Quick answer: To make in-person time count for a remote team, pick one or two goals (like trust or cross-team understanding), skip anything that could be a video call, and choose active, low-pressure activities that mix people into new pairs and small groups. Improv workshops fit well because they build connection quickly and need no prep.
Remote teams often meet in person only once or twice a year. Those few days are expensive, and expectations are high. Leaders want people to connect, build trust and leave energized. Too often, though, the agenda fills up with presentations, and the “team building” is a dinner where people talk to the colleagues they already know.
Here’s how to plan in-person time that actually brings a remote team closer.
What do remote teams miss most?
Remote work handles tasks well. What it handles poorly is the informal stuff: hallway conversations, reading the room, learning how a teammate thinks. Before you plan anything, ask what your team is missing. Common answers include:
- Knowing teammates as people, not just Slack names
- Trust to disagree openly on calls
- Understanding how other roles and departments work
- Energy and a shared sense of purpose
Pick one or two. A clear goal makes every other decision easier.
Don’t fill the agenda with what could be a video call
If a session would work just as well on Zoom, consider moving it there. Save in-person hours for things that need people in the same room: conversation, collaboration and shared experiences.
Choose activities that mix people
Left alone, people cluster with their usual crowd. Good team building gently breaks that up. Look for activities that put people in changing pairs and small groups, so everyone works with someone new.
Make it active, not passive
Watching a speaker together isn’t the same as doing something together. People bond when they work toward something, laugh and make mistakes in front of each other. Active, low-stakes activities build that quickly.
Why does improv work for remote teams?
Improv is built for exactly this situation. Improv games are fast, require no preparation and work in pairs and small groups. They create shared laughs in the first few minutes, which breaks the ice faster than any introduction round.
Improv also practices the skills remote teams struggle with most: listening closely, building on each other’s ideas and trusting teammates to support you. Those skills carry back to video calls after everyone goes home.
A typical session runs one to three hours and fits easily into an offsite agenda. We often see teams use it early in the gathering, so the energy carries through the rest of the week.
Keep it comfortable
Not everyone loves the spotlight, and remote teams often include introverts. Choose activities where nobody performs alone and participation feels natural. In a good improv session, the shy folks are often the ones who surprise everyone.
Follow up when everyone’s back online
Close the loop afterward. Share photos, reference inside jokes from the session and use any shared language (like “yes, and”) in meetings. It keeps the connection alive until the next time you’re together.
Frequently asked questions
What are good team building activities for remote teams meeting in person?
Look for active, small-group activities that mix people: improv workshops, cooking classes, volunteer projects or facilitated problem-solving sessions.
How long should a team building session be at an offsite?
One to three hours is usually enough. Scheduling it early in the gathering lets the energy carry through the rest of the event.
How do you include introverts in team building?
Choose activities where nobody performs alone, like pair and small-group exercises, and let people participate at their own pace.
Can remote employees join team building virtually?
Yes. Improv U offers live virtual team building for teammates who cannot attend in person.
Plan your team’s session
We bring on-site improv team building to teams meeting anywhere in Florida, from Orlando conference hotels to Fort Lauderdale retreats. For teammates who can’t make the trip, we also run live virtual team building.
Author: Anthony Francis
Anthony Francis is the founder and artistic director of Improv U. Since 2012, he has taught and directed improv for actors and professionals, and has led improv-based team building for companies over the same stretch. He performs in The Unwritten Sketch Show, The Comedy Game Show and ANT FARM, and loves every corner of the art form, from longform and shortform to musical and solo improv.