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"American Idol" Inspires a Great Company Event
Each team performed, in turn. One team dressed in diapers and popped in and out of cribs and playpens made from cardboard boxes. They held huge baby bottles and pacifiers, and "whined about what our key people must have been like as babies."
One of the teams that tied for first place wore black and white striped shirts and black pants; they sang a Star-based parody of the prison song from the musical "Chicago."
The other winning team did a take-off of the Oscar-winning movie, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," which is set in a mental institution. The team members dressed in "straight jackets" made of sheets, Schwartz recalls. They sat around in a mock group therapy session discussing what drives them crazy about the advertising business–e.g., clients inevitably changing things at the last minute.
Fithian and Schwartz agree that the organizers had blended the teams remarkably well. The best part, though, Schwartz maintains, was seeing the talents of some people you never would have thought were such terrific performers.
She recalls an IT professional who turned out to be a fabulous dancer and who actually performs in a Ukrainian dance troupe; the receptionist with the beautiful voice who is an actress in regional theater; and one employee who had been in a band.
The Event Continues
After the performances were over and the scores had been tallied, employees boarded the buses again and were taken to Rock Lobster, an outdoor bar and restaurant in Philadelphia. There, they relaxed and enjoyed a buffet lunch of chicken and crabcakes.
At the restaurant, the teams took part in the second phase of the competition, a trivia quiz about the company. They had to answer such questions as, "Which client has been in the house the longest?" The winner for the day had to have the highest score after both the morning and afternoon activities.
At the end of the competition, and since there had been a tie for first place, Rosanio awarded cash prizes of $2,500 each to the two winning teams. Employees also received raffle prizes of CDs, tickets to shows, t-shirts, and DVDs.
Well Worth the Investment
"Yes, it costs the company money to do this," Schwartz acknowledges. But, she points out, Rosanio believes that the return on investment makes the expenditure worthwhile, because it promotes team-building and contributes to the spirit for which the company is known.
Both Schwartz and Fithian also emphasize that while The Star Group is able to take advantage of resources such as a theater in which to hold their competition, this type of event can easily be duplicated by smaller companies or even social groups that have far fewer resources.
"Think about the familiar Charades game," she says. "People get up and act something out in their living rooms. For a business event, you don't need a state-of-the-art sound system. You can use karaoke CDs and a boom box. You put a few people at the front of a conference room, or even a lunchroom, and everyone can have a great time."
Because everyone at The Star Group enjoyed the "American Idol" event so much, Rosanio decided to do it again for 2007. This year, however, the teams have not one, but two months to prepare.
Star Group employees are already looking forward to another terrific company outing—and to the fun surprises that await them, as well.
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