flowing to the brain.
As with every activity you can choose how much to participate, nothing is forced and certainly no one is humiliated.
Successful Team Building
This point made in the majority of organisations will be perceived as a professional approach to a potential problem that most people do recognise.
The team building delegates will thank you for any risk management you put in place the next morning.
