Celebrating 30 years of Team Building
Discover the story of how Team Activity Group was born. We interviewed Sarah, co-owner of TAG Events, to find out her story. We discovered the journey her and husband Joe have been on to build the business and the challenges that face small business owners when it comes to balancing family life, the ups and downs of the economy and a global pandemic.
30 years on, they’re still standing (unless they’re paddling)! Happy birthday, TAG Events!
Celebrating 30 Years of Team Building with Sarah, Co-Owner of Tag Events
It's wonderful to celebrate 30 years of Tag Events. Let's start from the beginning. How did you and Joe get into event management and team building?
“Joe and I were busy just dragon boating in the early 1990s. That was how we met. It was our sport, our hobby, our life. We even bought two dragon boats, naming them Dragons Alive and Sunset Dragons. That’s how we started running small dragon boat events.”
So, your journey started with dragon boating. Tell us more about your initial involvement in this sport?
“When I first moved to Henley, I went to do my Swimming Lifesaving Award. Some local people I met invited me to try canoeing. Around the same time, the Henley Dragon Boat Club had just formed and built their first dragon boat. I started paddling with them, and the rest is history. This was around 1990. I later joined GB Ladies, eventually steering the boat for them, and competed in European and world events.”
Competing at such high levels must have been thrilling. Did you have any memorable experiences from those early competitions?
“Absolutely. The first world championships were held in 1995 in China. While I didn't compete, Joe did, and I was involved in organising the event as I was working for the British Dragon Boat Racing Association. The third world championships were held in Great Britain in Nottingham, and I competed there with the ladies and the mixed team. That was my last world event before starting a family.”
How did you manage running a business and raising children?
“It was challenging. When we started employing people around 2000, I didn’t take traditional maternity leave. I had a babe-in-arms at the events, and everyone would pitch in to help. The boys, who are now grown up, chose different sports like swimming, rugby, and football, but they’re proficient at paddling, nonetheless. It was stressful when the children were young, but the flexibility of running our own business allowed me to be present for their sports days and school events. It was both a major stress and a major benefit.”
So, how did Tag Events evolve from dragon boating to the wider range of team-building activities we know today?
“We recognised the need to diversify and initially focused on water activities like rowing boats, canoes, and raft building. After that, we added traditional activities like archery and laser clay pigeon shooting. Everything evolved as we received requests from clients and did our best to provide what they wanted. We try to never say no - for example, we’re currently exploring alternatives like putting up owl boxes for a client who wanted to give to the community and particular nature.”
It sounds like you’ve always been responsive to trends and client needs. Tell us how team-building activities have changed over the years?
“Trends definitely come and go. Popular TV shows like the Great British Bake Off and the Pottery Throw Down influence requests. We’ve also seen corporate team building become more focused on outcomes rather than just getting out of the office. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now a significant factor, so we run volunteering, sponsored fundraisers, and other charitable activities.”
How did you cope with the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic?
“The COVID lockdowns were tough. We did some virtual events, but they weren’t as enjoyable or effective as our in-person activities. We’re all about face-to-face interaction and energising people, so as soon as we could, we returned to in-person events.”
Over the years, what have been some of your most rewarding experiences?
“Seeing people experience dragon boating for the first time is incredibly rewarding. They start off nervous and uncertain but come back as a team, having bonded in so many ways. It’s a great team-building activity because they don’t realise how much they’re learning about teamwork and cooperation while just having fun.”
Looking ahead, what are your plans for the future of TAG Events?
“We want to continue bringing fun and engaging activities to more people. While it’s great that dragon boating remains popular 30 years later, we also enjoy offering a wider repertoire. I particularly love the sports days and creative challenges where the whole team works together. It’s also really rewarding when clients can benefit from us working with personal development experts to get constructive feedback after activities.
Any final thoughts or lessons learned from your journey?
“One of the main things I’ve learned about being an effective team is that listening is an underused skill. It’s the thing teams struggle with most when they get involved in our activities. It’s rewarding to offer a service that helps strengthen teams and make people’s working lives easier and more productive.
We’ve enjoyed the journey and look forward to many more years of helping teams build stronger connections.”