Special Events Management
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Table of contents:

1. Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions.
2. Team Building - An Introduction.
3. Indoor Activities as Team Building Programmes
4. Team Training.
5. Adventure Incentives.
6. Adventure Challenges.
7. Community Development Related Team Building Projects.

Further detail:

1. Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions

At this stage of its 700 year development, Chiang Mai is probably the least expensive destination in S.E.Asia in which to hold a special event.
Hotel accommodation and related services, cost less than half of what they do in the Kingdom's other destinations, and are less than a third of what cost in Singapore or Hong Kong.

Thus clients thus benefit in choosing Chiang Mai as their special event venue, either by saving costs, or being able to allocate funds saved on key event components (accommodation/food/ground handling services) to creating theme parties, team building programmes, incentive tour programmes.

These advantages, coupled with the attractions of the north, its scenery and its cultural heritage, along with Track of the Tiger's creative special events management, will assure you of an experience that meets, if not exceeds, your own expectations.

See this recent article for further detail.

Related topics
Theme Dinner Options
Northern Thai Crafts Workshop

2. Team Building - An Introduction.

On this website we provide you with a number of half & full day team building options, designed to increase the levels of communication,co-operation and 'team spirit', between your employees.

Whilst all team building programmes should be 'fun',the level of intensity varies between the different challenges making up a programme.

The format thus allows you to put together any number of these options into a programme that suits your objectives, budget, and time available.

(a) The 'Baht Builder' Challenge - 2 to 3 hrs in duration

The first of our programmes was designed primarily as a 'high intensity' team building tool for companies with multi-national, and/or multi-cultural work forces. Its main advantage lies in the fact that it is flexible enough to suit the team building needs of most users.

It is especially well suited to medium and large sized groups - 25 to 250 or up to 500 participants. The mental/physical bias of the challenges used for each event can be selected to best match the client's own objectives.

It is full on team building exercises, hidden in a game show format that is extremely competitive, yet it lets individual teams select their own 'challenges' from an extensive inventory of challenges that range from cerebral to physical.

The opinion of our largest clients, who put several hundred or more employees on corporate development programmes all over the region annually, is that the Baht Builder Challenge is the best 'participant choice/multi-challenge' option they have ever experienced.

The Baht Builder is a particularly useful tool for identifying potential leaders.

(b) The Chiang Mai City Challenge - 2 to 4 hours in duration

The Chiang Mai City Challenge is designed to incorporate visits by local transport to the attractions and cultural attractions of the city by having groups select 6 from 18 attractions listed.

They must visit each of the 6 or more attractions, solving a puzzle, or obtaining specific information at each.

Note* This programme can be replicated in any other city location.

(c) The Bamboo Raft & Survival Challenge (1) 6 to 8 hours in duration

The The Bamboo Raft & Survival Challenge takes place along a stretch of the Ping river in the Mae Taeng area.

The challenge starts from and ends at the Track of the Tiger Outdoor Training Camp, on the Ping River in the Mae Taeng area. The camp is set in riverline jungle on 25 rai of land with 300 metres of riverfront, between the two main elephant camps.

The scenario. The teams have survived an aircraft crash and finds itself deep in the jungles of northern Thailand. They must fashion a raft, travel a given distance down river, solving challenges as they go, then find and prepare food and shelter for an extended stay in the jungle. (click on the hyperlink above for more detail).

Note* This programme can be replicated in many other locations.

(d) The Bamboo Raft & Survival Challenge (2) 3- 4 hours in duration

The The Bamboo Raft & Survival Challenge takes place along a stretch of the Ping river in the Mae Taeng area.

The challenge starts from and ends at the Track of the Tiger Outdoor Training Camp, on the Ping river in the Mae Taeng area. The camp is set in riverline jungle on 25 rai of land with 300 metres of riverfront, between the two main elephant camps.

The scenario. The teams have survived an aircraft crash and finds itself deep in the jungles of norther Thailand. They must fashion a raft, travel a given distance down river, solving challenges as they go. The challenge ends on arrival at the camp.

Note* This programme can be replicated in many other locations.

(e) The 'Thai Athlon Challenge' (1) 6 to 8 hours in duration

The 'ThaiAthlon Challenge' (1) is an adventure race that starts and finishes at the Track of the Tiger Outdoor Training Camp, on the Ping river in Mae Taeng. It combines the following components into one programme:

(a) Bamboo rafting survival challenge.
(b) Mountain bike challenge.
(c) Point to point orienteering circuit challenge.

The degree of difficulty of each challenge within the programme varies, and is determined by the group's composition and experience as well as the prevailing environmental factors.

The concept of conducting the challenges as excursions from our established camp allows us better levels of control and safety, whilst still allowing the client a challenging programme.

Note* This programme can be replicated in many other locations.

(f) Nature Trail, Rock Climb and Abseil Challenge - 6 to 8 hours in duration.

Our artist's retreat in the Doi Saket area is set on the edge of a National Park, in little explored mountains and at approximately 1'000 m.a.s.l. starting from the retreat we commence a 6-8 hour programme that sees the group follow a nature trail that climbs a mountain stream that boasts some 17 waterfalls and cascades between the start point, and the summit some 1'000 metres higher up.

You travel through one of the last remaining 'pristine jungle' areas of northern Thailand, that are surrounded by flora and fauna few people ever see.

On the way up, each team navigates assisted rock climbs and bamboo ladder ascents of waterfalls some 5 to 25 metres in height.

