Corporate Event Ideas: How to Plan a Successful Executive Retreat in New York State
Are you in charge of your next work related corporate event? Do you feel like you have no idea where to begin? Or are you out of fresh ideas because you have been entrusted with this responsibility for the past thousand years? Okay, five years. Whatever. Fret not! We here at New York Rental By Owner is here to help. Corporate event team building activities are extremely important for organizations because they help you build stronger relationships with people you might only consider colleagues. Company events help validate the team, promote creativity, boost morale, and problem-solve. Organizing specific group activities create a better, more focused team! Remember, your team is important because they make up all of the parts that keep the machine running.
The Journey Starts with a Single Step
Corporate event planners know that corporate event retreats are vitally important for any organization. Gathering executives together for a meaningful experience is a big job that requires a hefty amount of planning to ensure its success.
First and foremost, before you begin throwing together ideas, you need to understand one vital thing: your goal. You can’t begin to plan any part of your trip without knowing the purpose of your trip. Once you know that then you can scurry on your merry way to planning the best event your company has ever seen.
Now, it’s always important to keep in mind how your team members have reacted to activities and events in the past. Majority wins in these situations! You also have to keep in mind that you should not expect the impossible from your team. Your company could be made up of the best-of-the-best and they still need some down time and freedom to enjoy the trip. Do not over-work them on the retreat, you want them feeling energized and excited to dive into the required activities.
Now We’re Leaving Footprints
Congratulations! You’ve completed steps one and two of your corporate event planning extravaganza! You’ve determined a goal and done extensive research on how to best reach that goal. Once you’ve chosen your goal, you’ve figured out which activities the majority of your company will get the most out of. You have now come to the dreaded fork in the road that is choosing a corporate event location. Location is one of the most important things to account for when you’re planning a quality getaway for your company.
You see, the location you choose needs to be the porridge that is just right to ensure that your event has the right mix of work and play. That’s where we come in! New York corporate event venues are here to deliver on all fronts.
Your organization wants activities that strengthen your company as a whole and allows them to relax and bond. Relaxation is one of the key factors that goes into corporate events because it allows people to let their hair down a little. It makes them excited to go on the trip, which naturally makes them more enthusiastic when it comes to the organized group activities that you have planned. Trust me, reaching your goal is much easier when your company is excited to partake in the activities!
When you give your workers, and yourself, some time to relax it makes them feel appreciated and it allows them to be more true to themselves. At work, we typically like to put on our professional faces–but that’s not truly how we are in our everyday lives. Outside of work we are individuals who are more honest to our own true selves. Those individual personalities should be sprinkled into our professional attitudes so that we may remain individual, creative and happy! Those are the people who make good workers.
Now, location and venue are important factors when organizing a successful work retreat because you need ample room for both work and play. You also have to consider travel time, somewhere that feels new and different, and a venue that fits your organizations budget.
Of course, there are also many factors that go into choosing the best location and venue for your corporate or executive retreat. You have a role, as the corporate event planner, and whether you chose that role or that role was thrust upon you, it is now up to you to organize this trip so that it becomes a recipe for success.
It’s up to everyone involved to make it a success, but it is up to you to provide the possibility of success! Your goal is to find the place that compliments both the tone and the purpose of your retreat, while offering maximum comfort and amenities.
Consider, if you will, the great state of New York! A New York Vacation Rental can give you an amazing corporate retreat experience with built-in event ideas. In New York you can find a location that offers quiet meeting spaces, state of the art technology, inspirational views, and opportunities for unique, team building exercises–all in one place.
Retreat to the Catskills: Hashtag Adventure!
A good ol’ fashioned Catskills adventure retreat blends work with outdoor play making it the perfect recipe for your perfect porridge! No, wait! The perfect recipe for an inspirational corporate retreat! That’s the one. The Catskills is less than 3 hours away from New York City and it offers great getaway options for corporate events. The region is home to some of the best outdoor activities in New York state–and it’s a 600,000 acre preserve!
With autumn coming swiftly upon us, the Catskills are a prime spot for leaf-peeping. Head out onto one of our many mountains to hike or bike, canoe or kayak in one of our beautiful rivers, or ski the slopes during the winter!
No matter which time of year you decide to visit us, we are a great location for your corporate retreat! We are bursting to the brim with things to do in upstate New York. If you have a handful of workers who are not into the outdoors then the Catskills are still a great choice for your trip. The Catskills is a hub for foodies, music lovers, art enthusiasts as well as thrill seekers.
Here are some of our top New York vacation rentals available in the Catskills for your event.
The Brophy Estates, Hancock, NY
The Brophy properties are a cluster of estates which can all be rented separately or together–depending on your needs and the size of your group. Each property has its own individual personality and layout, but they all have great amenities. Each property can be fully staffed to see your groups every need.
