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FAQs

Please see the following common questions asked by prospective clients and purchasers of our training courses, business games, team building, coaching and L&D programmes. If your question is not answered here, please contact us for a prompt response!

Business Games FAQs

A business game is an interactive structured training activity with specially created conditions, which aim to reproduce those of a working situation in a successful business.

Before looking further into what makes a business game we need to consider what makes a successful business?

In simple terms, it is an effective combination of people, resources and processes to produce a product which customers will value and buy.

Like a business, games should involve people, resources and processes. The aim is to give participants an experience comparable to one in ‘real-life’.

A business has also to remain competitive, so business games are usually competitive in character with compressed time periods, allowing the result of decisions and policies to be seen.

It would be wrong to suggest that one business management game can cover all the personal and management skills involved, but different games target different skills. For example one activity might concentrate on communication, feedback, leadership and team skills whilst another will cover problem solving, decision making, managing resources and budgets.

Participants learn more than theory by practical experience, they learn about themselves and others. Team roles and skills are key components in a business management game therefore team building development is enhanced and the practical value of group dynamics is demonstrated.

By experiencing rather than discussing a model, participants gain in knowledge, competence and confidence.

“I hear I forget, I see I remember, I do I understand.” – Confucius

There are different activities for all levels. With most games the trainer can make the game more or less demanding by supplying different amounts of information; reducing the number of input variables and decisions required; varying the time allowed or targeting specific issues.

Business strategy games enable participants to practice management skills often developed in isolation from other elements of the system.

We are a provider of indoor business games and management training for schools, colleges, universities and corporations.

In one game the leader did an excellent job running the company and showing a greater profit than other teams taking part. She then became involved in a task that took her away from her leadership role and the team ‘wandered off course’. This was her feedback:

“It is one thing reading about this, but this kind of work (business simulation games) really hits home and makes you fully understand the importance of the issues.”

An important part of any training activity is the debrief. Here the process and analysis of results also gives participants good learning experience of organisation and group working skills. All require facilitation by trainers who are familiar with the processes involved. Effective links are made between the learning and work applications appropriate to the group and the individuals within it.

We believe that training should be:

  • active
  • challenging
  • interesting
  • enjoyable
  • focused on key issues and
  • memorable.

These ingredients stimulate a high-level of motivation in participants in developing skills to improve their individual and team performance. These, with continued support, are transferred to the workplace.

Here are some of our customers who appreciate our experience in training and enjoyed our courses, business games or team building activities:

  • Acturial Profession
  • Aegon
  • Aeroflex
  • Air Canada
  • AirMiles Travel Company
  • Alberto Culver
  • Anglian Windows
  • Archant
  • Ashhurst Solicitors
  • Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
  • Association of Business Schools
  • Aston Villa Football Club
  • Athens University
  • Autoliv
  • BAA
  • BAE Systems
  • Balfour Beatty
  • Bank of America
  • Barclaycard
  • Barclys Bank
  • BBC
  • Bechtel
  • Bedfordshire & Luton MH & Social Care
  • Bernard Matthews Food Services
  • BMW
  • Bio Products Laboratory
  • Boreham Consulting Engineers
  • BP
  • British Aerospace
  • British Energy
  • British Medical Association
  • British Sugar
  • BSkyB
  • BT
  • BUPA
  • Centrica
  • Chevron Texaco
  • Chartered Institute of PFA
  • Coca-Cola
  • Construction Skills Council
  • Civil Service College
  • Cisco Systems
  • Colas
  • Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
  • Deloitte
  • Delta Airlines
  • Department for Transport
  • DHL
  • DPAS
  • Dupont
  • East Sussex County Council
  • EDF Energy
  • Ernst & Young
  • Essex County Council
  • First Great Western
  • First Republic Bank
  • Goldman Sachs
  • Goodyear Dunlop
  • GlaxoSmithKline
  • Grant Thornton
  • Harvard Business School
  • Henderson Retail
  • Home Group
  • House of Commons
  • HSBC
  • ICI
  • Identity & Passport Service
  • IKEA
  • Imperial London Hotels
  • ING Direct
  • Instron
  • Ipswich Town Football Club
  • John Laing Partnership
  • John Lewis
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • JPMorgan Chase
  • Lloyds TSB
  • Lockheed Martin UK
  • London Mint Office
  • Maclaren Europe
  • Maersk
  • Magnox Electric
  • Marks & Spencer
  • Marriott Hotels
  • McKenzie & Company
  • Metropolitan Police
  • Ministry of Defence
  • Mothercare
  • Nationwide Building Society
  • NATO
  • NATS (National Air Traffic Services)
  • NBCUniversal
  • NHS
  • Nokia
  • Northern Ireland Office
  • Norwich Union
  • Novartis
  • Npower
  • Nuffield Hospitals
  • Openreach
  • Palm Europe
  • PepsiCo
  • Perkins Engines
  • PPG Industries UK & Russia
  • Project Management Institute USA
  • Ricoh
  • Roche Pharmaceuticals
  • Royal Air Force
  • Royal Berkshire Hospital
  • Royal Society of Arts
  • RWE Npower
  • Sainsbury’s Supermarkets
  • Scottish Government
  • SCA
  • Security Industry Authority
  • Selwood
  • Shell
  • Siemens
  • Skills Acadamy for Health
  • SITA
  • Smith & Nephew Healthcare
  • Southern Rail
  • Sovereign Capital
  • Suffolk Constabulary
  • Suffolk County Council
  • Tesco
  • Thomson Holidays
  • Thomson Reuters
  • Thrifty Car Rental
  • Training Development Agency
  • UK Greetings
  • University of Bournmouth
  • University of East Anglia
  • University of Greenwich
  • University of Portsmouth
  • University of Tennessee Medical Center
  • University of Westminster
  • University College Farnham
  • University College Rochester
  • US bank
  • Venson Automotive Solutions
  • Virgin Holidays, Virgin Media & Virgin Money
  • Volkeswagon Group
  • Waitrose
  • Walmart
  • Wolseley UK
  • Yell Group
  • Yorkshire Bank

