Team Building Long Beach California

In just under two weeks, we will be undergoing the biggest expansion we’ve ever done: opening a new TrivWorks office on the West Coast, to start servicing companies on both sides of the country! I will be personally overseeing this exciting move, relocating with my family to Long Beach, CA to get things up and running. Click this link to learn more.

I recently wrote about some questions I have about how our unique brand of employee bonding activities for the office in Southern California will be received. This is a big move for me, since I’ve never lived anywhere else other than the Northeast. As you might imagine, my family and I have been doing a TON of preparation to get ready, both personally and professionally, to make sure that this transition goes as smoothly and successfully as possible!

The way I see it, there are three distinct areas related to this move which we are focusing on: keeping things going here, getting the ball rolling out there, and the move itself. Here’s a look at what we’re doing to address all three:

Getting Things Set Up Out There

When I started this company in 2009, it was a side business – I was literally running it from my basement apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side while also working a full-time job and hosting weekly pub quiz nights. I built it up slowly, making a name for myself and accumulating a respectable amount of business, prestigious clients, and favorable media coverage. Now, my job is to do the same thing all over again in SoCal. Of course, I now have the brand firmly established, and don’t need to start over from scratch – however, I do need to get the word out to this new market.

We will be conveniently located between Los Angeles and San Diego, with incredibly easy access to the major freeways and airports. After finding our footing, I am envisioning us quickly expanding further to service Northern California and surrounding states as well. I am looking forward to getting to know the geography of my new home state well, and to bringing our trivia events to new audiences in this part of the country.

I’ve been fortunate in that the announcement last month of our new office was picked up by several prominent national trade outlets within the events and meetings industry, and we of course have our sustained presence on social media, etc. I’m exploring the possibility of launching a massive public trivia night series in Long Beach like we’ve done in Brooklyn at The Bell House – will keep you posted on that… In the meantime, I’m also establishing new collaborations with people and venues, to recreate the great partnerships which we’ve been fortunate to establish here.

Keeping Things Going Here

Don’t worry, NYC – we’re not abandoning you! On the contrary, I’ve spent the better part of the last year identifying and developing relationships with fantastic hosts, event producers and venues to keep what we’ve built in the Big Apple going strong. We’ve got top-notch comedians, corporate event entertainers and professional emcees ready and eager to deliver fun, laugh-filled events for staff and clients alike. We also established the new “TrivWorks Express” service exclusively for local planners on a budget, to give you a turnkey experience which requires limited preparation and expense. I’m also just as accessible to my clients as always (albeit three hours behind), and am always happy to jump on a plane back East if need be to ensure that an event is delivered perfectly. I assure you that you’re in excellent hands!

The Move Itself

I can’t ignore this, since it’s taking up such a huge part of our lives right now! I’ve never moved cross-country; for those who haven’t done so either, it’s a monster undertaking; just picture a local move, except a few more things to think about. Such as: do we physically take our furniture, or get rid of it and get new stuff on the other side? Do we find somebody we trust to drive the TrivMobile 3,000 miles, or should we just ship it? All things you need to answer when relocating a business – and family – to another coast.

Then there are the administrative tasks like physically getting the new office up and running, figuring out the local lay of the land, and just generally getting our bearings. Work doesn’t stop just because we’ve moved, and we will still need to be able to respond to client needs, new inquiries, and everything else in a timely and professional manner.

You wouldn’t believe the amount of details that go into planning a move such as this. We’ve got to get not only my shop open, but my wife will be starting a new job as well. The kids will be in a new school and totally new environment, and we need to do whatever we can to ensure we all land on our feet. It’s a lot to think about, and at times a little bit scary! But I really have no doubt that things will go smoothly. We have both a great new home and office to look forward to, family and friends close by, and the best weather on the planet to boot. And doughnuts! Lots and lots of fantastic independent doughnut shops (hey – priorities).

It’s funny – this move in and of itself is like a team building exercise. My wife and kids, we are all forced to chip in and do our shares for the greater good, while at the same time learning to solve problems together, get along better, communicate better, and just try to make it an enjoyable shared experience. The TrivWorks crew back East will also find they will bond and get to know one another in new ways, since for the most part I myself won’t be physically in attendance at our gigs. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do NOT advocate moving as a SoCal group bonding idea for the office! But once this long process is done and we are in fact settled in the Golden State, I am willing to bet that we all feel even closer to one another, having been through this process together.

More thoughts and observations about the impending move to come – stay tuned!