New year, new energy: Corporate team events to reignite motivation and connection

A new year is a fresh new start for the team’s energy. After some rest, relaxation, and reset over the Christmas and New Year’s period, it’s time to hit the ground running. 

Whether you’re looking for something quick and fun that can be done in half a day or a full-scale offsite, we’ve got 10 corporate team events to kick-start the year with energy, purpose, and connection.

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Kick off breakfast or brunch

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and perhaps it’s the most important meal of the year! Kick things off with good food and even better company. Whether it’s a casual breakfast meeting with coffee, pastries, and an informal chat, or a long table event with white tablecloths, this can help people get into sync.

Vision and values workshop

A fantastic way to get to know one another and assess where the company goals and values are and also where the teams personal goals and values lie as well.

Vision boards, collaborative brainstorming, and some team building exercises and brainstorming can help visualise what success will look like for the year.

Outdoor team challenge

It’s summertime, and before a year of sitting indoors and getting work done, an outdoor team activity could help bring colleagues together and get them some much-needed Vitamin D and fresh air.

If you’re up for it, a scavenger hunt, outdoor escape games, or friendly sports tournaments can bring out people’s inner competitiveness and get them up and moving about.

Volunteer or Give-Back Day

Volunteering and giving up time to help others is a great way for colleagues to bond. A team day spent giving back to the community can really set a meaningful tone. 

Find local charities and organise a company-wide volunteering day. Making it local is ideal for connecting the staff with the area that they’re in.

Creative workshop

For some people, creativity comes naturally, for others, being creative is less comfortable than a trip to the dentist. But if you swap spreadsheets for paintbrushes, you can be surprised by who comes alive when given a creative task. Perhaps it’ll be the head of accounts who ends up absolutely nailing a pottery class or painting lessons. 

It’s a great way to connect the team and get them out of their comfort zones (in a fun way!).

Wellness Reset

Breathe, balance, relax. January is all about easing back into it, and a wellness reset session could be just what the doctor (and the team!) ordered.

Consider a yoga class, guided meditation, or wellness seminar to help staff ease back into routines feeling calm and refreshed.

Capella in Sydney has the ideal place to relax and reset.

Lunch and Learn

A monthly lunch and learn session is a great way for teams to learn from different disciplines and departments in the business. It’s a simple and cost-efficient way to keep people engaged, have someone practice their public speaking, and allow different departments to get to know one another.

Office games afternoon

Nothing like a bit of healthy competition to keep the spirit alive in the office. A dose of fun, a mini Olympics or trivia competition is light-hearted and a fantastic way to spend a summer Friday afternoon. You might learn some secret skills that someone’s been hiding!

Strategy off-site

Either leadership or cross-department, a strategy day offsite is a powerful way to align on goals and set out the next three to six months of the business. Offsite is also important, it feels like a neutral ground and you will be surprised and how much different walls can inspire some new insight.

Welcome back celebration

Close out your kick-off week with a small celebration — after-work drinks, a rooftop picnic, or a themed party. It doesn’t need to be elaborate; it’s about signalling the year ahead with optimism and connection.

The best team events are the ones that feel authentic — designed with your culture and people in mind. Whether it’s a simple morning tea or a full-day retreat, the goal is the same: bring everyone together, spark energy, and set a positive tone for the year to come.

Browse the venues in your city to get inspired.