Team Building in Portland, OR
The Portland teams we work with aren’t looking for typical ice breakers and games.
They’re looking for better communication, stronger trust, and a better way to work together.
Whether you’re gathering for a team-building session, a department offsite, or a leadership retreat, the time needs to be genuinely worthwhile. When teams step away from their day-to-day work, they’re not just looking to be entertained. They’re trying to collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity, and move forward together.
Activities like scavenger hunts, trivia contests, or game shows can be fun. But because they rely on competition, they often divide people, reward the loudest voices, or leave many participants on the sidelines.
Make Believe Works designs creative, psychologically safe team-building workshops for groups gathering across the Portland area. Our experiences are fun, playful, and deeply human, but purpose-built to help people build trust, strengthen connection, and have conversations that carry forward into real work.
Our workshops are non-competitive by design. They bring people together.
Groups: 5–500 · Duration: 60 minutes to half-day · Formats: In-person, hybrid, or remote
Areas served: Greater Portland area, including Downtown Portland, Pearl District, Northwest District, Central Eastside, Southeast Portland, Northeast Portland, Beaverton, and Hillsboro
Portland is perfect for team building
Our workshops are designed for groups doing meaningful work together, whether they’re part of the same department or coming together across roles during moments of growth, change, or alignment.
Portland brings together teams across technology, creative industries, education, sustainability, healthcare, and mission-driven organizations. Whether you’re reconnecting after growth, bringing people together across locations, or investing in healthier collaboration, our workshops help groups step out of routine and reconnect as humans.
Every experience is professionally facilitated and tailored to your goals, group size, and context.
Trusted by teams at Google, Amazon, Meta, Netflix, Salesforce, Spotify, Stripe, Pixar, IDEO, LinkedIn, Intuit, YouTube, American Express, BlackRock, Johnson & Johnson, P&G, Mars, Mayo Clinic, and Capital One.
What Makes Our Team Building Approach Different
Effective team building creates psychological safety, encourages honest participation, and helps people understand one another beyond their roles.
Most team-building activities focus on competition, performance, or surface-level fun. Those approaches can be exciting in the moment, but they often divide people, reward the loudest voices, and fade quickly.
Our experiences are fun, but non-competitive and talent-agnostic by design. Everyone contributes without being put on the spot. People feel safe lowering their guard, sharing openly, and gaining real insight into one another.
The result is connection that lasts beyond the day itself.
Our workshops are especially well-suited for:
Team-building sessions for teams that work together regularly, or groups coming together for the first time
Department offsites and planning meetings
Leadership offsites and executive retreats
Company-wide gatherings and annual meetings
Groups navigating growth, change, or reorganization
Portland Offsites and Corporate Retreats
Offsites are inflection points. They’re moments to reset priorities, rebuild trust, and align around what matters next.
Whether you’re meeting in Downtown Portland, the Pearl District, Southeast Portland, or gathering outside the city for a retreat, our workshops fit seamlessly into offsite agendas. Groups take creative risks without fear, engage honestly without pressure, and experience the satisfaction of making one another successful.
Each session is thoughtfully facilitated to support meaningful conversation, shared insight, and real momentum moving forward.
Meetings, Celebrations, and Culture-Building Gatherings
Meetings and celebrations are rare opportunities to strengthen trust and shared momentum, not just fill time or entertain.
Quarterly meetings, department gatherings, and company celebrations work best when they reinforce how people collaborate, communicate, and show up for one another. Our workshops help groups use that time well by building emotional muscle memory and meaningful connection.
From culture-building celebrations to end-of-year gatherings, we design experiences that honor what teams have achieved while strengthening the relationships that fuel what comes next.
Make Believe Works in Portland FAQ
Do you run team-building events across the Portland area?
Yes. We regularly run sessions throughout Portland and the surrounding area, including Downtown Portland, the Pearl District, Northwest Portland, Southeast and Northeast Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, and nearby communities.
What group sizes do you support?
From small groups to large all-hands. Share your headcount and goals, and we’ll recommend the best format.
How long are the sessions?
Most workshops run 60 minutes to half-day sessions. For offsites, we can extend or stack activities to fit your agenda.
Do you support hybrid or remote groups?
Yes. We offer experiences that work for in-person, hybrid, and fully remote groups.
How far in advance should we book?
We recommend booking 2–4 weeks in advance for best availability, though we’ve also facilitated last-minute and next-day sessions when schedules require it.
Do you provide food or alcohol?
Nope. We only focus on what we’re good at: designing and facilitating the team-building experience itself. But this is Portland — there are plenty of great options nearby.
Are your Portland workshops facilitated or self-guided?
All Make Believe Works sessions are professionally facilitated. We do not offer self-guided activities or drop-in experiences.
What makes team building effective for Portland teams?
Effective team building creates psychological safety, encourages honest participation, and helps people understand one another beyond their roles. Our experiences focus on trust, empathy, and shared insight rather than competition or performance — so the connection actually carries back into real work.
Are your workshops a good fit for introverts or quieter participants?
Yes. Our workshops are structured, non-competitive, and talent-agnostic, which means everyone can participate without being put on the spot. Introverts often tell us they feel more comfortable and more genuinely included than in traditional team-building activities.
What does facilitated team building in Portland cost?
Pricing depends on group size, session length, and goals. We’re pricier than a scavenger hunt, but clients consistently tell us the results are worth the investment.
Can you tailor a session to our goals or theme?
Yes. We regularly customize prompts, pacing, and debriefs to support goals like trust-building, collaboration, onboarding, creativity, or alignment during times of growth or change.
Where do events take place?
We come to you. We work in offices, offsite venues, conference spaces, and retreat locations across the Portland area. For virtual sessions, we host on Zoom or your preferred platform.
We’d love to help your team connect and thrive. Tell us about your event or goals and let’s make a plan.
You can also always reach us at:
hello@makebelieveworks.com
What Participants Are Saying:
“Make Believe Works reinvents connection and development with its unique, fun, engaging and highly impactful workshops. Most recently, their ‘Super-Secret’ activation facilitated what our team called ‘the most meaningful & fun’ virtual get-to-know you’s they’ve ever participated in. We can’t wait to work with them again!”
— Naomi G., Director, Business Planning & Strategy, American Express
"I usually dread team building activities, but this was different. The facilitation was magical and made all the difference. I sincerely enjoyed the process and learning so many new things about my colleagues. Thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone. Absolutely want more of these."
— Amy O., Design Manager, Spotify