How to choose a team building company: 12 questions to ask
Ask who runs the event live, what the all-in total is for your headcount, how far ahead to book, and what happens when the date moves or a kit goes missing. Here are 12 questions, with what a good answer sounds like and ours.
To choose a team building company, put the same 12 questions to every company on your list and compare the answers in writing: who runs it live, the all-in total for your headcount, lead time, platforms, and what happens if the date moves or a kit goes missing. KraftyLab, a team events company for live-hosted virtual games, kit workshops shipped to every guest, in-person events and corporate gifts, answers all 12 in public: a live host on every event, the total for your headcount on each activity page, and kits lost in shipping replaced at no charge. Each question below comes with what a good answer sounds like and ours, then a printable team building vendor checklist.
KraftyLab answers are from our FAQ, global shipping page and activity pages, checked October 27, 2026.
12 questions to ask a team building company
Ask them on the first call or send them by email. A company that answers all twelve in writing, before you pay, is one you can plan with.
1. Who will run our event, live?
Some companies sell a link and a slide deck; you want a person on the call.
- A good answer:
- A named host or instructor, live on your call or at your office, for the whole event.
- KraftyLab:
- A live host runs every KraftyLab game and an instructor leads every kit workshop, from the first minute to the last. You book and pay KraftyLab in one place, and KraftyLab manages the booking, any shipping and support.
2. How do you keep 50 or 500 people involved?
A big group on one screen turns into an audience, not a team.
- A good answer:
- Small teams in breakout rooms, every team playing every round, and more staff as the group grows.
- KraftyLab:
- Big groups play in small breakout teams, and a tech assistant can join the host when the group is large. For a whole company, a multi-event program runs several activities in the same hour; one served 1,000 registered employees on four tracks. Multi-event programs
3. Can you run it on our video platform?
IT may rule out Zoom, and many games need breakout rooms and chat.
- A good answer:
- Yes, with a plain list of what they need from you, like co-host rights.
- KraftyLab:
- Zoom is the default, on a private link KraftyLab sends. To use Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or Webex instead, you send your link and let the host in a few minutes early; for games with breakout rooms, give the host co-host rights or have someone of yours run the rooms. Music Bingo is Zoom only.
4. What is the total for our headcount, all in?
Per-person prices often sit on top of a base fee or a minimum group size.
- A good answer:
- One total for your number of guests, with anything extra named up front.
- KraftyLab:
- Enter your headcount on any KraftyLab activity page and it shows the total before you book, taxes and fees included. Anything that can add to it, like custom work or kit shipping outside the continental US, is named on the same page. Virtual team building cost
5. What if more people sign up, or fewer?
Your headcount on booking day is a guess.
- A good answer:
- Book on an estimate and settle on the real number later.
- KraftyLab:
- Book with an estimate. Kit workshops invoice on the final headcount once sign-ups close, and we prepare a 20% buffer of kits. Events without kits bill the estimate, and a follow-up invoice covers the difference if far more people join.
6. How do we pay, and can we use a PO?
Finance may need an invoice, a purchase order or one bill a month.
- A good answer:
- Card or invoice, a deposit to hold the date, and the rest before the event.
- KraftyLab:
- A 50% deposit holds the date. Pay by card, or by ACH, check or wire when you need a purchase order. Enterprise customers can pay by monthly invoice.
7. How far ahead do we need to book?
Kits need shipping time, and December dates go first.
- A good answer:
- A clear minimum for each kind of event, and more time for custom work.
- KraftyLab:
- About 2 weeks for a hosted game and about 3 weeks for a kit workshop. With guests in Canada or abroad, kit addresses are due 4 weeks before, so book about 5 weeks out. Custom questions or branding need about 4 weeks.
8. What if we have to move or cancel?
Dates slip far more often than events get dropped.
- A good answer:
- The policy in writing before you pay, with a free window to move the date.
- KraftyLab:
- Each KraftyLab activity page states its policy before you pay. On most, a date moved at least 2 days ahead costs nothing, while paid event fees are not refunded, so ask to move the event rather than cancel it.
9. Can you make it about our company?
Your own questions, logo or theme make it feel like your event, not a stock one.
- A good answer:
- Yes, with a deadline and a price for the custom work.
- KraftyLab:
- Yes: custom trivia questions, branded backgrounds, branded kit packaging or company swag in the kit. Allow at least 4 weeks; some requests cost extra.
10. Can every guest get a kit on time, wherever they live?
One missing box means one person watches everyone else make something.
- A good answer:
- Guests enter their own addresses, every kit is tracked, and you know the regions and costs before you book.
- KraftyLab:
- Each guest enters their own address and every kit is tracked, typically arriving at least 3 days early. Continental US shipping is included; Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, US territories and international addresses add a per-kit charge shown on each kit’s page. Where a country restricts items like alcohol, essential oils or soil, materials can be sourced locally for a fee, or guests get a list to gather themselves. Global kit shipping
11. What if a kit is lost or the event goes wrong?
You want the remedy in writing, not a promise to look into it.
- A good answer:
- Replacement and refund terms, written down before you book.
- KraftyLab:
- Kits lost or damaged in shipping are replaced at no extra charge. If an event is compromised by technical issues or poor delivery, KraftyLab may reschedule it, offer a replacement experience or give a full refund if necessary. Refund policy
12. What will we learn about the team afterward?
Someone will ask whether the event was worth it.
- A good answer:
- A short survey to guests and a summary you can pass on.
- KraftyLab:
- Guests with an email address get a short survey after the event, and KraftyLab Intelligence turns their answers into a summary you can share. KraftyLab Intelligence
Team building vendor checklist (printable)
Type the companies you're comparing and print one sheet: the 12 questions, a short note on a good answer, and a column to fill in for each company.
Your vendor checklist
Name up to three companies, then print one page with all 12 questions and a column for each answer.
How to choose a virtual team building company
Everything above applies online. These five checks matter only on a video call.
- Ask what guests need on hand. Each KraftyLab activity page lists it: a pen and paper for trivia, a microwave or stovetop for candle making.
- Ask about time zones. A team spread across the world can book two sessions of the same event instead of one at midnight.
- Ask whether you can record it. Most KraftyLab events can be recorded for internal use; recordings stay in our cloud for 7 to 14 days.
- Ask how hybrid groups play. The host leads office and remote people as one group; give the office a screen where everyone can see and hear the host.
- Ask for a case study at your size. Two of ours: Meta brought 450+ employees together from around the globe, and Cisco Meraki moved its retreat online for a full day.
Once you’ve booked, our run of show template plans the hour minute by minute, and the virtual event checklist dates every step to your event.
