Chili Cook-Off
“Recipe for Success made me look so good! I received so many positive comments about our Chili Cook-off and everyone had a great time. Rob got everyone involved and it was truly amazing how this team builder got the creativity of all of our teams flowing. I can’t count how many people told me it was our best team builder ever!” —Shea Holmes
Primary Benefit: TeamBuilding
Secondary Benefit:
- Have fun
- Play together
- Resource Management
- Negotiation Skills
- Create a memorable experience for the group
- Friendly competition
The Game: Chili. Chili con carne. Texas Red. Whatever you call that savory concoction of meat, grease, and fire, it is without a doubt the natural child of the arguing state of mind. There’s no standard recipe — only curiosity and debate — and almost anyone’s first thought after a taste of somebody else’s version, no matter how much it pleases the throat, is that they could do it better.
But to truly appreciate chili, one has to do more than taste it. You have to experience first-hand what it’s like to earn each ingredient; to have to stare deep into its restless, lonely heart.
You and your team now have the opportunity to participate in this great debate. See your fiery delight through from start to finish, beginning with trading and bartering for ingredients, both at the General Store and with other teams. After creating the best darn chili ever, you design a marketing campaign to promote your culinary marvel, complete with an artistic sales pitch and commercial jingle. Judges score the chili, holding up hilarious signs like “that’s going to hurt tomorrow,” “don’t quit your day job,” and “hasta la vista!” Negotiation and teambuilding skills are essential to success in this fun and engaging program.
Training Module or De-Brief: An optional debrief can be led by a trained facilitator around recognizing team strengths.
Minimum/Maximum Group Size: 8 to 800.
Program Length: 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Space Requirements: A room large enough for a table for each team to use a portable stove, chop up ingredients, and create a marketing strategy. Large groups can be done in a ballroom or outdoors.