The Brophy Estates are only a 2 1/2 hours from NYC and are a haven of fresh air and relaxation. A corporate retreat can easily use the Estates to incorporate both team building and relaxation activities. We have easy access to fly-fishing, kayaking, tubing, skiing, hiking and more! Plus, we have easy add on services that will delight anyone in your company! For instance, massages, licensed fishing or hiking guides and boat rentals.
The RiverView Estate sleeps up to 32 guests and sits on 1,200 acres of beautiful mountain forest land. It also rests on 1 mile of riverfront which is well-know for its fly fishing. There is also a private swimming pool available during the warmer months, an exercise room and an indoor hot tub and dry sauna.
The DeerRidge Estate sleeps up to 40 guests and it is located a short distance from the RiverView Estate. It has 3 full kitchens, a large sports bar and a pool table! Renting both estates lets you sleep up to 72 people which is perfect for large groups.
LakeView Estate, the last of the Brophy Estates, sits a mere 15 miles away from the RiverView and the DeerRidge estates. It is located on 250 mountaintop acres with 100 feet of lake overlooking the valley below. LakeView only sleeps 25 guests but it is worth the little drive up to its gorgeous location. There is a pool table, full bar, and hot tub room. Just like all of the other Brophy Estates it has easy access to all of the outdoor activities that the area has to offer!
Mountain House, Windham, NY
Imagine a corporate event with spectacular mountain views of the four highest peaks in the Catskills! By renting the Mountain House in Windham, you won’t have to! You don’t even have to go outside, just look at those windows. Besides beautiful views, large sunny windows, and tons of other amenities, the Mountain House offers a natural swimming pond that you and your guests get to enjoy.
This property boasts a 22-person dining room table, chef’s dream kitchen, indoor spa room with an 8-person Jacuzzi, a game room, a wet bar and gas fireplace inside, and a large grill and fire-pit outside. All of this is available to you so you can boost the elements of both relaxation and bonding in your group.
And you get all of that without even leaving the property!
Off-property, there is easy access to a wide range of corporate retreat activities. Windham Mountain and Hunter Mountain offer skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, and snowmobiling during the winter months and hiking, cycling, and ATV rentals during the summer and fall months! Visitors are within easy access to retreat must-haves like multiple golf courses, zip-lines, swimming, state parks, fly fishing and more.
You can’t lose here at the Mountain House. Just try to remember to leave this beautiful space enough to enjoy all of the other activities in the area.
Leaving the Catskills and Heading to the Waters of Upstate New York!
Head to the Thousand Islands and St. Lawrence River to enjoy easy access to both upstate New York and Canadian attractions. It is located along the peaceful border between northern New York state and southeastern Ontario. Thousand Islands is made up of endless shorelines, unique culture, and of course rich history!
There are lighthouses, maritime museums, and historic castles and forts that are just waiting to be explored. Not to mention activities such as world-class fishing, diving, shopping, on-the-water dining, golf courses, and marinas.
St. Lawrence River Lodges, NY
The Thousand Islands are the perfect place for corporate events or executive retreats.
From these quaint vacation rental by owner properties each guest will have a smaller shared space, because it’s not one large building. This gives them easier access to kitchens/bathrooms/seating/etc. It’s a great way to enjoy a corporate retreat without all being put into one or two large buildings. It makes it feel a little bit more like a vacation then a work-related event.
Surrounding the Lodges are a plethora of outdoor activities. Fishing is extremely popular in the area. Pike season starts in April, Bass and Muskie season starts in June, and ice fishing is great during the mid-winter. There’s also 9 golf courses surrounding the Lodges.
If you have any avid hunters in your group they will be pleased to know that during Spring and Fall there is duck and deer hunting (licenses all around please). There is also cycling with varying ranges of difficulty that can be easy, for the casual cyclist, or more challenging for the more experienced cyclists.
Now, last but not least is the water itself. We can’t forget about swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and most importantly diving! There are many dive outfitters sprinkled around the region who can take you to numerous wreck sites all up and down the river.
If your group is looking to explore the region more it’s a simple day trip to many US & Canadian attractions in Alexandria Bay, Clayton, Kingston or Brockville. Use these attractions to create memorable team building activities! Visit one of our many museums, castles, forts, or island parks!
Happy Event Planning!
Now that we’ve covered several of our great vacation rental by owner type of properties for corporate retreats in upstate New York, it’s time for you to get to work! Start counting your workers, budgeting, and setting your goals so you can start planning the corporate event of everyone’s dreams.
With all of these beautiful properties you get easy access to the outdoors, lakes, mountains, and activities in the area and you will be able to create a retreat that your company will appreciate and benefit from!
We hope to see you soon.
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