Brighton Team Building. Time to Add a Treasure Hunt Too.
Posted on: 08/12/2025By Tim Carter (Owner of Black Cat Treasure Hunts)
Deciding on an activity and format for a Brighton team building day can be a challenge in itself. For a company on a workday, out of the office, it may be they are looking for an activity as a fun, stress relief for a part of the day. For a work group aiming to combine varied activities for dedicated team building only, it is just as crucial to get it right. A third reason may be for a Summer social event which could be less focussed initially on team building but cements the cohesion of a team anyway. This treasure hunt blog looks at how I aim to facilitate a team building treasure hunt by providing help on key factors that will ensure a successful day.
1. It`s not all about the treasure hunt itself.
Sometimes it`s the small things that matter and if they are got wrong make a big impact in a bad way. I have got a Brighton team building treasure hunt for 40 people in a few weeks time and the end point will mean getting taxis to where they have booked drinks and a meal out later on.
After consultation with the organiser, it was agreed to book all the taxi`s for the same time even though teams will be finishing at slightly different times. This will ensure that everyone has arrived, and all the taxis are filled up properly. However, although I agreed with this plan, I could see that the finishing point for the treasure hunt was not an ideal place for a long line of taxis as there is a cycle lane nearby. The taxis are now going to pick everyone up across the road. A small thing to discuss maybe but could have had awkward implications.
2. What is the desired outcome of the treasure hunt?
This is always a key question of course but occasionally neglected. I have an upcoming treasure hunt with a group from a Pre-School in Norway (!). When I wrote the treasure hunt, I included a lot of references about Norway and sent it off as the first draft feeling pretty good about it. The Norwegian I was liaising with mentioned they liked the format of the treasure hunt, as it had a classic feel, but said there were too many things about Norway and that the group were mainly coming to explore and experience Brighton. It was a great point, and I have now slimmed down the Norwegian side of things leaving it in essence a Brighton treasure hunt, as it should be!
3. Time is crucial...usually!
I normally try and get the timings of the day sorted out and agreed as soon as possible with a team building treasure hunt. I find it really helps the office manager/event manager/staff rep or Head P.A. to get an insight into how much time I recommend for the organising at the start, the treasure hunt itself and the completion of the marking and presentation at the end.
Companies quite rightly want to make the most of their time away from the office and also inform the rest of the employees about what to expect and when. It not only helps to build in a bit of time before meals but also to allow time for relaxation/a drink straight after the treasure hunt.
A team building treasure hunt last month unusually allowed a lot of extra time before their meal booking. I was happy to fix the finishing point at a pub nearby to complete the proceedings rather than going directly to the restaurant.
4. It helps for Black Cat to be on the spot.
I give the option for team building treasure hunts to be self-managed, marked remotely by me or with me to attend and organise on the day and to do all the marking with a presentation at the end. My finding is that the large majority of team building treasure hunts prefer me to be there on the day. I ensure that everyone has complete knowledge of what they are expected to do. In addition, I provide all the equipment they will need.
By using WhatsApp during the treasure hunt I can not only streamline the marking time at the end but also provide interactive feedback to teams whilst they are on route. This is a lot of fun and leads to a lot of joking about help and bribery at the round up!
On one occasion I was able to avert a crisis for one group related to their food reservation. I reached the end point pub well in advance (I mean...why not?!) and checked in to find out which part had been reserved for food for the group later on. It turned out the pub had issues with getting cover for the kitchen and no food was available! I quickly arranged an alternative venue nearby and alerted all teams as to where they should meet me.
5. I don`t care who`s who but I do care that everyone has a chance to get involved and have fun.
The only person I normally get to know before a team building treasure hunt is the liaison (see role type mentioned in point 3 above). Occasionally a Zoom meeting is arranged with more people, but that tends to be the exception--thankfully in my view.
So, on the day I often don`t know who `The Big Boss` is (I might get briefly introduced to them) or who the newest trainee is. I like to be in this position as it allows me to concentrate on ensuring everyone has the opportunity to get involved, enjoy the treasure hunt and see things they have not noticed before. (a real target of mine for local companies).