Also for the following District Councils:
Babergh, Basingstoke & Deane, Colchester, Chelmsford, East Sussex, Greenwich, Havering, Ipswich, Rochford, Suffolk Coastal, Waveney, London Boroughs of Havering & Tower Hamlets.

Our experience in running the games many times with different teams enables us to ensure that participants enjoy the game and the learning points are brought out.

If you only intend to run the game once it is well worth getting a quote for us to run the game for you. It will save you the time of learning about the game and you only pay for our time – not the cost of the game.

This is a cost-effective method of developing your team(s) with the bonus of having no concerns of running the game.

The Trainer’s Manual gives you the information you need. Your role is to introduce the exercise and get the teams started. During the game you might have to input some data on the computer and ensure the teams are complying with the instructions.

This is the normal process:

  1. Issue briefing papers
  2. Allow teams to share the information and plan their approach
  3. Observe the teams in action until deadline
  4. Begin the debrief:  Listen to their experiences; promote discussion from and between teams; draw out key learning points; relate it to the real world; draw up action plans for performance improvement
  5. Receive standing ovation!

There will be an opportunity for you to observe the behaviours, attitudes and skills of the teams.

  • How are the team working?
  • Who is taking what roles?
  • Are they setting objectives?
  • Are they working effectively?

When the activity is over you lead the debrief and bring out the learning points. The Trainer’s Manual gives you the information you need.

Customer Support

If you need any assistance please contact us.

You can order a game by:

Please note the price of the games are in £’s (GBP). When buying outside the UK, please check the exchange rate for the amount you will have to pay in your currency.

Pay for your game by:

  • Credit Card, Debit Card or PayPal – Click on the “Add to basket” button on the page
  • Contacting us over the phone with your card details
  • Purchase Order or Bank Transfer (please contact us for details)

Credit and Debit card transactions are dealt with by the secure services of WooPayments. When you make a payment you will automatically receive an e-mail from WooPayments confirming the payment paid, and giving you a Transaction ID.

We cover all WooPayments transaction charges; we do not add a surcharge for card payments.

For overseas delivery we do not charge VAT (UK Tax). You may need to pay Importation tax in your country; so please be prepared to pay this locally, before you can receive the goods.

Orders placed on a working day (we are closed on Saturday and Sunday) are normally dispatched the next working day.

UK deliveries are normally sent by DHL or Royal Mail for next working day delivery.

Worldwide deliveries are normally sent by DHL and provide a tracking service. Delivery times vary according to the country and location within that country.

  • UK in 1 to 2 working days £15
  • European Country in 2 to 4 working days £40
  • USA and Canada in 2 to 5 working days £50
  • Rest of the World in 2 to 6 working days £60

Games in stock

We keep most items in stock, however in the event that an item being out of stock, we will email you within 2 working days of placing your order. Please contact us to check stock availability, if delivery of your training game is urgent.

Please see our Terms and Conditions

When delivering a business game, it is essential everyone feels comfortable and appreciates you are creating a safe environment for them to be open about their thoughts and feelings.

Consider their ability to speak a common language. Some of our business games have no written instructions for delegates and can be used in any language.

