MANAGERS looking to reward staff can send them off to play pub games, thanks to a new Oxfordshire firm.

Kaleidoscope Event Management, based in Faringdon, is offering games such as Giant Jenga, Connect 4 and Twister to firms wanting to motivate and retain their workforce.

Also on the list of activities on offer to build team spirit are treasure trails, activity days and filmmaking.

The company is the brainchild of Mike Mallett, who has spent the past 10 years working for event management and corporate entertainment firms in and around Oxfordshire.

He said: "A lot of these events can take place in-house or in conjunction with a conference, for example.

"They're good for team-building but the emphasis is more on fun than training and it can be very cost-effective."

Mr Mallett gears the range of activities to the requirements of each client.

But he says he is particularly targeting his services at smaller companies with smaller budgets for staff entertainment.

"The point is that there are some really good ideas available without having to spend thousands of pounds," he added.

"I come up with the ideas and then sit down with the firm and talk about what they want -- there's complete flexibility.

"It's creative and also a lot of fun." The events can be blended in to provide some light relief during company meetings or conferences or simply form a day or an evening out.

Although Mr Mallett is currently running the company on his own, he can draw on a range of contacts he has built up over the years who are specialists in particular areas of corporate entertainment.

He has also set up a website at www.kaleidoscope-events.co.uk which lists all the services he has available.

Mr Mallett added: "With staff recruitment and training so time-consuming and expensive, staff motivation programmes are excellent value for money."