Getting to know your colleagues just that bit better and having a great time during and after the treasure hunt is the goal and are key contributors to enhanced team building. One of the funniest team building treasure hunts recently involved a group where, apparently, the boss had never lost (or failed to win) at one of these types of events. I did not know who he was or in which team he participated in until just after completing the marking. When I told my two liaisons that his team had finished 8th out of 10 teams the look of shock on their faces was hilarious! Rye grins followed and an insistence that the order of teams , for announcing placements, was changed from 10 down to 1 to 7 to 2 and then grouping 1st/8th/9th and 10th together before confirming the winning team. The boss still thought his team were winners until about the third team were announced! To be fair he took the uproar pretty well and safe to say I think, as a team building event, it went extremely well.
Could your company benefit from this type of expertise and a personalised team building treasure hunt? I complete treasure hunts across Sussex and in London too. Contact me (Tim or Black Cat if you prefer!) on info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk or call me on (01323) 655346. Yes..I have a landline number if you want to chat, and I will answer messages left if I don`t pick up (probably at an event) within the day.
This is always a key question of course but occasionally neglected. I have an upcoming treasure hunt with a group from a Pre-School in Norway (!). When I wrote the treasure hunt, I included a lot of references about Norway and sent it off as the first draft feeling pretty good about it. The Norwegian I was liaising with mentioned they liked the format of the treasure hunt, as it had a classic feel, but said there were too many things about Norway and that the group were mainly coming to explore and experience Brighton. It was a great point, and I have now slimmed down the Norwegian side of things leaving it in essence a Brighton treasure hunt, as it should be!
3. Time is crucial...usually!
I normally try and get the timings of the day sorted out and agreed as soon as possible with a team building treasure hunt. I find it really helps the office manager/event manager/staff rep or Head P.A. to get an insight into how much time I recommend for the organising at the start, the treasure hunt itself and the completion of the marking and presentation at the end.
Companies quite rightly want to make the most of their time away from the office and also inform the rest of the employees about what to expect and when. It not only helps to build in a bit of time before meals but also to allow time for relaxation/a drink straight after the treasure hunt.
A team building treasure hunt last month unusually allowed a lot of extra time before their meal booking. I was happy to fix the finishing point at a pub nearby to complete the proceedings rather than going directly to the restaurant.
4. It helps for Black Cat to be on the spot.
I give the option for team building treasure hunts to be self-managed, marked remotely by me or with me to attend and organise on the day and to do all the marking with a presentation at the end. My finding is that the large majority of team building treasure hunts prefer me to be there on the day. I ensure that everyone has complete knowledge of what they are expected to do. In addition, I provide all the equipment they will need.
By using WhatsApp during the treasure hunt I can not only streamline the marking time at the end but also provide interactive feedback to teams whilst they are on route. This is a lot of fun and leads to a lot of joking about help and bribery at the round up!
On one occasion I was able to avert a crisis for one group related to their food reservation. I reached the end point pub well in advance (I mean...why not?!) and checked in to find out which part had been reserved for food for the group later on. It turned out the pub had issues with getting cover for the kitchen and no food was available! I quickly arranged an alternative venue nearby and alerted all teams as to where they should meet me.
5. I don`t care who`s who but I do care that everyone has a chance to get involved and have fun.
The only person I normally get to know before a team building treasure hunt is the liaison (see role type mentioned in point 3 above). Occasionally a Zoom meeting is arranged with more people, but that tends to be the exception--thankfully in my view.
So, on the day I often don`t know who `The Big Boss` is (I might get briefly introduced to them) or who the newest trainee is. I like to be in this position as it allows me to concentrate on ensuring everyone has the opportunity to get involved, enjoy the treasure hunt and see things they have not noticed before. (a real target of mine for local companies).
Getting to know your colleagues just that bit better and having a great time during and after the treasure hunt is the goal and are key contributors to enhanced team building. One of the funniest team building treasure hunts recently involved a group where, apparently, the boss had never lost (or failed to win) at one of these types of events. I did not know who he was or in which team he participated in until just after completing the marking. When I told my two liaisons that his team had finished 8th out of 10 teams the look of shock on their faces was hilarious! Rye grins followed and an insistence that the order of teams , for announcing placements, was changed from 10 down to 1 to 7 to 2 and then grouping 1st/8th/9th and 10th together before confirming the winning team. The boss still thought his team were winners until about the third team were announced! To be fair he took the uproar pretty well and safe to say I think, as a team building event, it went extremely well.
Could your company benefit from this type of expertise and a personalised team building treasure hunt? I complete treasure hunts across Sussex and in London too. Contact me (Tim or Black Cat if you prefer!) on info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk or call me on (01323) 655346. Yes..I have a landline number if you want to chat, and I will answer messages left if I don`t pick up (probably at an event) within the day.
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