X Marks The Spot - Treasure hunts for team building, sightseeing and fun in UK & Europe

What exactly is a treasure hunt?
An X Marks The Spot treasure hunt is a clever, tailor-made, team problem-solving challenge, usually in a tourist city in the UK or Europe.

Clues are provided as you might expect, but that is probably the only similarity with other treasure hunts you may have experienced.

The nature of the clues requires teams to make decisions as to how they will tackle the problem, and there are a few other twists and requirements that make the experience unique, valuable and memorable for participants.... but why spoil things by listing them here!

Who can go on a treasure hunt?
Almost anyone, typically from businesses that value and invest in their own people, understand the worth of good relationships with customers and suppliers or need to motivate and manage teams.

Just some of the typical business scenarios where the treasure hunt can be applied:

Celebrate your team's success
Organisational change, such as separate teams being merged or team with a new manager
Build trust with a new client to do business
Team needing to develop new skills or improve existing ones
Team needing a break between demanding periods of work
Newly formed project team
Change direction of an established team
Recover from a service failure with a key customer or supplier
Team 'stuck' and unable to resolve either work or relationship problems
Reward sustained periods of good work
As part of a visit to a UK or European office, plant, manufacturer, retailer or service provider
As part of training or an educational for those in the travel industry
Time out for delegates at a meeting, conference, exhibition or trade fair
Team seeking to mix business and pleasure
Tackling a business problem off-site
Recruitment and selection

What will my team or business get out of a treasure hunt?
Success in building teams is affected by the group, the task and the environment. What your team derives from the treasure hunt very much depends on them, the business scenario and the objectives of the specific treasure hunt, but typically:

Team working and co-operation are fostered through friendly competition
Decisions (and mistakes) are made in a safe environment, enabling participants to learn and build confidence
Trust is built through improved departmental, individual or external relationships
Staff become more aware of themselves and others
Individual potential can be realised or discovered
Leadership, problem solving, planning and communication skills are tested and developed
Participants are stimulated by experiencing unfamiliar situations and seeing cultural landmarks from a highly interactive perspective

The net result for the business is that increased effectiveness, involvement, motivation and knowledge sharing are brought back to the workplace. This provides a good basis for discussion of problems, formulation of new ideas and quicker implementation of improved work methods - giving your staff more responsibility and making your business more adaptable and flexible.

What skills do participants need?
An elementary map reading ability and an open mind.

Are guide books required?
X Marks The Spot provide all the materials needed for your treasure hunt. However, you may wish to purchase a guide book for personal use, particularly if you are extending your stay. You can buy guide books online through this site, just click wherever you see

Where do the treasure hunts take place?
Almost anywhere you choose. We can even start and end the event in your hotel, conference centre or meeting venue. Paris, Berlin, Dublin, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Rome are favourite European locations, while London, Oxford, Bath and Edinburgh are among popular treasure hunt venues in the UK. Click here to browse some suggested locations.

How many people can go on a treasure hunt?
There is no limit on group size, though somewhere in the range of 10-60 people is typical, split into teams with 4-6 members per team normally.

How are the teams decided?
You decide. You may wish to use existing teams, mix up existing teams, put specific people together, put people of similar types together, put people of conflicting types together or do it at random. We would be happy to consider a quick behavioural analysis as part of the event to help with team selection if you so wish.

How long does a typical treasure hunt last?
Again it's up to you, but we find that 3-4 hours is about right for the hunt itself. Add on the time for any team building theory or selection, feedback on behaviour observed, answer sheet marking, prize giving and incorporate a spot of lunch, and it's best to allow 5-6 hours. Remember to also allow time for travel to and from the location.

What level of physical fitness do I need to take part?
Different levels of physical fitness amongst participants is acknowledged and so the treasure hunt is designed to ensure that every participant can play a full part. A fairly large part of most hunts is spent on foot - teams who think smart and walk do better than those which run aimlessly.

For your own safety, X Marks The Spot require that participants must declare all known medical conditions before the hunt commences, and usually at time of booking. In no circumstances will X Marks The Spot be held liable for the injury or illness of any participant during or as a result of the hunt. Please consult a medical practitioner if you are in any doubt.

Can the treasure hunt be incorporated into another event?
Yes, this is actively encouraged. The treasure hunt is a self contained module which can be tailored easily to fit into other activities, such as meetings, site visits, conferences, exhibitions, corporate hospitality, training, themed events and so on. You may even wish to join forces with another company for that bit of added competition.

