March 20, 2017

Meet James Bennett of FireFly Team Events in Los Angeles

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to James Bennett.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve been chasing entrepreneurial dreams since I was a kid. From selling candy in elementary school to promoting swing dance venues to organizing bachelor/ette parties. Along the way I realized that I love creating experiences for people. In 2000 I took skills I’d learned as a high adventure guide and put them to work for corporate groups. I began my journey as a facilitator, emcee, and event lead. I learned how to help other people build stronger teams through experiential events. In 2008 I detoured looking for a big idea. My business partner and I founded a company to help plan bachelor/ette parties where you could split the cost. People loved the concept but not enough people =) so we decided to pivot into a world we knew VERY well… team building. 2013 was our rebirth and it has been unbelievably fulfilling. Growth has been hugely positive. I giggle because I get to create experiences that can involve graffiti artists, launching rockets, building bikes for kids, dodgeballs, escape rooms and so much more. It was all the bumps along the way that set us up for the success we’re seeing now. We have amazing staff and I LOVE watching clients smile.

Has it been a smooth road?
In 2013, we pivoted from our original concept of planning bachelor and bachelorette parties. Clients could book activities through our site and split the cost amongst their group. The best man or maid of honor wouldn’t get stuck fronting the bill and we’d deal with the vendors. People saw the value in the service but could only book to the lowest common financial denominator in their group. The effort to income ratio was not in sync. We took a long look at possibilities and decided to focus on what we were already experts in – team building. It was a 5 year lesson that was both fun and painful but needed to be learned.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We help companies create happier, healthier, and more engaged employees. Through amazing group experiences we can help teams with concepts like communication, vulnerability based trust, and leadership. We are Los Angeles and Orange County’s best team building company.

We put our 17 years of experience in hospitality and team facilitation into the 5 star adventures we customize for our clients. Our clients usually fall into one of three segments – they have a problem to solve with their team; they have a message they’d like to reinforce; they’d just wanna have some freaking fun (and justify it as training).

We recognize the diversity in personalities, backgrounds, and learning styles of our guests. We design our challenges to be fully accessible so that nobody is left out. We believe in full inclusion.

Some of the events our clients love are our Iron Team Challenge, Charity Bike Build, Manic Panic Escape Room, LaunchIT!, Adaptation, Dodgeball Battle, Lip Sync Contest, Techno Rally, and so many more.

We LOVE and are amazing at developing custom concepts that are relevant to your team’s needs and demographics. Teams that want to have fun, grow, and be treated like adults seek us out. They know they won’t get cheesy disconnected experiences. We deliver what our client needs – not canned one-size fits all products.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
LA has a pulse that is perfect for growing new businesses. It can be tough scaling up due to cost of living and running a business but there are possibilities like co-ops, co-work spaces, etc. There’s a lot of talent hiding everywhere.

Contact Info: