How to Determine Maximum Group Size?

There are a couple factors to consider when deciding what your minimum and maximum Explorers per Adventure is. Here are some factors to consider before you make your decision.

Limiting Factors:

• Location: Think about the space you are going to be exploring, is it large or small? Open or enclosed? Narrow or wide? If it is going to be cramped, you may want to consider a lower maximum Explorer count, for the sake of everyone’s comfort.
• Equipment: If you are providing Explorers with equipment, you’ll either have to make sure you have enough for everyone or put a limit on how many people can participate. Do the math on this — you don’t want to end up with a large booking you can’t accommodate.
• Transportation: If you offer transportation as part of your Adventure, you’ll have to think about how many people you can transport before making your decision. Some groups may not require transport, but for those that do you need to make sure you have enough room for everybody.
• Food and Water: Food and water presents a similar problem and needs to be considered when deciding on your maximum and minimum. Think about how you’ll be transporting the food and how much you can realistically carry so you can plan ahead and fulfill the needs of the group.
• Permits: Most permits limit the number of guests allowed on a trail or area. Check the permits that you’ll be using for the Adventure and make sure your maximum group size is within those limits.
• Certifications: Most guiding, instructional, certifying bodies have restrictions on the group size a certification is valid for. Check the Standard Operations Policies for your certification to ensure you do not exceed the maximum group size.

Although these are all important points to consider, you also need to think about whether guests will have more fun in a larger or smaller group depending on your activity.

Maximum Enjoyment:

• Ambience: In nature, ambience is everything. If you are on a tranquil hike hoping to see wildlife on your Adventure, a large group runs a higher risk of scaring creatures away and masking birdsong and other soothing sounds.
• Socializing: On the other hand, if your activity is raucous, high energy, and has room for lots of discussion you may want to consider raising your maximum Explorers per Adventure. In this environment, people can form meaningful connections, have fun, and chat with like-minded individuals on your Adventure — if you give them the opportunity.

By thinking through your Adventure like this, you can figure out the optimal number of Explorers per Adventure!