Ahoy me hearties! There’s a fortune to be made on the high seas, so hoist the Jolly Roger, cast off and make sail for Trade Winds — a fun, fast-moving and highly immersive pirate-themed game that explores the skills of negotiation, information gathering and network building.

The game is set in Port Royal, Jamaica in the 17th Century. It is a time of great opportunity for the wise and quick-witted, but a treacherous place for the ill-informed. Each team plays the crew of a pirate ship that arrives with a few possessions to trade and some valuable information. Their goal is to accumulate treasure, by using their information, as they build relationships and deal with the other pirates and traders in port.

Trade Winds is easy to understand but a real challenge to play. After the short briefing the adventure starts and builds to what becomes a frenzy of trading and dealing. To be a successful pirate in Trade Winds requires more than good networking. It will also take ruthless negotiation, creative thinking and strategic planning to become the richest crew in port.

This is an incredibly versatile activity that can be played in just one hour. It is also a lot of fun, with hats, costumes, parrots on shoulders, eye-patches and music, enhancing the pirate atmosphere. Add some Caribbean food, room theming and Trade Winds becomes the centrepiece of an unforgettable conference that will put the ‘yo ho ho’ into every participant.