In the spring of 2016, Christopher Knight, director of loss prevention at CVS in Phoenix, was in search of something different for the annual offsite meeting with his team. He was looking for an event that would complement his company’s values, which Chris defines with a few key words: collaboration, caring, integrity, accountability and innovation.
Not only that, he wanted an experience that would be more fun than what he could put together himself. “Let me put it simply,” says Chris. “I know my limitations. I can put together something and spend hours and hours working on it, or I can spend [some money] and have a great experience with experts who know how to do this.”
Chris is responsible for guiding a team of 30 people with two roles: all of physical security (training, access, badges, alarms, video, etc.) and diversion mitigation (investigations, audits, compliance, etc.). His department, he adds, “focuses on the integrity part of the values at CVS. We deal with negative situations. It’s not like we’re shaking hands with senators or kissing babies all day.”
His team ranges in age from 22 to 63—a broad spectrum of people who could easily have difficulty feeling close-knit and enjoying two days together offsite. So in addition to finding the right team builders, Chris knew that a fun location was critical for success. He selected Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, Arizona. The hotel has reinvented itself since opening in the 1950s, now showcasing its mid-century architecture with a playful, hip vibe. Chris likened the hotel’s modern adaptations to when CVS acquired Caremark in 2007, a game-changing move that combined retail with pharmacy and propelled CVS into the lead in the healthcare space.
“It’s not like we’re shaking hands with senators or kissing babies all day.”
To help his team really connect, he decided upon The Classic Go Game. “Everyone and their brother has been on a scavenger hunt,” Chris says, “but not one that gets people to work together like this.” He especially liked the incorporation of technology and how it helped everyone think differently and collaboratively. “The leader was fantastic,” Chris says, applying the word “loud” in a seldom-heard complimentary way. “If I saw his face in 20 years, I’d know it.”
So did The Go Game help support his company’s values as he’d hoped it would? “Absolutely. It gave people an opportunity to collaborate. There was accountability. And people took it seriously, but they had a great time.” A high dose of fun was especially important for Chris’ team, so he appreciated that the good times carried over beyond the event: “People also enjoyed having access to the pictures and videos afterward.”
Success! Meanwhile, back at The Go Game HQ, we’re exploring the depths of game development to figure out if we can ramp up the fun factor by adding a few handshakes with senators or finding some babies to kiss. (We never knew people yearned for that.)