A planning guide by Get Out! Events.
Twenty people is one of the most flexible sizes for team building. It is large enough for real competition between teams, yet small enough that nobody disappears into the background. Everyone can hear the facilitator, everyone gets a turn and the whole group can share a table afterwards.
This guide is for managers and HR partners planning an outing for a single department, a project team or a small company. It looks only at the choices that a group of around twenty makes possible, and the few traps that come with it.
The first decision is structural. You can keep everyone together for an activity where the whole group works towards one goal, or split into four teams of five for head-to-head challenges. Four teams usually produce the best energy: enough rivalry to get people going, but small enough teams that each person contributes.
With fewer people, a single disengaged colleague is very visible.
Strong personalities can dominate if teams are not balanced.
Venue choice is wider, so it is easy to pick a space that does not suit the activity.
Small events are often booked late, when popular dates are already taken.
Small groups often benefit from time to talk afterwards. A shared meal or a short, roundtable-style debrief turns a fun afternoon into something the team remembers and builds on back at work.
Team Dynamics helps you choose between collaborative and competitive formats. Activity Ideas lists formats and venue types that suit twenty. Planning Steps sets out a short timeline and what a facilitator should handle.
For more on how sessions of this size are run, visit Get Out! Events' small team building page.
About this guide: Small Team Building for Twenty People is written and maintained by Get Out! Events, a Singapore corporate event company at 14 Robinson Road #08-01A, Singapore 048545. It contains general planning guidance only; confirm current venue rules, permits and partner requirements before you book anything.