Verified conference data · GPTW 2026

Four games. One evening.
Decades of behavioral science, tested live.

Four live activations put teamwork, focus and competition into play. Explore the games, the results, and what we learned at GPTW Conference 2026.

60→90%Ball activity success

205Gala quiz attempts

772Playoff answers

6Research pillars

Six practical lessons for your next activation.

Open a lesson for the observation, a useful design choice, and what to measure next.

01Make progress visibleMotivation & choice

What we observedThe ball activity let pairs choose how to coordinate and see whether their approach worked. The quiz gave participants a shared challenge and a visible score.

How to use itGive people a clear goal, a choice in how to participate, and feedback they can act on.

What to measureTrack repeat attempts and voluntary participation—not just how many people started.

02Make a second attempt easyFeedback & practice

What we observedReported ball activity success rose from about 60% on the first attempt to over 90% on the second. This is an observed retry improvement, not a controlled estimate of learning.

How to use itKeep the feedback immediate and the reset short. Let participants try a different approach while the first attempt is still fresh.

What to measureCompare first and second attempts using the same success rule and record how many pairs retry.

03Use competition with a clear purposeGoals & leaderboards

What we observedThe gala quiz recorded 205 attempts from 192 unique participants, with an average of 7.3 of 8 questions answered. Attempts and people are different measures.

How to use itExplain scoring before the game. Make progress visible, and consider team scoring when individual ranking could discourage participation.

What to measureReview completion and score spread alongside participation; a busy leaderboard alone does not show learning.

04Design for real cooperationCollaborative learning

What we observedThe ball wall required two players to coordinate their movements. The shared task gave them a concrete reason to communicate.

How to use itGive both partners an active role, then ask a short debrief: what changed between attempts, and what did your partner do that helped?

What to measureObserve whether both people contribute and whether their coordination improves on a retry.

05Match difficulty to the goalChallenge & skill

What we observedAbout 40% completed the office obstacle course. That suggests a demanding game; it does not by itself prove sustained attention or frustration.

How to use itFor broad participation, add a practice round and a gentler opening. For a challenge format, explain the difficulty and make retries easy.

What to measurePair completion rates with a quick difficulty rating and a question about whether people want to play again.

06Remove friction before measuring engagementAccess & reliability

The live session generated 772 answers. For future events, track joining delays and completion separately to understand where people need support.

How to use itTest a realistic burst of logins from a shared venue network. Offer simple joining instructions and keep help visible.

What to measureTrack each joining step, sign-in latency, errors, and final-question participation separately.

01PROOF POINT

The Collaborative Ball Activity

Two players guided a ball up through a series of holes without dropping it—succeeding required real-time communication, not individual skill.

~60%Success, first attempt

→

90%+Success, second attempt

150+ participants · 75+ pairs

Behavioral reinforcementCollaborative learning

Attendees at the Layup collaborative ball activity wall

An attendee playing the office-themed jumping game on the branded arcade screen

02PROOF POINT

The Office Jumping Game

Jump over office obstacles, dodge distractions, and make it to the finish. Try the live game below.

Tap or press Space to play in the screen above

What went wrong

The course was too demanding for an “everyone wins” moment.

Next time: a practice round, a gentler start, and easier retries.

03PROOF POINT

Distractopus: Executive-Level Competition

A room of senior leaders. Eight questions. One shared reason to compete.

The Distractopus

Meet the Distractopus: eight arms, endless interruptions. Players dodged this animated troublemaker to stay focused—and it became the mascot for the evening’s quiz.

205Quiz attempts (192 unique participants)

7.3/8Average questions answered

9.4sAverage time per answer

782Median score (range 0,2,353)

GALA QUIZ · PARTICIPATION