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Hosting a team-building event in the countryside may sound inconvenient at first, but it can turn out to be far more exciting than expected. Let’s take a look at how our planning and execution made the Grab Ho Chi Minh Team Building 2024 a fun, meaningful, and memorable experience.
The Challenge
In 2024, the Grab team reached out to us to organize a CSR-focused team-building getaway in Ho Chi Minh City for more than 100 participants. At first thought, Ho Chi Minh City is often associated with skyscrapers, luxury dining, and constant traffic. Could a true getaway still be possible?
That’s when we discovered a hidden gem: Lai Thieu Town, a charming suburb just outside the city. After presenting the idea, we received the green light from Grab to bring this full day bonding retreat to life. If you haven’t known about this beautiful place yet, feel free to check out our blog post of the town.
How We Helped
We welcomed the Grab team at New World Hotel with a large travel bus to accommodate the group and the journey ahead. Located in Binh Duong City, Lai Thieu Town is about 20 km from the city center, and the trip took nearly two hours.
During the ride, our energetic host introduced the team to Lai Thieu Town and its local culture. Each participant also received a Vietnamese handbook for a light language warm-up, preparing them for the challenges ahead.
The first stop was the centuries old temple ‘Đình Thần Phú Long’, offering an early glimpse into Vietnamese ancient architecture and history. Dedicated to local guardian deities, the temple welcomed the Grab team and shared stories about its traditional wooden design and its long standing role as a cultural and spiritual center. This was where the teams were formed into 10 energetic groups ready to begin their journey with maps and clues in hand.
The first challenge was a traditional folk game called ‘Banh Dua’ a simple yet nostalgic Vietnamese childhood game played with a ball and chopsticks. Laughter filled the air as teams competed in this cultural initial challenge.
Next, the teams followed winding streets to a fruit station, where they tasted exotic tropical fruits native to Vietnam. The challenge went beyond tasting, with a fun Q&A session that revealed surprising and fun facts about the fruits.
Another highlight was the Vietnamese language game Cà Cá Ca. Teams navigated small alleyways to experience local daily life while completing a pronunciation challenge with quirky Vietnamese words. It was an interactive and joyful way to connect with the language and the people.
The final mission was Market Battle. Teams immersed themselves in Vietnam’s trading culture by interacting with local vendors using Vietnamese to buy ingredients. Their goal was to prepare meals for children at the orphanage Aunty Mai’s Home, giving back to the Lai Thieu community in a meaningful way. Thanks to earlier language practice, the teams completed this challenge with confidence and enthusiasm.
Due to local regulations and the large group size, the cooking activity could not be carried out onsite to avoid disrupting the kids’ daily routines. Instead, Grab entrusted our Jackfruit team to continue the activity on their behalf. We were honored to do so and later created a recap video to help Grab relive the special moments of the journey.
The Results
The event was a great success for both Grab and Jackfruit Adventure. For Grab, stepping away from the city to explore the tranquil side of Saigon’s suburbs and experience Vietnam’s rich culture was a meaningful milestone. The program also allowed them to leave a positive impact on the Lai Thieu community.
For us at Jackfruit, this was one of our biggest projects in 2024. More importantly, it gave us the chance to connect a corporate team with a warm and welcoming community outside of the Saigon city center. The smiles, laughter, and teamwork we witnessed reaffirm why we do what we do. In our final moment, the Grab team even requested direct contact for future plans, eager to collaborate another time.
Looking to create a unique and meaningful team building experience? Contact us today as we’re always ready to help bring your ideas to life.
