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The first step to understanding any culture often begins with its language. Words carry history, emotions, and identity. When people learn how locals speak, they begin to see the world through a different lens.
At the end of 2025, Mont Blanc reached out to us with an intriguing request for their upcoming corporate event in Ho Chi Minh City. They wanted a team building concept inspired by their most iconic symbol: the pen. What started as an unexpected inquiry soon evolved into one of the most meaningful Ho Chi Minh team building experiences we have ever designed. It became a journey where handwriting turned into storytelling, language turned into laughter, and strangers slowly became friends.
The Challenge
Mont Blanc first contacted us around November, 2025 with the idea of creating a CSR team building activity connected to their brand’s identity. After many discussions and brainstorming sessions, we introduced a concept called ‘Write & Delight’, a handwriting workshop that used the power of writing to connect people.
But Mont Blanc wanted more than a workshop. They envisioned a deeper cultural exchange. Their team hoped to step into the rhythm of Vietnamese language and daily life while also sharing their knowledge, stories, and warmth with the local community.
That ambition transformed the project from a typical CSR activity into something much more meaningful. It was no longer just about giving back. It became a bridge between cultures.
How We Help
Day 1: Building Trust and Taking the First Step into Vietnamese Culture
A Personality to Community Bonding
Mont Blanc opened their corporate event in Ho Chi Minh City with a regional meeting that gathered team members from multiple countries. For many participants, it was their first time meeting colleagues in person rather than through a screen. Our role at Jackfruit Adventure was to design a surprise bonding activity during the conference.
Although many participants already knew each other professionally, they had rarely interacted beyond work discussions. We wanted to create a space where curiosity and understanding could grow naturally.
We began with a circle of connection where participants teamed up with colleagues they were curious about. Each person shared a few key words describing their personality and background, creating a moment of genuine listening and discovery. The atmosphere quickly shifted. Conversations became more open and laughter came easily. Participants then completed a personality test and joined an interactive challenge where they identified teammates using personality clues. The activity helped everyone better understand their colleagues and how they could collaborate more effectively.
A Preparation Before Big Cultural Exchange Day
The energy continued with a playful decoding challenge where numbers revealed hidden messages about the company’s ambitions for 2026. It reminded everyone that despite different backgrounds, they were all working toward shared goals.
Then came the most unexpected moment of the day. Participants joined a lively Vietnamese language session where they learned simple words and phrases. What followed were hilarious pronunciation games as they attempted some of the trickiest Vietnamese sounds. Laughter filled the room, but the purpose was meaningful. By trying to speak Vietnamese, Mont Blanc members were taking their first step toward connecting with the local community.
This playful language experience became the perfect preparation for the heartfelt activities waiting on Day 3.
Day 3: Hand in Hand with the Local Community
A Lesson of Handwriting and Mutual Caring
If Day 1 was about building connections within the company, Day 3 was about opening hearts to the community.
The Mont Blanc team spent the day with children from local orphanages in what became the most emotional chapter of this Ho Chi Minh team building journey. The morning began with exciting bus rides as the children joined us for a series of special classes hosted by Mont Blanc members. The kids were surprised and delighted when the foreign guests greeted them in Vietnamese. Even simple phrases created immediate smiles. Those small efforts, practiced during Day 1, instantly broke the ice.
With Mont Blanc pens in hand, the children joined interactive English lessons filled with games, laughter, and creative exercises. Writing became more than learning letters. It became a way for the children to express their dreams. One of the most touching moments was the Hope Tree activity. Mont Blanc members drew a large tree and invited the children to write their dream careers on colorful notes and place them on the branches. One by one the dreams appeared.
“I want to be a doctor.”
“My dream job is to be a teacher.”
“I want to be like you.”
That last note stopped many adults in their tracks. For the children, it meant becoming kind, knowledgeable, and supportive like the mentors they had just met. Mont Blanc members read the notes aloud and shared encouragement with the children. They spoke about the subjects they could study, the skills they could develop, and the determination needed to reach those dreams.
By lunchtime, the room felt like a gathering of old friends rather than strangers.
When the Kids Became the Teachers
The afternoon brought another surprise.
Jackfruit Adventure organized a small Vietnamese folk games festival. This time the roles were reversed. The children became the teachers, guiding Mont Blanc members through the rules and strategies of traditional games.
Laughter echoed through the space as teams competed in games such as ‘banh dua’, which tests agility and coordination using balls and chopsticks, and ’o an quan’, a classic strategy game where players try to collect the most golden stones.
The competition was friendly but energetic. Teams shouted encouragement, celebrated clever moves, and laughed at unexpected mistakes.
By the time the final cheer erupted from the winning team, everyone knew the day was coming to an end. The farewell was emotional. Children waved goodbye with bright smiles while Mont Blanc members carried home memories that would stay with them far beyond their corporate event in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Results
The Mont Blanc team left with more than just stronger internal connections. They experienced Vietnamese culture through language, games, and heartfelt conversations. They shared their knowledge and kindness with a community that welcomed them warmly. For the children, the day brought not only new lessons but also encouragement to believe in their future.
Designing this program required us to build something completely new from the ground up. Yet in the end it became one of the projects we are most proud of. Because sometimes, the simplest tool in the world, a pen, can write stories that connect people across cultures.
For us at Jackfruit Adventure, this project reminded us why we love creating Ho Chi Minh team building experiences. Moments like these show how powerful shared experiences can be when people open themselves to learning, connecting, and giving.
