Marriott International hosted a huge Build-A-Bike® charity team building event in Chevy Chase, Maryland during a bi-annual company meeting at The Women’s Club of Chevy Chase. The event brought together 120 participants from five separate teams with one major goal: build stronger connections across the larger group. Instead of another round of meetings or presentations, employees jumped into a high-energy activity packed with competition, collaboration, and plenty of movement around the room. By the end of the event, the team had not only built stronger relationships, but also completed bicycles that would benefit children throughout the local Maryland community.
Marriott International is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and operates nearly 9,900 properties across more than 30 hotel brands in 146 countries and territories. The company traces its roots back to a root beer stand opened in Washington, D.C., by J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott in 1927. Today, Marriott International continues to focus on hospitality, diversity, and inclusion while serving guests around the world.
Marriott Employees Turn Five Separate Teams Into One During Build-A-Bike® Team Building Event in Chevy Chase, Maryland
With 120 people spread across five smaller groups, the room started out feeling more like several mini teams than one large organization. The Build-A-Bike® changed that quickly. Teams mixed together throughout the challenges, giving employees a chance to work with coworkers they may not normally interact with during the workday. Conversations started naturally as groups raced to solve problems, earn bike parts, and stay ahead of the competition.
The atmosphere kept building as the event moved along. One side of the room celebrated a completed challenge while another team scrambled to finish assembling a bike before time ran out. The competition stayed friendly, but the energy stayed high from start to finish. By the middle of the activity, the room felt completely different than it had at the beginning of the meeting. Employees who started the day in separate groups were now cheering each other on and working together like one larger team.
The final donation moment gave the event even more meaning. Representatives from The Y of Maryland arrived just as the group prepared for the final Ta-Dah photo with the completed bicycles. The charity team arrived ready to accept the donations and connected well with the participants during their presentation. The donated bikes will help provide local children with transportation, outdoor activity, and memorable experiences within their communities. Seeing all of the finished bicycles lined up together created a strong visual reminder of what the team accomplished collectively in just one afternoon.
We want to thank Marriott International for supporting children and families throughout the Maryland community through this Build-A-Bike® event. We also appreciate The Y of Maryland for the incredible work they continue to do for local youth and families.