Case Study: Elmwood Osea Island Scavenger Hunt

Elmwood | Osea Island | Two-Day Offsite | 100+ Participants

The Brief

Elmwood chose Osea Island as the location for their summer offsite – a truly unique private island only accessible when the tide allows. With just a four-hour window to cross the causeway, deliver the activity and exit before the sea returned, the event needed to be tightly planned, high impact and memorable.

The aim was to kick off their two-day offsite with a team experience that would fully immerse everyone, encourage collaboration and set the tone for connection and creativity.

The Solution

We designed a fully personalised Scavenger Hunt built around Elmwood’s offsite theme: “Under The (O)Sea.”

Teams were assigned sea-creature identities, with participants fully embracing the theme through fancy dress and creative flair. The hunt sent teams exploring every corner of the island, solving riddles, cracking clues and completing challenges – all while capturing hilarious photo evidence along the way.

Despite the tight tidal schedule, the experience ran seamlessly, maximising the island setting and keeping energy levels high throughout.

To finish, we delivered a live, on-screen highlights presentation, showcasing the best photos and moments from the hunt. The reveal was met with huge reactions, shared laughter and a powerful collective moment — the perfect way to bring everyone together.

The Result

The Scavenger Hunt was a standout start to Elmwood’s two-day offsite.

  • 100+ attendees fully engaged

  • A fully immersive themed experience

  • An award-style finale that celebrated creativity and teamwork

  • A shared bonding moment that set the tone for the entire offsite

A brilliant example of how a bespoke team experience – delivered in a truly unique location — can create lasting memories and meaningful connection.

About the Author: Francesca Hubbard

Founder, creative force, and the heart behind our people-first culture. Fran built Big Smoke from a weekend hobby into 2,000+ events through warmth, detail, and genuine fun.