Winter Team Building in The Austrian Alps

After an involuntary two-year hiatus from planning trips due to well-known circumstances (yes, COVID, we’re talking about you), our first company-wide team building finally happened. 110 Qumans spent an unforgettable weekend in the Austrian Frühauf Alm-resort!

We couldn’t think of a better way to lift the team spirit than going into the mountains, breathing in fresh Alpine air, and enjoying the snow and sunshine. And we weren’t wrong at all. Almost half of the company came to enjoy all the joys of the snow-covered mountain peaks of Innerkrems, Austria, and everything else this idyllic area offers. So, hear out what fun activities we did and how great it was.

Day 01 – Snow activities

We left Zagreb at 6:30 am with two buses. For those who aren’t from the capital and had no family or friends in Zagreb, we arranged a stay in a hotel one night prior to departure. It was a logistical nightmare to organize a trip outside of Croatia due to the strong COVID border restrictions Austria had put up (which postponed our trip – twice), but finally, 110 people have crossed the border and our final destination was less than an hour from us. Worth it.

By 11 am, we were already greeted with a shot of rakia and had time to check in, rest in our rooms, or enjoy drinks on a hotel terrace of the all-inclusive Frühauf Alm-resort. After lunch, we all headed to a snow hill just 2 kilometers away from our hotel, where good music, mulled wine, beers, and snacks were waiting for us.

It wasn’t just laying around and catching sun rays all day, though, because what would company team-building be if there weren’t any organized group activities? Qumans could compete in two organized games: downhill sled racing and blindfolded snowshoe relays! But of course, freestyle snowball fights were an option as well.

We declared winners who won tempting rewards – karting for two for the fastest sledder and an Escape Room voucher for the winning team of the blindfolded snowshoe relays. After this amazing day, we went back to the hotel for a well-deserved dinner.

Probably the biggest highlight of this winter team building was the 80’s themed party. From Madonna and Björn Borg, all the way to Mate Miso Kovac, the 80’s throwback party was full of impressive costumes and imitations. This party was something different, as it hit all the right spots, just like every party should.

Big thanks to all Qumans who dug deep into their parents’ closets and found mom and dad’s vintage clothes, put them on, and let us have a little taste of the epic era that the 80s were. The party had its winners too, with the best three outfits getting their well-deserved prizes – gift coupons for Arena Centar in values of 500, 400, and 300 HRK.

Day 2 – Wellness and chill

On our second day, there weren’t as many activities so that everyone could relax and chill, especially the most hangover ones.

With that in mind, Qumans could use the hotel’s wellness & spa area with several types of saunas (Finnish, salt, infrared sauna, etc.), an indoor pool, massage chairs area, and water beds lounge zone. Still, the party continued from the night before in the outdoor heated pool, which has a fantastic view of the snowy mountains.

Some decided to spend their day roaming around the hotel, exploring beautiful nature, and spending time with very friendly ponies and alpacas on the hotel farm. These South American camelids feel at home there, just like they would on one of the Andean hills, but who wouldn’t while surrounded by the pristine Alpine ski slopes. And the strongest Qumans who still had the most energy left took a bow & arrow shooting class.

After lunch and a bit of rest, around 5 pm, we boarded our buses and left this amazing place, heading back to Zagreb.

Can’t wait for next year

After two brilliant feel-good days spent surrounded by snow and good vibes only, we got back to Zagreb with recharged batteries and were fully ready for the work week ahead. It might sound counter-intuitive that we came back full of energy after that weekend, considering we had to get up around 5 am on Friday. But maybe there was something in that Alpine air that got us all grooving even on Saturday night when it was time to go home.

We got lucky with sunny weather and the amount of snow for the two days we spent in the Alps, and when you add great people and the inevitable fun that comes with them into the mixture, you get a fantastic team-building weekend. So one thing is sure, can’t wait for next year!