Clues, Cruises, and Connections: Team Building at TMN
As 2025 comes to a close, we stepped away from our keyboards and client calls to take some time off, reconnect with our colleagues, and make some new memories to celebrate a year of milestones at The Messenger Network. But as you’ve learned, at team TMN, we hardly ever do anything ordinary. So how do you celebrate with a group of strategists, problem solvers and divergent and convergent thinkers?
With Escape Rooms, a teambuilding luncheon, and a Murdery Mystery-themed dinner party of course!
This year, we wanted to create an experience that not only engages our team’s love for solving puzzles and strategising but also celebrates the incredible work we’ve achieved as a team. That’s why we chose to cap off the year with an exciting team-building adventure: an escape room challenge followed by a murder mystery-themed dinner party, all set against the serene backdrop of the Vaal River. It’s the perfect way to put our teamwork, creativity, and collaboration to the test while sharing laughs and memories in a relaxed and beautiful setting.
Putting Our Skills to the Test at MalMic Escape Rooms
We started November off by getting out of the office and into the thrilling world of MalMic Escape Rooms to celebrate what we do best — solving problems, thinking critically, and working together. As a team of natural strategists, this challenge felt like a playful extension of what we excel at every day.
Each room offered new twists and puzzles, pushing us to approach familiar skills in a fun, high-pressure environment. It was an opportunity to laugh, connect, and see just how creative and resourceful we can be when the clock is ticking.
🎯 What We Loved Most from our Escape Room Adventure:
- Harnessing Our Expertise: The challenge reinforced our team’s strategic thinking and showed them how they can translate this skill to any situation — even playful puzzles!
- The Power of Collaboration: We loved the teamwork aspect at the heart of this unique teambuilding activity, and it allowed our team to see that every clue when discussed together, can make it easier for us to take the next step forward.
- Celebrating the Process: Whether we “escaped” or not, every moment reminded us that it’s not only about solving challenges, but doing it together and the fun, lessons and experience we can have along the way.
Team TMN, we are so proud of the incredibly smart problem-solvers you are, and that we get to spend every day working together and making other businesses better with our enterprise communication tools and clever WhatsApp campaigns.
Teambuilding in Disguise: TMN’s Murder Mystery Cruise a Night of Glamour
All aboard for an adventure like no other! The Mystery of the Seas:
In true TMN style, we ended the year off with a spectacular Murder Mystery Themed Cruise along the beautiful Vaal River at Stonehaven on Vaal. Focusing on having fun and showing off our creative side, we traded our usual roles for mysterious characters (which we had to keep secret) in a captivating “whodunit” concept (in which the murderer’s identity is not revealed until the end).
A sneak peek at the Crew & Passengers:
Captain Stubling: The ship’s captain, preoccupied with more than just navigating the waters — his estranged wife was aboard, and tensions were high.
Candy Cann: The showgirl with a knack for theatrics and deceit, keeping everyone on edge.
Tom Collins: The Head Barman, a man with a history of saying yes to almost anything — almost.
Margarita Rocks: The ambitious cocktail waitress, eager to prove her worth, even if it meant playing dirty.
What We Learned:
🕵️♂️ Strategic Thinking: Everyone needed to think on their feet, analysing actions and motives to get closer to the truth.
🎭 Creativity & Role-Playing: Taking on a new persona allowed us to step outside our comfort zones and see our teammates in a new light.
🤝 Collaboration: Solving the mystery required teamwork, trust, and the ability to see the big picture together.
And yes, with everyone dressed so fabulously, we had to give out awards for being best dressed!
- Best Dressed: Recognizing the most stylish and creative interpretations of character.
- Best Acting: Honoring those who brought their personas to life with flair.
- Best Detective: For the sharpest minds who cracked the case.
This wasn’t just a team-building event — it was truly an immersive, unforgettable experience! By stepping into these dramatic roles, we uncovered not just clues, but also new ways of working together, thinking creatively, and embracing challenges.