The Launch Trials
Teams earn budget by clearing skill challenges, then spend it on parts to design, build, and launch their machine — a raft, a water rocket, or a catapult — in a head-to-head trials final. Engineering ingenuity meets a very public splash-down or bullseye.
Why It Bonds
Give people raw materials and a scoreboard and hidden makers emerge — the raft that actually floats (or hilariously doesn't) creates the kind of shared, slightly chaotic memory that outlasts any keynote.
Running at Scale
Build in pods of 6–10 at parallel stations; the launch final runs as timed heats. Raft builds need a lake or pool; rocket and catapult formats run on any open field for indoor-adjacent groups.
Best Venue Settings
Where to Do It
Lakeside resorts and open-field venues — Lake Tahoe, Lake George, the Ozarks, Muskoka, or a ranch with a pond