Team-building week with Micki®

When Micki joined us, they first wanted to create a 75th anniversary event. It evolved into a whole week of team building activities as Micki also gained a number of new colleagues through a company acquisition.

Micki, which manufactures well-known toys, initially asked Contrast to create a concept and organize their large 75th anniversary celebration. It evolved into a week-long team-building event as Micki simultaneously gained a number of new colleagues through a corporate acquisition. With a clear goal, we created a series of relationship-building activities in true Micki style.

BACKGROUND. Family-owned Micki Leksaker from Gemla in Småland has a long history. In addition to the classic wooden toys, many recognize the brands Pippi, Skrållan, and Lundby. With its 60 employees, Micki® takes great care in manufacturing durable, high-quality toys, with the aim of creating a passion for play among both parents and children.

CHALLENGE. Micki asked Contrast to create a concept and organize their big 75th anniversary celebration. This was eventually postponed due to the pandemic. When the restrictions were lifted, the assignment had a broader purpose – to reunite and strengthen the ‘family ties’, which have always been so important within the family business. Moreover, Micki® had now acquired the company “Rubens Barn”, and the new colleagues had neither visited Gemla nor met the staff there.

SOLUTION. Under the concept name “Micki-Fun Together”, named after the company’s very first toy, we created a whole week full of activities themed around Reunion. The goal was precisely to reunite and at the same time welcome the new members into the Micki family.

The key words were ”creative”, ”playful”, ”family-friendly”, and ”historic yet modern”. During the week, there were, among other things, a mingle lunch at the warehouse, a 2-day creative workshop, and a dinner event in the company’s prestigious premises. Live music was played by the band Crazy Daze, where people with disabilities have the opportunity to live out their dreams and talents, something that is important to Micki, who has several people with disabilities working for her.

RESULTS. The creative workshop was held in Gamla Trumleriet, where wooden blocks used to be colored, as the colorful floor design suggests. Here, new Micki fun sculptures were designed based on the 1940s design, an appreciated team building activity with strong ties to the company’s history. The week ended with a real party night in the company’s historic premises, where details from the 1940s are still present, with playful activities – in true Micki style.

Photo: Lena G Strömberg, Micki Leksaker AB