Ice Breakers FAQs

Getting people comfortable in a group setting before a team meeting can be the best investment of time you can make. Our ice breaker games help participants feel comfortable talking and at ease with the others.

Icebreakers for meetings are also the easiest way to drop teammates into meeting-mode.

Successful icebreakers help participants creative juices flow, increase the exchange of ideas, establish team identity and create a sense of community.

Ice breakers will enable participants to:

  • quickly become familiar with one another, which will lead to a more productive meeting.
  • relax and think more creatively
  • help participants to interact on a different level than they do in the workplace
  • open the lines of communications with relaxed manner
  • resuscitate any failing energy and stimulate the creativity
  • be energized, increasing enthusiasm and receptivity to messages conveyed during the meeting as a result of the ice breaker games for staff meetings
  • communicate and reinforce some key issues around employee engagement, corporate social responsibility, workplace safety, customer service, vision, values and ethics plus many more issues.

If you’re expecting new people to work together for a period of time, some form of introduction is needed. You might as well make it fun with an ice breaker

What if our meeting is conference call between participants in different countries?

Because you do not have a physical way to get people moving around the same room, you have to adapt traditional icebreakers to work over distance.

I would regard an icebreaker as essential. It will help establish the kinds of connections that would normally happen in a day-to-day office setting.

The facilitator can use icebreakers as a quick assessment of the group to gauge how much they know about the topic, how comfortable they are in groups, what is their background, expertise and so on.

The key to a successful icebreaker is to make sure it is focused on meeting your objectives and appropriate to the group of people involved.

There are many types of icebreakers and energisers for meetings or training, each suited to different objectives. For more information, see our selection of icebreakers.

Management Games FAQs

Here are some considerations to help you choose:

  • What are the learning objectives?
  • Which game best simulates the objectives and conditions I am trying to communicate?
  • What time do you have to run it?
  • How many participants are there?
  • What is the knowledge and experience of the participants?
  • What is my budget?
  • What other courses can I use this game for?
  1. Read the Trainer’s guide. This will give you a good idea of what the game is about and how to run it
  2. Look at your learning objectives and see how they will fit into the game
  3. Make copies of the provided debrief or devise your own to suit your needs
  4. Run through the game, preferable with others, so you have a good understanding of it
  5. Prepare the layout of the room and issue the supplied materials. On occasions you may need to provide other materials such as flip charts, writing paper and pens etc
  6. Brief the participants on the game
  7. Monitor the groups in action and where appropriate help individuals or groups to go in the right direction
  8. Guide the debrief – listen to their experiences; promote discussion from and between participants; draw out key learning points; relate it to the real world
  9. Draw up action plans for performance improvement in the workplace.
  • Wide selection of business games and training materials produced by us and other top companies
  • Best price guaranteed with help before and after your purchase
  • Buy and use as many times as you want
  • Easy to use – just follow the included trainer’s guide
  • Structured learning activities that are lively and fun, but focus on real, relevant workplace issues. 

Learning should be enjoyable and listening to a person talk is one of many methods of learning. However, it is less suitable for people who prefer a more practical, active approach. Management games help make learning interactive, enjoyable and realistic with key learning points to take back to the workplace.

Games should not be played for the sake of it, or for making the life of a facilitator easier. However, there are many reasons for running management games including:

  • A game simulates ‘real life’ conditions of what the training is trying to communicate
  • It is enjoyable with lots of learning in a short space of time
  • It generates interest in the subject and is rich in experiential learning
  • The game allows participants to easily interact, socialise, and network with others
  • It provides much evidence for the facilitator and participants to debrief and learn from.

Interpersonal skills are key skills for managers and it is possible to read about these in a book. But you can learn more about them from a practical activity, where you get feedback from others on the affect you had on them. Once the behaviour has been experienced, the manager is on the way to a change in behaviour.

There are many types of management games for meetings or training, each suited to different objectives. For more information, see our selection of management games.

Training Course FAQs

This depends on the course and the depth of knowledge required. They range from a half-day to five days.

Our courses are very interactive where participants learn by doing rather than listening. So we normally restrict the maximum number to twelve. However, many of our courses may only consist of one or two delegates. These small courses ensure we move at the pace of the delegates; as fast or slow as necessary, as deep into the subject as appropriate and with more development than is possible on a group course.

Elite Training offers a wide array of training courses. Whether you’re looking to train managers in supervisory skills, empower staff to deal with difficult people, want to improve employee Excel skills, or even all three, we are proud of our high-quality selection. 

