While teambuilding is now a staple of many a meeting or event, today’s attendee demands a little something more experiential in a program.
John Chen, CEO and self-described “Big Kid” at Seattle-based Geoteaming, was a pioneer in the modern version of these activities that cement relationships and hone team problem-solving skills.
After a decade-long stint at Microsoft, Chen was itching for a career change at the beginning of the millennium, something that would tap into his core passions of technology, adventure and creating human change.
“An executive coach said ‘give me a weekend and I’ll tell you exactly what it is,’” Chen said. “So I wrote the entire business plan for Geoteaming in a weekend.”
Teambuilding has changed a lot since he offered his first program in 2001.
“My first programs used a lot of indoor initiatives, such as indoor rock climbing, and then we eventually found the geocaching program,” he said. “Now we’re getting rid of the geocaching equipment so we can run our entire teambuilding program on an app.”
Geoteaming uses mobile technology and gamification techniques to send teams out on various points-based “missions,” capturing results via smartphone or tablet photography and culminating in an awards ceremony with a custom slideshow produced by his staff.
His newest offering, iPlay, offers a “turnkey” solution for venues or planners who want to run the program by themselves, without the expense of flying in Geoteaming staffers.
“We still have someone on deck for that day in case they have any problems,” Chen said. “They can have a game that makes themselves look like an expert, but for not as much money.”
Chen has handled up to 3,000 attendees, including at MPI WEC.