How hard are the clues?
Difficulty is a relative thing! Generally, the clues encompass cryptic challenge, logistical planning, lateral thinking and some action-oriented activities. The mood and style of the clues is your choice, and clues can be tailored around company needs if necessary - such as checking or promoting product understanding.

How do participants get around during the treasure hunt?
Public transport is used mainly in cities or tourist locations, where rail, bus or underground networks tend to be frequent and cover main places of interest. Participants tell us that in a less familiar location they feel safer using public transport than driving, and it avoids parking problems. A reasonable amount of walking is also necessary - how much of this there is often depends on how the teams tackle the problem. Resourceful teams will keep walking to a minimum. Some clues may require a particular type of transport to be used!

Treasure hunts in more remote locations may require the use of cars, bicycles or even boats.

What about insurance?
It is a condition of booking that companies undertake to arrange and provide adequate insurance cover for their participants, including travel and public liability for example. Good company insurance policies should be perfectly adequate without amendment. Please consult your insurance company if you are in any doubt.

What about transport and accommodation?
If you are not combining the treasure hunt with an existing business activity, then transport to and from the location, transfers and accommodation at the location can be arranged on your behalf if you so wish. X Marks The Spot uses fully licensed and bonded travel agents and operators to make these arrangements. You can use our site to book a hotel online. (coming soon)

What about meals?
Meals and refreshments are not provided as part of the treasure hunt. These can be arranged on your behalf if you so wish.

What about prizes?
Prizes can be provided as part of the treasure hunt, and will incur an additional cost. We often find that companies prefer to give their own corporate goodies or fun prizes or combine the prize giving as part of a wider award ceremony recognising staff achievements.

Can you tell me about the sightseeing?
Obviously, this depends on the location - but we aim to ensure that each treasure hunt gives participants a taste of familiar (and some less familiar!) sights at any given location. Click here to browse an overview of some of the more familiar attractions at popular UK and European destinations.

How much does it cost?
Each treasure hunt is unique, designed around your needs and priced on an individual basis.

Location, group size, duration, degree of fit with other events, content, complexity, travel during the hunt, travel to and from the location, accommodation and meal arrangements and prize requirements are amongst the variables that are considered.

We will discuss your specific requirements then prepare a quote accordingly.

Given the complexity of some events and to ensure only genuine enquiries are handled, it is our policy to charge for any face to face consultation at a customer's request prior to quote production. This is then refunded in full against the subsequent booking.

What's included in the price?
We agree this with you as part of the specification which is drawn up when the quote is accepted.

The basic cost of every treasure hunt includes desk research; a reconnaissance visit to the location by X Marks The Spot; planning, production and distribution of all materials for the treasure hunt; full facilitation of the event including briefing, monitoring, marking, and adjudication; facilitator disbursements; transport during the event for all participants; and collection and collation of feedback from participants.

Meeting room and equipment hire, mobile phone rental, camera rental, prizes, travel to and from the location, accommodation, meals and the services of a behavioural observer(s) and their disbursements are optional extras which will be detailed on the quote but which are outside the basic cost.

Insurance and outdoor clothing are not provided.

What if I cancel?
Our Terms and Conditions include our cancellation policy. Full Terms & Conditions are issued at time of booking. Our Standard Rates and Charges for Cancellation are on a sliding scale, starting at 20% of the event fee.

Who have you worked with?
Our clients include Halifax, British Airways, Glaxo, Gtech, Woolworths, easyJet, Barclays, Littlewoods, BP and Microsoft. We work closely with UK regional tourist boards and tourist information centres in Europe.

How do I contact X Marks The Spot?
Phone: 07801 693001 from within the UK, +44 7801 693001 from outside the UK

Fax: 07803 271719 from within the UK, +44 7803 271719 from outside the UK

Write: 83 Fulwell Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0RJ, UK

E-mail: info@xmarksthespot.co.uk

Can you send me more information?
This web site is designed to provide you with answers to most of the general queries you may have about us and our treasure hunts, and it is updated regularly.

In recognition of our clients' increasing ability and preference to communicate and trade electronically, we do not produce a separate hard copy brochure, but prefer instead to pass these cost savings on to you. We are always happy to discuss any specific queries you may have.

I'm interested in booking a treasure hunt. What do I do now?
Give X Marks The Spot a call on the number above to discuss your group's specific aims, requirements and interests. We can then arrange to meet to discuss further if necessary, following which a quote will be produced and booking form sent out.

We look forward to hearing from you.