0 of 34 done. Ticks are saved in this browser only.

4 to 6 weeks outSet the constraints

Write down what the outing is for: a celebration, a welcome, a break after a hard quarter.
Get a rough headcount. You need to know 10 or 40, not 37 or 39.
Set the budget per person and decide whether it covers drinks and transport.
Pick two candidate dates and check them against holidays, launches and quarter-end.
Ask about mobility needs, people who do not drink, and food restrictions.

3 to 4 weeks outChoose and book

Shortlist two or three options that fit the budget and both dates.
Poll the team with a clear closing time, then book the winner.
Ask about the deposit and the cancellation window.
Ask about a food and drink minimum or an automatic service charge for groups.
Ask when the venue needs your final headcount.
Check for a step-free entrance and accessible restrooms.
Get the name and direct number of your contact on the day.

2 to 3 weeks outSend the invite

Give the day and a start and end time.
Give the address and how people are getting there.
Say what is covered and whether it is on work time.
Say the date you need replies by.
Put a hold on everyone’s calendar so nobody books a meeting over it.

1 week outLock the headcount

Message each person who has not replied, one at a time.
Ask the people who said yes: anything you can’t or don’t eat?
Send food needs to the venue in writing.
Give the venue your count and ask what happens if a few people drop out.
Sort out travel: a meeting point, shared rides, or a map pin and parking notes.

2 days outConfirm everything

Confirm the date, time, count and special requests with the venue.
Check the forecast if any part is outdoors and decide the rain plan.
Send the address, a map pin, the start time and who to call if running late.
Pick a backup: the nearest place that could take your group.

Day ofGet everyone there

Arrive 15 minutes early and find your venue contact.
Check the space and the seating.
Take a few photos, or ask someone else to.

Within a week afterClose it out

Share the photos.
Thank anyone who helped.
Settle the bill and file the receipts.
Write down what worked, what did not, and what the venue did well or badly.
Update your team’s running note of food needs, access needs and days that do not work.

How to use it

The lead times are our guidance for a typical outing of 8 to 30 people. Add two to four weeks for groups over 30 and for anything in December, when venues book up with holiday parties.

Tick items on screen as you go. Ticks are saved in this browser only; which items you tick is never sent to us.
Print it for a paper copy: the whole list with empty boxes on one or two pages, Letter or A4, with space at the top for the outing, date and headcount.
Copy it as text and paste it into the doc or chat where your team plans. Ticked items keep their tick.

For the reasons behind each step and what to ask the venue, read our guide to how to plan a team outing. Planning for this week instead? Use the last-minute team outing playbook.

Three steps get their own guides: setting the budget with our team outing budget per person ranges and the outing cost calculator, writing an invite people answer with how to get employees to RSVP, and collecting food needs with how to handle dietary restrictions.

Run the middle weeks in one place.

In TeamOutings, a poll settles the activity or the date. People answer yes, no or maybe and the headcount updates live. Each outing has a chat for “where do we meet?”, a shared photo album for afterward, and shows its cost per person and capacity, on the web, iPhone and Android.

TeamOutings does not send reminders or calendar invites, so the follow-ups on this list stay yours.

Start planning free See the features →

Team outing planning checklist

How to use it

Run the middle weeks in one place.