Client

Based in Cambridge, Napp Pharmaceuticals is an independent company with over 800 employees, developing vital new drugs for more than 50 years. To motivate and inspire a higher level of team cohesion for a chosen department, they wanted to organise a fun challenge and also a reward for all their hard work.

Brief

Napp came to Office Events with a good idea of what they wanted to achieve and the type of the event they were looking for. The team building day ideally needed to be physically active and a lot of fun. The evening event and overnight stay was to be a real treat. The itinerary was to be kept secret from the 100 participants who were predominantly male. For most, this was the first time they had been on a corporate event of this nature and there was a degree of apprehension. The budget was not extravagant but allowed for a high standard of accommodation.

Challenges

• To create an event that immediately put everyone at ease and encouraged willing participation
• Napp had started the process of venue sourcing, but weren’t finding what they needed. Office Events needed to come up with a venue ideally suited to the entire event concept and client requirements

Event solution

Keeping in mind that Napp wanted to treat their employees and create the ‘wow’ factor on arrival, we came up with the beautiful venue, Dunstan Hall in Norwich. The grounds provided the ideal space for the ‘It’s a Knockout’ tournament we decided on for the team-building aspect of the event, as well as a stunning location for the Murder Mystery dinner event and overnight accommodation.

During the 2 months of planning, the event itinerary had been kept secret from the staff and as the coach arrived in Norwich, people were nervous of what to expect. This atmosphere was diffused immediately when they were welcomed by the consummate host of the original ‘It’s a Knockout’ TV show, Stuart Hall. He took charge with grace and humour, outlining the itinerary for the day, causing hilarity and leaving everyone excited about the challenges they faced.

Under Stuart Hall’s expert direction the 7 teams enthusiastically tackled the various games that necessitated coordinated teamwork. Running a course in giant penguin outfits, managing multiple pairs of legs on a pair of giant skis, and game involving giant pizza, soon broke down barriers and proved great fun.

As lunch was served on the patio, spirits were high and everyone was looking forward to the second half.  The ‘England’ team triumphed at the end of the day and were awarded with medals, kudos and champagne.

The evening meal was presented as a secret society awards ceremony, during which a heinous murder was committed. Guests were given characters, props and cryptic clues and were set the mission of solving the crime and identifying the perpetrator. This again was well received and at breakfast the talk was full of the previous day and evenings antics.

The results

The event exceeded the participants’ expectations, which was very clear from the change in attitudes, and achieved the objective of building the level of teamwork and staff morale. The staff went back to work with a new level of enthusiasm and the feeling that their efforts at Napp Pharmaceuticals were appreciated and that they were invested in as valued team members

What Napp said...

Office Events were helpful right from the start in terms of planning the event to the finish.

They listened to our requirements and helped turn ideas into a great feasible event that was enjoyed by all.

During all my dealings with Office Events if  there were any queries, big or small there was always someone at the end of the phone or an email away.

All the staff said that they had a very good time, and how well organised, everything was.

Sarah Goodin - Training and Development, Production and Supply Chain Administrator