Gone are the days of trust falls and droning lectures. A great off-site meeting should educate, inspire, and unite your team. Like you, we’re laser-focused on getting a whole lot done. Whether you’re discussing tax regulations on a turnip farm or brainstorming over a player piano, sometimes a change of scenery helps that happen.
We know a lot of you enjoy the occasional venue change, so we went digging for the best off-site meeting spaces. Here are a few that stuck with us.
Image via Graylyn Estate.
The Graylyn Estate
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Formerly one of the largest private homes in North Carolina, the Graylyn Estate served as an academic psychiatric hospital until 1959. That means it’s the perfect place to keep your teammates from going insane (we couldn’t resist). It’s been a conference center since 1993 and has hosted four former presidents: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush, Sr. So no matter how many big egos are in your organization, nobody’s the most important person who’s ever been in the room.
SPiN New York
New York, New York
SPiN bills itself as a “ping pong social club,” and it’s a great retreat for a team that’s active and offbeat. Yeah, maybe it’s not the best place to talk nitty gritty financial modeling. But it’s a chance to team-build and engage in friendly competition. Who knew Bob in accounting had such a great backhand?
Image via Facebook.
Image via MEET Las Vegas.
MEET Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
We’ve got four words for you: color changing light display. Built for the showman, MEET offers all the glitz you’d expect from a building smack dab in the middle of Vegas. They’ve got stylish furniture, video conferencing, white Bengal tigers in tuxedos, and custom branding opportunities (OK, we made one of those up). Either way, it’s an out-of-the-box venue. It just happens to be inside of a big chrome box.
Image via Facebook.
The Mountaintop Inn & Resort
Chittenden, Vermont
Originally the barn for an 1870s turnip farm, this venue in the mountains of Vermont offers Nordic skiing in the winter and clay bird shooting in the summer. Ever been to a meeting that could use a breath of fresh mountain air? Head north, and take in the vista.
Thinkubator
Chicago, Illinois
This industrial-chic portmanteau has everything you didn’t know you needed, including a giant chair inspired by Michael Jordan’s feet. The space also features a grand player piano and something they call a “solutionarium.” If you want your meeting to have a quirky, homey feel, this is your spot.
Image via Thinkubator.
Lied Lodge & Conference Center
Nebraska City, Nebraska
Located on a 260-acre farm, this venue has a sustainable bent and a whole lot of wood paneling. The lodge participates in tree-planting programs and has 180 antique apple trees. Guests and staff are shuttled to and fro in Priuses. Want to impress your environmentalist boss? This is the place to book.
Image via Facebook.
What’s the best off-site meeting you’ve had? Let us know in the comments below.