Our courses, which can be delivered remote or in-person, are tailored to the specific needs of your organisation, taking into account the roles of the employees attending the course, their experience, and the objectives of the firm. With over 25 years of experience in customising courses, we’re confident that we can deliver something that’s just right for you. 

We carefully select course tutors, for their extensive, practical experience holding roles where they’ve had to demonstrate the skills that they’re teaching. We look for approachable, confident and compassionate individuals who can deliver a course that’s engaging and insightful. 

Courses will focus on the practical knowledge that delegates need to know, and prioritise opportunities for them to put it into practice, through exercises, discussions, and case studies. Delegates are encouraged to put together action plans for when they return to the office, and our friendly trainers are always happy to answer any questions they may have. 

Our Learning and Development (L&D) Programmes can combine tailored training with support, such as coaching and/or consulting. For example, we can deliver twelve to fifteen months of one-day a month in-person or remote classroom training, supported with a 90-minute coaching session.

Elite Training European Ltd use the best training consultants. To qualify as a consultant our trainers must:

  • have practical experience to a high standard in the field in which they are training. This ensures credibility with delegates
  • display excellent current knowledge of the subject in which they specialise
  • qualify as a trainer at the highest level and experienced with groups at all levels
  • meet customers’ needs and welcomed back for more.

The cost will vary depending on the location and number of sessions we run for you. Because each course is unique and tailored to client’s needs, it is difficult to give a specific price for a course. However, as a general guide, for an investment from £1,300 to £1,900 + VAT we will train a group of up to twelve people at your premises for one day. This is a total cost for all the group and includes our travel and training material for all participants.

Our training materials will save you time and help deliver excellent training sessions.

Need to run a course, but don’t have the time or knowledge to prepare professional training course material?

Creating your own training materials is both time consuming and expensive. You have to plan, research, design, write, create and deliver.

Our training materials consist of games and exercises which improve retention of ideas, learning and increase fun and enjoyment. Each exercise provides experiences upon which participants can reflect and build. These experiences become the platform for learning.

Here are some considerations to make when choosing training materials:

Learning Outcomes

When selecting training resources think carefully about your intended learning outcomes. Will the resource meet these?

Consider your audience

  • Is the exercise relevant and at the level of the participants?
  • Will it challenge them, yet be achievable?
  • Is it topical?
  • Will it keep them engaged and ready for more learning?

Timing

  • How long does the exercise last?
  • Have you sufficient time? Ending the activity too soon will lessen its effect and allowing too much time will give opportunity for participants to lose focus.

Elite Training European Limited is a leading provider of training materials. We develop and sell a wide range of business simulation games and training games. We also sell selected training activities and games produced by other top training companies that achieve excellent results in our training courses and events.

Our training materials are a collection of ready-made, trainer-led activities to use in your training program. The resources are ideal for your training course, seminar or conference.

Our live remote training solution is comparable to in-person training, significantly better than traditional video conferencing, eLearning or distance learning and client feedback remains exceptional.  Our technology enables delegates to continue breaking into small groups for discussions, all can see one-another, share presentations and videos, use a whiteboard, etc and we have adapted exercises to maintain their impact remotely. Contact us for a demo.

Feedback includes “The trainer came across as really engaging, this was my first fully remote training session and I honestly had some preconceptions that it would just be a case of listening to the trainer  – I was very pleasantly surprised the sessions were collaborative and interactive.”

Read our Top Tips for Remote L&D blog for more insights.

Team Building FAQs

Often the main goals of team building events are to improve productivity and motivation. But taking employees out of the office helps eliminate distractions and enables groups to break down political, personal and racial barriers.

Team building activities are not only ideal to improve the productivity of a team but also to build trust and ensure that all members are comfortable with one another.

There are many advantages to using team building activities, even if you feel that your team is working well and do not need to be more efficient.

Some of these benefits include:

  • Get to know one another and bond together
  • Improves morale and leadership skills
  • Finds the barriers that prevent creativity
  • Energise, motivate and inspire the team
  • Identify and utilise the strengths of team members
  • Improves processes and procedures
  • Improves the ability to problem solve
  • Improves organisational productivity
  • Identifies a team’s strengths and areas for development
  • Practice collaboration with team members
  • Clearly defines objectives and goals
  • Make the workplace more enjoyable.

Before deciding on what team building activities to do, look at what you want to achieve from it.

Look at the challenges your team face. Talk to the management and the team about the issues they consider need to be met by the event and draw up a list of needs. Also discover if they have preferences for the activities. Consultation with the participants gives them some ownership of the event and they are more likely to benefit.

