By the Kent Event Centre Events Team. Written from the Kent Showground in Detling, Maidstone, where we host corporate away days, team building sessions and conferences alongside more than 30 large public events every year.
Quick answer
A team building venue in Kent is the space your day happens in. An activity provider is the company that runs the exercises. They are two different purchases, and most businesses do not realise this until they are halfway through the enquiry process.
You have three options:
- All-inclusive activity day. An activity company brings everything to a fixed location, priced per head. Kent Country Parks, for example, offers bespoke team building packages from £66 per person across four of its country parks.
- Destination venue with in-house activities. Places like Hever Castle and Leeds Castle bundle their grounds with a set menu of activities.
- Space-only venue hire. You hire the land and buildings, then bring your own activity provider, or run the day yourself.
Option three is usually the cheapest per head at scale, and the only realistic route if you have more than about 100 people, need indoor and outdoor space on the same site, or want to attach team building to a conference on the same day.
Kent Event Centre sits in category three. We have 200 acres of outdoor space and 7,000 square metres indoors at Detling, just off the A249 near Junction 7 of the M20. See our team building space or call 01622 630975.
What is a team building venue?
A team building venue is a site that provides the physical space, facilities and access for a corporate away day. That means the field or woodland or hall itself, plus the things that make a day work: parking, toilets, power, shelter, loading access, a room to eat in when it rains.
It does not automatically mean activities. This is the single most common misunderstanding we hear on the phone.
Search “team building Kent” and Google will mostly return activity providers: companies that design and facilitate exercises such as raft building, archery, problem-solving challenges or scavenger hunts. Many of these are fully mobile and will travel to a location of your choosing. They are selling facilitation, not floor space.
A destination venue sells both together, at a price per head, from a fixed menu.
A space-only venue sells you the site and lets you decide what happens on it.
None of these is better in the abstract. They suit different group sizes, budgets and levels of ambition.
Do you need a venue, an activity provider, or both?
Work backwards from your group size and how much control you want.
| All-inclusive activity day | Destination venue with in-house activities | Space-only venue hire | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical group size | 8 to 60 | 10 to 100 | 20 to several thousand |
| How it is priced | Per person | Per person, often with minimum numbers | Space hire, plus your own suppliers |
| Who runs the activities | The provider | The venue’s team or their partner | Whoever you choose |
| Choice of activity | The provider’s catalogue | The venue’s catalogue | Anything you can insure |
| Bad weather plan | Depends on the site | Usually good | Depends on the venue’s indoor space |
| Can you bolt on a conference? | Rarely | Sometimes | Yes, if the venue has meeting rooms |
| Effort required from you | Low | Low | Medium |
| Cost per head at 200+ people | High | High | Lowest |
| Best for | Small teams, first away day | Teams wanting a memorable setting | Large teams, multi-part days, repeat events |
The honest summary: if you have 20 people and no time, book an all-inclusive day and stop reading. If you have 200 people, a mixed agenda, or a supplier you already like working with, hire the space and build the day around it.
How much does team building in Kent cost?
There is no single number, because you are usually buying two things.
Activity-led packages in Kent tend to start around £60 to £70 per person for a half or full day. Kent County Council publishes a genuine figure, which is rare in this market: bespoke team building packages at Kent Country Parks start from £66 per person. Treat that as a realistic floor for a facilitated outdoor day in the county. Prices climb quickly once you add motorised activities, catering or exclusive use.
Space-only hire works differently. You pay for the area and the hours, not the heads. That means the per-person cost falls as your group grows, which is exactly the opposite of how a per-head package behaves. For a large team, this is where the money is saved.
Then add, honestly:
- Your activity provider’s fee, if you use one
- Catering (we have catering areas but no permanent on-site catering, so you either bring a caterer or use one we recommend)
- Any AV or equipment for the indoor portion of the day
- Insurance and risk assessments, which a good provider will supply
We do not publish a fixed team building rate because a two-hour session on one field and a full-day event across the woodland with a marquee and a BBQ are not the same product. We quote both, and we will tell you if a per-head package elsewhere is better value for your numbers.
How much space does a team building day actually need?
More than people expect, and this is where bookings go wrong.
Our team building area runs to roughly 800,000 square metres, which is the 200 acres of the Showground. That sounds absurd for 40 people, and it is. The point is not that you need all of it. The point is that activities have footprints, and they do not overlap safely.
As a rule of thumb from days we have hosted:
- Static problem-solving activities (build challenges, puzzles, tabletop) need about 4 to 5 square metres per person and work indoors
- Active field games need a clear area of at least 20 metres by 20 metres per concurrent activity, plus separation between them
- Anything with vehicles, projectiles or water needs a dedicated exclusion zone that your provider will specify, and it is always larger than you think
- Rotating stations need a central regroup point and walking distance between stations that does not eat your agenda
If you are running four activities simultaneously for 120 people, you are looking at a field, not a lawn. Ask any venue for a floor plan and the dimensions of the actual usable area rather than the total site size. Our site plan is downloadable so you can check before you visit.
What should you check before booking a team building venue in Kent?
Beyond the usual venue questions, which we cover in our guide to the questions to ask before booking a corporate event venue, team building has its own list:
Will they let you bring your own activity provider? Some venues will not, or will charge a supplier surcharge. We will, and we do not charge for the privilege. If you have a preferred supplier, we are happy to provide space only and work with them.
Is there a genuine indoor fallback on the same site? Not a marquee you have to hire, not a room half a mile away. Kent weather does not consult your agenda. Our 7,000 square metres of indoor space means a washed-out field becomes a hall, on the day, without a second booking.