On the way back down, you abseil back over the same challenges, dropping into shallow pools at the base of each waterfall. These en route challenges are optional, but team points are deducted if an individual misses them.

As always, the physical challenges are counter balanced by mental tests at points along the route.

The Nature Trail, Rock Climb and Abseil Challenge is physically quite demanding, and a good test for both the individual and the team member.

(g) The 'Thai Athlon Challenge' (2) 6 to 8 hours in duration

The 'ThaiAthlon Challenge' (2) is an adventure race that starts from Chiang Mai, and finishes at the Track of the Tiger Outdoor Training Camp, on the Ping river in Mae Taeng. It combines the following components into one programme:

In the morning, the groups split up rotating through:

(a) White water rafting.
(b) River kayaking challenge.
(c) A 4WD challenge.
(d) All terrain vehicle challenge. (off-site)

In the afternoon, after lunch in a local restaurant, the groups combine for 2 of the following:

(e) Point to point orienteering circuit challenge.
(f) Mountain bike challenge.
(g) Jungle survival challenge.
(h) The bamboo baft & survival challenge.

Note* This programme can be replicated in many other locations.

(h) The 'Chiang Mai Zoo Challenge' (1) 3 to 4 hours in duration

A bicycle mounted challenge that takes place in the extensive grounds of Chiang Mai Zoo. Teams are given clues that guide them to the right (target) animal cage or enclosure. On arriving at the correct location, they are presented with another clue, and so on.

Teams may split up to follow up to seek the right target, communicating by mobile phone, but all members must be present before the facilitator lets the team leave from one target for the next.

(i) Cultural treasure hunts.

Our cultural treasure hunts incorporate team building and incentive tour elements into one programme, and are designed to highlight the attractions (scenic and cultural) of the region in which they are held.

Essentially, participants are split into groups of no more than 10, and set off along a given route or circuit in search of answers to the questions, or to complete tasks they have been set.

The degree of difficulty of the tasks (easy-medium-difficult) and the nature of the tasks (physical - non physical) is stipulated by the client, and a programme is customised for each particular company.

Transport options for each team can be varied over the circuit, (mountain bike, elephant, boat, self drive jeep, raft etc.) or teams of 10 can be allocated a minibus and guide each.

Note* This programme can be replicated in many other locations.

3. Indoor Activities as Team Building Programmes

Wherever possible it is always better to opt for outdoor team building because in most cases it removes participants from their normal 'secure environment', and away from their routines.

4. Team Training

There is a distinct difference between team building and team training.

Team building progammes are designed to enhance the 'team spirit' whilst team training programmes are designed to 'fix' existing problems within a particular group, so that it may function to its full potentia,l on a given task.

Use the 'Team Building' hyperlink above to read more and to review an example 'team training' programme.

5. Adventure Incentives.

Track of the Tiger is credited with having pioneered 'soft adventure incentive tourism' in northern Thailand. In 1990 we ran programmes for the French operator 'Tangara Travel' (5 groups of 150 to 200 participants) that involved 2 day and 1 night river rafting adventures complete with African style 'camps' in a jungle environment en route.

The detail went right down to linen clad table tops, pastis before dinner, wine with the meal, campfire entertainment, and a torch for each individual. Example programme

We also provide a full range of sightseeing, and soft adventures tours from a half to full day in duration, that highlight the attractions of Chiang Mai and the surrounding area.

6. Adventure Challenges.

The facilities at our base, Maekok River Village Resort in Ban Thaton, include a military style assault course, a high and low ropes and beam course, a 14 m climbing wall with abseil and cargo net, and a 1km custom built mountain bike circuit.

Using those facilities, and the stunningly beautiful mountains between us and the Burmese border, including Doi Pahom Phog (2'285 m.a.s.l.) in the Fang National Park, as well as the Kok river on which the resort is set, we can put together fantastic challenge race programmes for beginner, intermediate and advanced level competition.

We can arrange similar competitions at alternative detinations through the north of Thailand.

See 'The bamboo man challenge'

7. Community Development Related Team Building Projects.

What better way for those attending Community Development related meetings or seminars in the north to 'break the ice' between participants than by spending a day or half a day involved in 'hands on' 'development work', at the grass roots level, working alongside the villagers and communities their decisions will affect.

A new approach to team building. A company and its employess can turn such a project into a dual purpose event. Basic hands on labour is a great leveller of men, whilst benefitting the local community.

The occasion allows staff the opportunity to show skills otherwise not displayed in the workplace, often engendering newfound respect between members of senior management, junior management, and staff.

Examples:

Building school rooms,orphanage buildings, installing water systems.

Building 'check dams' (a Royal Project where at His Majesty the King's request),villagers and school children are building small dams on tributeries that from into the Ping river. The system reduces flooding and top soil erosion.

A full day programme that sees our participants guided to a forest of giant bamboo by local hill tribe people, and then returning to their village for lunch, and to spend an hour or two working alongside these ethnic minority people planting bamboo and rattan on their own reforestation project. A very worthy cause.

For Inquiries & Tour information: tours@track-of-the-tiger.com

22/8 Moo 4,Tambon Nonghoi,A.Muang,Chiang Mai. 50100. Tel : +66 53 308 775-6 ,308 775 -6 Fax: +66 53 818 221 E-mail: tiger@loxinfo.co.th  Copyright: Track of the Tiger  Designed and published by Track of the Tiger  Send comments about the site to webmaster@track-of-the-tiger.com