Look at your team’s strengths and areas for team development. Here are some key questions to help identify the issues:

  • Does a new team need to get to know one another better?
  • Are there conflicts between certain people that are creating divisions within the team?
  • Do personalities rule and make decisions which are not based on logic and common sense?
  • Do members of the group need a boost to their morale?
  • Do some members focus on their own success, and harm the group as a result?
  • Does poor communication slow the group’s progress?
  • Do people need to learn how to work together, instead of individually?
  • Are some members resistant to change?
  • Is it for an existing team who have “lost their way” and need some direction?
  • Does the department always seem at odds with other departments?
  • Do you feel something is holding back your efforts but not quite sure what that something is?
  • Do different perceptions exist in your organisation about what is the problem?
  • Is there too much management?
  • It there too little leadership?

Then choose the team building activities that will be effective in helping them work through these issues. Link the outcome to the business plan, the team needs and individual development.

Discuss these with a team building events provider and see what teambuilding activities they recommend to meet those needs.

Use different team building activities so older members don’t get bored playing the same games. A training game is only a success if it satisfies your objectives and the team enjoyed it.

Do not think that a team event is a “cure all”. A fun day of teambuilding will not sort out problems in the office. Solve the problem in the office first, then take your team out as a reward – and an opportunity to identify the next challenge.

We have a wide range of corporate team building activities to suit your specific requirements and have the knowledge and expertise to consistently deliver enjoyable and beneficial team events for you.

Team building exercises can unite a group, develop strengths and address areas for development.

In business, team building exercises develop teamwork skills that help improve employee performance and productivity.

In general, team building exercises are geared to the three stages of team development:

Icebreakers

  • Focusing on getting to know one another, especially a new team
  • help members understand the importance of working together

Team Development

  • Building stronger ties with members you already know
  • Improving communication
  • problem solving and decision making activities
  • building trust
  • boosting moral
  • learning effective strategies

Team Efficiency

  • develop an atmosphere of trust, confidence, energy and creativity
  • understanding others strengths and weaknesses
  • improving process, procedures and productivity

Our team building exercises give people a chance to learn personal information about each other. They can establish rapport and become more tolerant of each other. This creates a situation in which people are willing to work through situations in a more amicable way.

Team building exercises need to be carefully planned with a clear purpose and carried out strategically.

A key consideration is whether to make the team building exercises competitive. Competition tends to make one person or team work against another. If competition is part of the event it is important to ensure the exercises make people depend on others to succeed.

This also helps create an environment that motivates people to achieve the goals and objectives of the organisation while subordinating individual goals.

We have a wide range of corporate team building exercises to suit your specific requirements and have the knowledge and expertise to consistently deliver enjoyable and beneficial team events for you.

Will these team building games ultimately benefit the staff or the company?

Well let’s start by looking at children who do a lot of learning through games and having fun so can adults.

So how is it that some people do not learn? There are many barriers to learning, for example:

  • lack of time
  • lack of motivation
  • lack of confidence
  • lack of information about opportunities to learn
  • unsuitable work environment
  • inappropriate subject matter
  • past experience.

Team building games are a fun way to overcome these barriers and encourage experiential learning through play.

Games and activities help to stimulate the brain, improving retention of ideas, learning, and increasing fun and enjoyment.

Learning through theory is an acquired skill but experiential learning is a natural skill. Take the example of a child trying to force objects into a box with cut-outs of different. The child makes attempts to match shapes until s/he understands how it works and successfully completes the ‘game.’ When you do something, you understand how it is done.

“What I hear, I forget; what I see, I remember; but what I do, I understand.”   Confucius 451 BC

Co-authors of ‘World Class Training’, Kaye Thorne and Alex Machray, state that, “most memorable learning experiences (experiential learning) usually take place in a special environment.”

Team building games can also create a special environment where people feel valued, capable and foster growth.

Team building games and activities are useful also in serious business project meetings, where games and activities help delegates to see things differently and use different thinking styles.

For over 20 years, we have been delivering excellent team building activities to businesses and public sector organisations in London and the South East, East Anglia and across the UK. Based in Suffolk means we are within easy travelling distance of Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, London, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Surrey and Sussex. We will also arrange Team Building Challenges anywhere in the UK or Europe.

If you are organising a conference, seminar or training event we can run a team building event to meet your needs. Just tell us:

  • The learning objectives for your team event
  • Number of delegates
  • Time for the activity and debrief
  • Venue logistics

We will do the rest – planning the event for you and supplying skilled trainers to ensure you get the outcome you are looking for.

“I just wanted to drop you a line to say a BIG thank you for a wonderful day, professionally organised by yourself and your staff. All members of staff enjoyed the day and found it very rewarding.”

J. Coglan – ELSBC