Companies are moving out of the sports hall: sea, sailing and nature led corporate events in summer 2026

KurumsalSporlar.com, which organises corporate sports events across Türkiye, observed a clear shift in companies' event preferences during the 2026 summer season. Rather than sports such as football, basketball and volleyball, which are confined to indoor halls and in which only part of the group can take an active role, discerning companies are choosing programmes that take place outdoors, offer employees a new experience and carry a low risk of injury. Behind the choice is a single expectation: that employees can share something with each other while experiencing a sport.

"When a company runs a football tournament, half the team is on the pitch and half is in the stands. The ones on the pitch focus on the score, winners and losers separate, and the next day someone turns up at the office with a bandaged knee. Companies no longer ask 'what score did the team win by' but 'what did the team talk about that day'. Formats that everyone tries for the first time, where nobody starts with an advantage and the day ends at the same table, came to the fore for that reason." — Elif Haskırış, Founder, KurumsalSporlar.com

The four formats of summer 2026

Pedal boats in experience programmes. Pedal boats, which anyone can manage on the first attempt, carry no racing pressure and move in a group along a lake or sea shore, were the most requested experience programme of the summer. Because fitness does not decide the outcome, the format brought employees of different ages and departments together at the same pace.

Sailing experience and dinner in meal-inclusive programmes. Employees who crew sailing yachts in teams by day gather around the same table in the evening. Everyone on board has a responsibility: who trims the sail, who holds the helm, who follows the course. Combining sport and socialising in a single day, the format proved particularly effective for mid-sized teams and sales organisations.

Residential weekend Pilates and yoga camps for women employees. Two-day residential camps that companies arranged specifically for groups of women employees were among the programmes with the highest participation rates. Physically stepping away from the workload was seen to make it easier to build connections that cannot be formed in the office.

Horse riding, hiking and in-hotel mini tournaments in residential executive meetings. Short activities placed between sessions of senior management meetings strengthened team bonds without reducing meeting productivity. A morning hike, riding in the afternoon and mini tournaments such as table tennis or bowling inside the hotel in the evening let executives get to know one another away from the meeting table.

"What works best in executive meetings is that the activity is part of the meeting rather than presented as an extra programme. In a one-hour walk placed between two sessions, the things that cannot be said at the table get said. We only set up the environment." — Elif Haskırış

Next: skill-building experiences, winter camps and international events

KurumsalSporlar.com sees three new trends in the requests companies are making for the autumn and winter period.

The first is indoor experiences that develop employee skills. Unlike classic indoor sports, these programmes are built around scenarios that strengthen risk management, communication within the team and a sense of responsibility. In formats such as climbing, fencing, archery and simulation-based experiences, every participant makes a decision and lives with its outcome together with the team. Companies have begun to assess these programmes from the development budget rather than the entertainment budget.

The second is winter sports camps and experiences. Ski and snowboard camps, snowshoe walks and residential programmes at mountain hotels carry the summer season's outdoor preference into winter. The "trying something for the first time" trend that began with pedal boats and sailing in summer continues on the ski slopes.

The third is participation in international sports events. Companies have started sending employees as teams to international corporate sports tournaments, running and cycling events abroad and regattas. These programmes strengthen team identity and add an international dimension to the company's employer brand.

"Summer showed us this: employees want to try something new and companies are seeing the return. Over the coming period we are taking that appetite in three directions: indoor experiences that build skills, winter camps, and international events where Turkish companies take part as teams. The common point in all three is the same: not the score, but what changed in the team that day." — Elif Haskırış