In this series, features and series developer Heather Nicholls takes you behind the scenes of some of the most compelling brand activations and events.
In this edition, we meet ZiaBia, the agency behind The Environmental Dimension Partnership team building event, Ghent.
The Brief:
The Team Building event was initially planned to take place pre-Covid on the company’s 15th anniversary in September 2020 with 100 attendees.
It was to be a Team Building Event for all employees. The destination needed to be exciting and attractive for the team, while balancing the sustainability of travel requirements. Flying was rejected on this basis, so Ghent, accessible by train from the UK, met the brief.
Due to Covid, the event was cancelled however all research was saved for potential use in the future. As 2025 was the company’s 20th Anniversary we were asked to revisit the brief, this time for the 20th anniversary.
The Execution:
When the event was resurrected for 2025, EDP came with destination, date and attendee numbers with an idea to travel by Eurostar as it is more sustainable. ZiaBia reviewed the historical work then elevated it.
Once ZiaBia was asked to revisit the brief, they considered a variety of options and decided that Ghent was still the best location. Naturally over the period of five years, the brief requirements and budget differed. For example, since the original brief the cimpany had grown and initial enquiries and reservations were based on 120 attendees so the event started to look a bit different. As the company continued to grow during this period, 160 people were invited, with 140 people able to attend.
The company wanted to avoid the stereotypical teambuilding activities and find activities that would be inclusive for all to ensure team building. All activities proposed were within walking distance from the hotel and included cycling tours, kayak tours, traditional chocolate making, castle visits, local food tasting and walking tours.
A number of the team also took part in a charity cycle ride from their Cirencester office to Ghent, timed to arrive within an hour of the main group with a welcome champagne reception. The ride raised over £20,000 for Crisis, the homelessness charity.
Throughout the execution, Zia Bia collaborated closely with DMC Ghent for supplier reccomendations and also worked closely with all the activity providers. The agency researched locally and approached all of them when they went to the site visit. As well, ZiaBia collaborated closely with directors in the business, presenting them with findings from site visits and recommendations.
The Result:
The event celebrated the 20th anniversary, as well as the business as a whole by bringing the whole team together.
The event had a sense of competitive fun with the house competition and recognised the whole company and their success.
Hannah Castle, HR director at The Envirnmental Dimension Partnership said: “ZiaBia managed all pre-event and onsite bookings with complete professionalism, saving us significant time and adding real expertise throughout the process. Their knowledge, seamless handling of logistics, and calm management of last minute changes made a complex event feel effortless. They organised engaging activities, dealt efficiently with questions, and liaised with multiple venues — no small task for a Team Building event of this scale.”
She added: “What truly stood out was their attention to detail and hands on approach. Over the course of the event, the ZiaBia team genuinely felt like an extension of our own — proactive, reliable, and fully invested in making the experience a success. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner.”
Dai Lewis, communications and marketing director added: “Having ZiaBia involved with our events has been really positive. As a smaller organisation we used to design, plan and run our own events but now that we’re bigger, what was once fun, is now a significant and challenging exercise. Having ZiaBia involved allows us to concentrate on the fun and creative aspects and really focus on the Team Building aspects, while ZiaBia ensure everything is well organised, the travel plans all work and the team are looked after.”
Lewis added: “As a Director, from a personal perspective, it also allows us to have more fun and be better engaged with the team during the events, with the reassurance that ZiaBia are there, keeping an eye on things for us.”