A team gathering in the forest, without forced fun
Imagine a morning when no one walks into a meeting room. The team gathers in the forest at VDNH: the first sounds are greetings, rustling leaves and the click of flask lids, rather than a forty-slide presentation. Phones are still in people's hands, but twenty minutes later they are already being checked less often. Someone heads down a path, someone helps set the long table, and two colleagues finally finish a conversation that never quite found the right tone in the work chat.
This is not an account of a particular event or a review from a real team. It is a composite scenario drawn from the things people commonly want from a modern team gathering: less pressure and more real connection; fewer compulsory activities and more space where people simply enjoy being together.
Why the usual team event often falls short
The awkwardness does not begin with the host or a party game. It begins with the wrong objective: trying to 'bring together' in a few hours people who spend the year working at different paces, have different personalities and relax in different ways. Some love being the centre of attention. Others want a long conversation with two colleagues. Some need movement; others need quiet after a demanding quarter.
A forest does not ask everyone to behave in the same way. It naturally allows one large event to find several gentler rhythms. You can sit at the table, take a walk, return to a conversation, watch the evening light or visit the sauna or hot tub at a separately scheduled time. That is why a team event on NAMETY's forest meadow is best planned as a thoughtful day with room to choose, rather than a performance in which everyone must take part.
A plan for a day when no one has to 'entertain the team'
1. An unhurried arrival. Do not start a speech the moment the last car pulls in. Allow time for people to find a place, say hello, get a drink and look around. Before the trip, send the exact address, arrival time, advice on footwear and a contact number for the organiser. These are small details, but they remove the first twenty minutes of confusion.
2. One honest conversation together. If a work session is needed, choose one topic that really benefits from being discussed in person. For example: what the team achieved during the year, what is draining people, and the one change everyone wants to take into the next working period. Skip the reports from every department and any staged 'openness'. Clear questions, a moderator and a defined finish are enough for a meaningful conversation.
3. A shared table. Food turns a corporate occasion into a human one. It could be brunch, lunch, dinner or a barbecue. The meadow description lists the option of using a grill, but the precise arrangements, rules and everything you need must be agreed in advance. NAMETY is not a restaurant, so restaurant expectations do not automatically apply. Decide separately who will be responsible for food, drinks, crockery, serving and clearing up.
4. An hour with no programme. Do not be afraid of a gap in the schedule. This is often when the best conversations happen: a designer meets the person who handles their requests; a new employee stops feeling new; a manager hears something no report reveals. You can suggest a walk or a quiet game, but taking part should remain a choice.
5. Separate time for the sauna and hot tub. It is better not to announce the sauna and hot tub as one mass activity for everyone. While one group relaxes in NAMETY's sauna and hot tub area, others can stay on the meadow, walk or talk. For events with up to 30 guests, sauna and hot tub time must be agreed according to the chosen package. Exclusive hire for 31–50 guests already includes one session with a sauna and two hot tubs, lasting up to two hours, but this too must be shared between smaller groups according to capacity. Taking turns preserves the freedom to choose and avoids a queue of people holding towels.
6. An ending that needs no grand announcement. In the forest, the high point is often a change in the light rather than a speech. Dinner slips into dusk, voices soften and the formal part quietly comes to an end. Set the finish time and plan the journey home in advance, but leave the last hour free of competitions.
The manager's role during the day
A forest gathering will lose its ease if the manager brings the usual office meeting along. It helps if they begin by welcoming people as the host of the day, briefly explain the idea and mention only a few things that truly matter. After that, rather than sitting apart with the leadership team, they can move between conversations, listen and let silence be silence.
Do not turn the outing into a hidden test of loyalty to the company. Someone who does not want to use the sauna, does not drink alcohol or goes home earlier has not 'dropped out of the team'. Offer equally valued ways of spending time together: a conversation at the table, a short walk or a quiet moment under the trees. The manager's role is to show that every choice is welcome and that declining does not require an explanation.
If you are thanking people or reflecting on achievements, speak about specific contributions rather than staging a popularity contest. A few precise sentences about work done together will be remembered more clearly than a long awards ceremony. This is the tone that makes a team gathering feel alive: people feel seen, without being put on display.
Adapting the plan to the size of the team
For a small team, one table and one conversation together may be enough. For a medium-sized team, create several places to talk and arrange staggered sauna and hot tub visits. For a large group, a clear schedule, someone to coordinate arrivals and natural smaller groups without competition between them become especially important.
The current package depends on the number of participants. Events with up to 30 guests use the 'Forest Meadow + Male Lito' package. For 31–50 guests, exclusive hire of NAMETY is the only option. It includes all five cabins, overnight accommodation within their capacity and one session with a sauna and two hot tubs, lasting up to two hours. The main event runs between 12:00 and 22:00, with access to the venue from 10:00 to 23:00.
If you would like to stay overnight, consider the numbers from the outset: all five cabins together accommodate up to 10 guests. They are included with exclusive hire, but this does not mean that every participant in an event for 31–50 people can stay overnight. For events with up to 30 guests, accommodation arrangements must be agreed separately. You can read more about the spaces on the NAMETY cabins page.
What to agree before inviting the team
The meadow page lists furniture, electricity, Wi-Fi, the option of a grill and parking. However, the organiser should confirm the current facilities, layout, permitted electrical load, grill rules and parking arrangements for the chosen date. Make a separate plan for food, drinking water, music, weather, guests' journeys home and clearing up. Do not leave these questions until the morning of the event.
The best team gathering in a forest does not try to make everyone friends in a single day. It creates the conditions for colleagues to see one another as more than job titles. Instead of matching T-shirts, the team takes back to the city a few new conversations, a shared memory and the feeling that, this time, no one was forced to relax.
Planning an event? Explore NAMETY's forest meadow, then go to booking and send us your date, exact number of participants and the pace you would like for the day. Agree the work session, food, any sauna and hot tub session, technical requirements and finishing time separately.
