Picture 140 people from France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Belgium, gathered in one of Rome’s most breathtaking parks, HD camera in hand and a script yet to be written. This is not a movie plot — it is exactly what happened during the team building event we produced for TRB Farmaceutica at Rome’s Botanical Garden. An experience that turned colleagues from five countries into a real film production company, complete with a grand piano placed in the middle of the park for a few unforgettable scenes.

The challenge: bringing five cultures together on set

Organising an event for an international team is never straightforward. When participants come from different countries and cultural backgrounds, the challenge goes well beyond logistics: it is about finding a shared language that breaks down barriers and builds genuine connections. Cinema — universal by nature — proved to be the perfect bond. The chosen theme, «La Dolce Vita», added a powerful identity layer: immersed in Rome’s most iconic settings, each team had the chance to tell their own version of Italian life through the lens of a camera.

14 teams, 14 cameras, 14 clapperboards. Each with a story to build from scratch.

How the Cinema format works

Our Cinema format transforms participants into a fully functioning production house. From the initial briefing to the final screening, every stage is designed to stimulate creativity, communication and shared leadership.

For TRB Farmaceutica, the day at the Botanical Garden unfolded as follows:

• Briefing and team formation: 140 participants split into 14 groups, each equipped with a professional kit including an HD camera, costumes and props.
• Scriptwriting: each team worked together to build their story, defining characters, dialogue and narrative sequences — a collective creative writing exercise that demands active listening, negotiation and a shared vision.
• On-location filming: the Botanical Garden became a real film set, with its architecture, tree-lined paths and — a detail that left everyone speechless — a grand piano placed in the heart of the park for select musical scenes.
• On-site editing: while teams enjoyed the location, our technical crew edited the footage in real time, ready for the screening.
• Oscar night at Casina Valadier: the following day, everyone gathered at the exclusive Casina Valadier venue for the screening of all 14 short films and an Oscar-style awards ceremony. Applause, trophies and a few unexpected emotions.

Why it works: creativity in the service of cohesion

The Cinema format is far more than a creative activity. It is a powerful team building tool because it brings together cross-functional skills that rarely surface all at once in everyday work life: storytelling, role delegation, quick decision-making under pressure and presenting results to an audience.

In an international context like TRB Farmaceutica’s, these dynamics carry even greater value. Collaborating on something creative and light-hearted lowers defences, fosters empathy and creates shared memories that last well beyond the event itself. It was no coincidence that, at the next day’s screening, the laughter and emotions were identical regardless of which country the audience members called home.

How to organise a similar event for your team

The Cinema format is one of 130+ original formats offered by TeamBuilding.it, with 22 years of experience and operational offices in Rome and Milan. It is particularly well suited to marketing, HR and creative teams, but adapts to any group looking to work on communication, creativity and cohesion in an engaging way.

The experience is fully customisable: theme, location, group size, duration and level of technical complexity are all calibrated to the company’s specific needs. Whether the group is 20 or 200 people, the outcome is always the same — a film to screen, a story to tell, and a team that truly knows each other.

If you are looking for an original idea for your next corporate event, get in touch: we will help you find the right format for your team.

Frequently asked questions

How many people can take part in the Cinema format? The format is fully scalable and works for groups ranging from 20 to several hundred participants. For the TRB Farmaceutica event, the group consisted of 140 people divided into 14 teams.

Is the Cinema format suitable for international and multilingual teams? Absolutely. Visual language and cinematic storytelling are universal tools that naturally bridge linguistic and cultural gaps, making this format ideal for events with participants from multiple countries.

Where can a Cinema team building event be held? The format has been delivered in outdoor locations such as Rome’s Botanical Garden, but can equally be adapted to indoor spaces, resorts, historic villas or any venue chosen by the company. Our team conducts a site visit and tailors the format accordingly.

Do participants need any acting or filmmaking experience? Not at all. The format is designed for non-professionals: our staff guides participants through every stage, from scriptwriting to filming. The goal is not to make a real film, but to use cinema as a tool for connection, creativity and fun.

To protect participants’ privacy, the images were recreated with AI based on real events.