Can vehicles get to the activity area? Providers arrive with trailers. Our concrete road infrastructure runs throughout the Showground, so suppliers can reach the space rather than carrying kit across a wet field.
What are the ground conditions in your month? Ask about the specific month. A site that is perfect in July can be a bog in February.
Where do people eat? A team of 80 standing in a car park with a burger is not the reward you promised them.
How far will people actually travel? Maidstone East station is 4.2 miles away with trains to London Victoria twice an hour, and there are seven hotels within 10 miles if you are running a two-day session. Full directions and travel details are here.
Does outdoor team building work in Kent all year round?
Yes, with one condition: you need an indoor plan on the same site.
Kent’s outdoor season for comfortable full-day activities realistically runs from April to October. Outside that, outdoor sessions still work well in shorter blocks, particularly the sharp, cold, bright days in January and February that people remember fondly afterwards. What does not work is a full day outdoors in November with nowhere to warm up.
This is the practical argument for a venue that has both. At Detling you can run the morning across the fields and woodland, then move 200 people indoors for lunch and an afternoon session without anyone getting in a car. In summer we can add a BBQ outdoors; in December the same group runs entirely inside. You can read more about our 200 acres of outdoor space and how businesses use it.
Can you run a conference and team building on the same day?
This is the highest-value version of an away day, and it is the one most venues cannot do.
The pattern that works: conference session in the morning while attention is fresh, lunch, team building in the afternoon when nobody would have absorbed a slide deck anyway. One site, one booking, no coach transfer eating 90 minutes.
It requires a venue with both a proper meeting room and real outdoor space. Our conference and meeting rooms run from the Stockbury room at 20 square metres for 8 to 16 people, through the Cornwallis at 110 square metres for up to 80, up to the Clive Emson Hall at 1,700 square metres for up to 1,700 delegates. All of them sit on the same 200 acres. If you are weighing this up, our guide to choosing a conference venue in Kent covers the room-by-room detail.
One of our conference clients put it plainly after their away day: “It went without a hitch and everyone seemed to have had a great time. Lots of compliments about the lunch too.”
Three mistakes that spoil team building days
Booking the activity before the venue. The activity then dictates the site, and you lose your leverage on space and price. Book the space first if your group is large.
Assuming the venue handles risk assessments. Your activity provider owns the activity risk. Our events team has extensive health and safety training and will advise on requirements, but the provider running the exercise is responsible for it. Confirm who is doing what in writing.
Underestimating the indoor requirement. Teams book for a sunny forecast, then discover the fallback room holds 40 of their 90 people.
Why businesses choose Kent Event Centre for team building
We are a space, not an activity catalogue, and we think that is a feature.
- 200 acres of outdoor space, including woodland, on one site
- 7,000 square metres of indoor space across 12 rooms and halls, from 8 to 1,700 people
- Bring your own supplier, or we will recommend one
- Free, fast Wi-Fi throughout for all events
- Concrete roads across the Showground, so suppliers can actually reach the space
- AIM Secure accredited by the Meetings Industry Association, the UK’s nationally recognised standard for the meetings and events industry
- Over 30 years of running events at Detling
- Owned by the Kent County Agricultural Society, a registered charity supporting Kent farming since 1923, so your booking supports agricultural education in the county
Ready to plan your away day?
Tell us your numbers, your date and whether you have an activity provider in mind. We will send a bespoke quotation and, if a per-head package elsewhere suits you better, we will say so.
Explore our team building space or contact the events team. Call 01622 630975 or email info@kenteventcentre.co.uk.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a team building venue and a team building company?
A team building venue provides the space, facilities and access for your day. A team building company designs and runs the activities. Many businesses need both. Some venues bundle them together at a per-person price, while space-only venues like Kent Event Centre let you hire the site and bring your own provider.
How much does team building cost in Kent?
Facilitated activity packages in Kent typically start from around £66 per person, based on Kent County Council’s published rate for team building days at Kent Country Parks. Space-only venue hire is priced by area and duration rather than per head, which usually makes it cheaper for groups above roughly 100 people. Budget separately for catering, AV and your activity provider’s fee.
Can I bring my own team building provider to a venue?
At some venues, yes. At others, no, or only with a surcharge. Kent Event Centre is happy to provide space only and work with your preferred supplier at no extra charge. Always confirm this before you book, because it materially changes your cost and your choice of activity.
What is the best time of year for outdoor team building in Kent?
April to October is the comfortable window for a full day outdoors. Sessions run successfully year-round provided the venue has genuine indoor space on the same site for lunch, shelter and a fallback. Ask specifically about ground conditions in your chosen month.
How many people can Kent Event Centre accommodate for team building?
Our team building area covers around 800,000 square metres, which is the 200 acres of the Kent Showground. Indoors we have 12 rooms and halls ranging from the Stockbury room for 8 to 16 people up to the Clive Emson Hall and John Hendry Pavilion for up to 1,700. Outdoor events can scale to 30,000.
Where is Kent Event Centre and how do people get there?
Kent Showground, Detling, Maidstone, ME14 3JF. Leave the M20 at Junction 7 and follow the A249 for about two miles. From the M2, leave at Junction 5 and follow the A249 for about five miles. Maidstone East station is 4.2 miles away with trains to London Victoria twice an hour. Note the site is no longer accessible via Scragged Oak Road.
Is there catering on site for a team building day?
We do not have permanent catering facilities on site. We have catering areas that your own caterer can use, charged as an extra on the booking, and we can recommend caterers we work with regularly. In summer, BBQs are popular for team building days.
