Why a workshop is different from team building

Not every approach to organising a workshop works for every team. The choice depends on three things: the aim, the group size and the culture of the organisation.

Creative workshop: painting, pottery, writing, photography, music. Ideal for teams used to analytical work. Getting your hands dirty breaks patterns in a surprisingly effective way.

Culinary workshop: cooking, baking, wine tasting, making cocktails. One of the most popular formats. The combination of collaborating, eating and an informal atmosphere makes it accessible for any team.

Skills workshop: presenting, negotiating, giving feedback, creative thinking. Focused on a concrete result: a skill that is usable in the workplace the next day.

Interactive brainstorm: working together on a real challenge. Not as an exercise, but as a serious working session with a facilitator who keeps the group sharp.

Watch the group size. Most workshops work best with 10 to 30 participants. Smaller can go small-scale and deep. Bigger calls for subgroups and a skilled facilitator who spreads the energy around the room.

Organising a workshop can be done at the office, but it doesn't have to be. And sometimes that isn't the best idea.

The advantage of your own venue is that it is logistically simple. There is no travel time, the surroundings are familiar and it is easy to combine with a regular working day. On top of that, a workshop at the workplace can be tax-efficient via the Dutch work-related costs scheme (WKR).

An external venue works better when you really want to take people out of their office routine. A studio, a kitchen, a creative workshop space, a museum: the venue itself communicates that this is not an ordinary afternoon. That does something to how people take part.

Popular workshop venues are: cooking studios for culinary workshops, creative studios and art spaces for art workshops, city venues with workshop rooms, and restaurant venues that combine workshop and dinner.

Watch the technical requirements. A skills-focused workshop needs flipcharts and screens. A cooking workshop calls for a professional kitchen. Match the venue choice to the type of workshop, not the other way around.

A good workshop has a clear structure. But you must not be able to see that structure.

Start low-threshold. Give people 10 to 15 minutes to land before the actual activity begins. Informal, with a drink. People who arrive tense join in less.

Then explain the frame. Briefly, two to three minutes. Tell them what we are going to do, why, and what we expect of the participants. Clarity reduces resistance.

Alternate active and reflective moments. At a cooking workshop: alternate between chopping and tasting. At a skills workshop: practise and debrief, then repeat. The rhythm determines the energy.

Close with something concrete. At a cooking workshop, that is the dinner you make together. At a creative workshop, the piece you have made. At a brainstorm, an overview of the outcomes. People have to feel they have achieved something.

Read more about structuring a programme in our article on the event planning checklist →

A corporate event costs roughly €200 to €500+ per person excluding VAT for 250 to 500 guests. For 500 to 1,000 guests you should expect around €150 to €400+ per person. For 1,000 to 2,000 guests around €125 to €350+ per person. For more than 2,000 guests around €100 to €300+ per person. All amounts exclude VAT and include venue, catering, entertainment and production.

The exact budget depends on the type, the venue and the programme. The brackets above show the range for an average corporate event.

You can put a workshop together yourself: find a venue, book a workshop provider and arrange the logistics. For a small group of 10 to 15 people, that is fine to do.

But as the group grows or the requirements become more specific, it becomes more complex. Which workshop provider really fits our team, how do we combine workshop and catering in one venue, and how do we make sure the format aligns with the goal?

At Live Impact we think with you about the format that works for your team, arrange the venue and the workshop facilitator, and make sure the day runs smoothly. From the first brief to the last bite.

We work with a network of reliable workshop providers throughout the Netherlands, from Eindhoven and Amsterdam to Tilburg and Rotterdam. Read more about how we work in our article on hiring an events agency →

A workshop for your colleagues doesn't have to be a big event. It can be an afternoon. Or a morning. With 12 people or with 60.

What counts is that it fits who you are and what you need. The rest we will arrange.

Call us on 085 401 40 14 or send a mail to hello@live-impact.nl. We are happy to think along.

Seriously fun.