Emerald City Pirates doubles as a perfect unique corporate event venue space for company events and team building activities in Seattle, Washington. We can accommodate company and organization offices and divisions up to 49 team members aboard our 50-foot pirate ship – Queen Anne’s Revenge.

The Seattle area (including Bellevue, Renton, SeaTac, Kirkland, Redmond, Kent and Tacoma Washington) has no shortage of great corporations, companies, non-profits, associations and government entities. Just to name a few, Seattle and the nearby area is home to Amazon, Microsoft, Providence Health & Services, King County Government, University of Washington, Boeing, Starbucks, and T-Mobile. That is quite a list of great corporations, and organizations. However, Seattle is also home to many great smaller businesses as well, with huge hearts and amazing spirits!

At Emerald City Pirates, we understand that when you are put in charge of producing a corporate / company event — it is no easy task! We work with you to alleviate pressure and make your life much easier as the event planner, division head or company owner. Our unique venue is not just a pirate boat, but a full-on pirate interactive experience filled with a merry cast of pirate characters in full pirate gear to add to the excitement and mystique. We also provide optional pirate gear for purchase to produce a festive atmosphere for your office colleagues, as well as a list of preferred caterers and entertainment personalities.

Essential Tips when Planning a Seattle Corporate Event or Team Building Activity

1. Make a questionnaire that goes over the main points you will need to know in order to produce your office party, corporate party or team building activity. There are a number of essential questions you should be asking and writing down answers to. A few of these questions are as follows:  who / how many office colleagues will need to attend, what is the budget, what is the purpose of the event / team building activity, what type of event / activity will be most effective at achieving the purpose or goals (cocktail party, dinner event, or interactive experience), and who or what software will be responsible for sending out invitations and collecting RSVP’s.
2. Choose a date. You should have a few dates in mind so if one does not work out, you will have backups. Make sure you not only check your company calendar, but also the calendar of your industry as sometimes there are big events or conferences that could affect attendance. In addition, be sure to try to not schedule your event around big holidays or events i.e. Superbowl Sunday, or a religious holiday.You should also be aware of seasons and busy times in your location.At Emerald City Pirates in Seattle, we are a perfect location for spring, summer and fall months but not so much winter. In addition, events such as the annual Seattle Seafair or opening day will be busier and harder to book than normal. Typically, it is custom to send out save-the-date e-mails 6 weeks before the date, with invitations being sent out 4 weeks prior and a reminder 2 weeks prior.
3. Choose the theme of your event and add details. Circle back to the questionnaire you created in step one. Here, you should have jotted down the main purpose of your corporate event or team building activity and a general idea of the type of event / activity that would accomplish those goals. A great way to get people pumped up and excited for the event / activity is picking something that is fun and a bit different. Events or activities with an interactive experience tend to get people amped up and actually want to attend the event!At Emerald City Pirates, we find that the pirate theme spans all ages. Pirates have been engrained in all of our childhoods for many generations with tales, movies, and adventures. Pirates are synonymous with special lingo and treasure. We find that the pirate theme works wonders in producing a corporate event or team building activity where participants really bond and get out of their comfort zone.
4. Choose the location: venue / event space. One of the most important factors in producing a successful corporate / company event or team building activity in Seattle is choosing the right venue and event space. A location can make or break a gathering as it possesses direct influence on the vibe and feel of an event. When putting together a corporate event, it is always wise to look for locations, venues, and places that have not been done to death. The most popular restaurant, bar or nightclub might sound like a great idea, but more than likely many of your employees / colleagues have been there numerous times and quite possibly for other corporate events. This tends to not add excitement or anticipation for your event or activity as it produces a “been there, done that” type of mentality. We believe picking a unique event venue or place for your corporate or company event or team building activity greatly helps you excite your base and in turn can boost company morale.At Emerald City Pirates, we believe it would be quite hard to beat the uniqueness of our venue and event space aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge. We are Seattle’s only Pirate Ship boat and have the great advantage of not just being a corporate event venue / place but a cruise that sails on South Lake Union and Lake Washington Ship Canal. Instead of the normal land dwelling venue, excite your office mates with a cruise. The pictures alone should be enough to really bring excitement to the event even prior to boarding!
5. Engage your participants with activities and a social atmosphere. It is not just enough to pick a date, location and have people show up. A successful corporate event or team building activity builds bonds and brings employees out of their comfort zone. Your job is to facilitate an event that allows people to mix and mingle outside their normal clicks while having fun and making long lasting memories. One of the best ways we have seen to do that is with entertainers and event hosts that keep the event festive and fun while not cheesy.At Emerald City Pirates, our pirates make sure we interact with your guests and subtly get them out of their comfort zones so they have a great time without feeling out of place. Our pirates work to make sure different groups mix and mingle with each other so there is always positive interaction.
6. Another great way to build bonds is producing an interactive immersive activity that leads to team building. Emerald City Pirates already has a great interactive treasure hunt activity that can be modified for any corporate or team building event. First, each participant picks a pirate name based on the birth month and the first letter of their first name. You can expect some silly combinations that will definitely get participants in the pirate spirit and spark some interesting conversations. Next, we continue the entertainment with a fun and interactive pirate storyline. They will hear the story of a pirate who stole the ship’s treasure filled with all the booty (treasure) but made a crucial mistake by leaving clues behind. The participants will see the empty treasure chest and solve puzzles, examine treasure maps, dance to pirate tunes, play pirate limbo, learn to speak like a pirate, all while solving the mystery. In the end, the participants will figure out who the dastardly pirate is and capture him by blasting the getaway boat with water cannons while he tries to make an escape! This interactive experience definitely helps build bonds among the participants and is a great team building activity. We can help you modify the treasure hunt to fit your needs, or you can come up with the clues and activities yourself.
7. Reach out after the event. A great way to keep work colleagues connected and engaged is reaching out after the event through a company newsletter and/or dedicated intranet website. An added touch is having a professional photographer capture the moments so you can post them in the newsletter and/or web page for people to view and comment on. We have relationships with a number of great Seattle area photographers to capture your event. Through providing some follow-up, you make sure the feelings and bonds made at the event don’t end at the event.

Are you interested in hosting your corporate, company or team-building event with Emerald City Pirates? Please call us at 206-639-8689 for more information or simply fill out our online contact form and we will be in touch!