It is common knowledge among great leaders that corporate retreats are one of the best strategies for cultivating professional relationships that enhance collaboration, creativity, and morale in the workplace.  Getting outside of the normal work environment evens the playing field, providing the opportunity for relaxed interaction and a breath of fresh air that encourages the flow of ideas and often a shift in perspective.  These events are most successful when combining elements of corporate training or brainstorming with team building activities and enjoyable experiences for extra benefits that can be far reaching in terms of company culture and productivity.  If your next company retreat is around the corner, we’ve covered a few excellent options in Lincoln that are a must to consider!

While the sky’s the limit with company retreats and you could plan a trip to any number of far-off destinations, luckily there are also great options in Omaha or just outside of town that still offer the feel of getting away from it all—but just for the day!

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Bryson
Bryson Airboats Tour

Located on the scenic Platte River, Bryson Airboat Tours offers a truly unique experience in addition to a prime location for entertaining.   The riverfront property provides the opportunity to incorporate outdoor games and a picnic or barbecue into your event along with the airboat tours, which are definitely a crowd pleaser. “Our three hours of fun package is the perfect fit for everyone in your party,” says Bryson, owner of Bryson Airboat Tours (www.brysonsairboattours.com).  “This includes access to all of the amenities on the property which includes a grilling area with plenty of seating, horseshoe pits, sand volleyball, swimming in the river, bean bag toss, and you can bring games of your own as well.  Our prime outdoor location gets your guests out into the beauty of nature for fun in the sun for a spectacular experience that never disappoints!”

He adds, “All of our events are held outside, and there’s nothing more beautiful than nature.  This explains why many of us get excited when we have the opportunity to get outdoors, especially when it’s during the work day where we would normally be stuck inside the office or place of business.  An outdoor backdrop may be just the right setting for your event. But there are a few concerns which should be taken into consideration depending on your staff, including exposure to too much sun or the heat, or the potential for rain, which can dampen an otherwise spectacular day. Weather is unpredictable, so sometimes spending a little extra money to rent a tent is cheap insurance that your event can still go on even if it is raining.

Corporate retreats can be one of the best ways to advance your company while improving corporate culture. Unfortunately, they can also be overwhelming and tiresome for those involved in the planning. Let’s face it, corporate retreats can be a real hassle and if you don’t do it right, they can result in a huge morale kill. I truly recommend creating an extensive check list of what you want, need and expect your employees to get out of the retreat.”

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Brenda McIntosh
Lied Lodge and Conference Center

Another fantastic destination for a corporate retreat is Lied Lodge & Conference Center.  “Lied Lodge is nestled into a nature-inspired, distraction-free setting,” explains Brenda McIntosh, Sales Manager at Lied Lodge & Conference Center (www.liedlodge.org).  “This really enables attendees to think outside of the box, find creative solutions and breakthroughs, and engage in unique team building activities that just aren’t available anywhere else. Hayrack rides, ropes courses, bonfires with s’mores, vineyard tours, rounds of golf — all of it and more can be found across our 260-acre campus. Our philosophy is to make planning simple and to custom-design a retreat that delivers a great return on your investment.  There’s no question that company retreats help build strong teams and great relationships, and they often times uncover hidden talents among the attendees, too. There’s just something about the flicker of a bonfire that allows people to open up, let their hair down, and forge deeper connections with their colleagues.

She also offers the following advice on planning your upcoming company retreat.  “Of course, keeping your budget in mind is important. But beyond that, having a key takeaway or tangible goal for the retreat is paramount.  After this is clear, you’ll want to work closely with a planning manager to find creative ways to attain it. At Lied Lodge, we thrive on hearing what you need to accomplish and then working closely with you to ensure your success.”

Once you’ve got the destination and activities planned out, you’ll want to consider all of the other details for your event.

As many company retreats are planned to accommodate events that require a significant length of time, a great way to break up the day or enhance the experience is to arrange to share a meal with your team.  Especially in the case of a full, action-packed itinerary, it will allow the opportunity for everyone to simply focus on relaxing and enjoying a delicious meal and one another’s company.  However, you may only need light refreshments, hors d’oeuvres, or a few sweet treats so you’ll want to set up your itinerary and then coordinate the plans for a meal, snack or cocktails.

If you’re planning a company retreat at a venue or destination where you’ll need to arrange for outside food and drinks to be brought in for your team, there are plenty of great resources in the Omaha area to check out!

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Matt Cover
The Margarita Man

Serving beverages at any corporate event is a breeze with the Margarita Man; nothing is quite like a perfectly frozen cocktail, especially during the upcoming summer months.  Matt Cover, owner of the Margarita Man (www.themargman.com) franchise in Nebraska, explains, “Our offerings are perfect for any gathering or event, company retreats included. Whether your team is large or small, the ability to self-serve delicious frozen cocktails or drinks makes the party much easier for everyone to participate in and enjoy. After the first batch, which is prepared for you, mixing the product is the only work you are required to do to enjoy countless frozen drinks until your event ends.

When deciding what options will work best for your event, Margarita Man can assist you with any questions you may have about the 22 different gourmet mixes we have to offer and all of the different recipes that we know of to help make countless servings of your favorite cocktails. We also deliver, set up and pick up the machines, and leave you with easy to follow instructions after we’ve personally mixed the first batch on-site. We offer different table skirts for our clients to choose from that go along nicely with different party themes and each package also comes with cups and straws. A major perk is that we ask you to leave all the cleaning of the machines to us!

The ease of serving beverages is another major benefit; you won’t need to hire bartenders or worry about running out of ice.  Furthermore, it’s always nice to have variety or something different. The frozen beverage machines we have are top of the line quality, freezing within 30 minutes. Once the first freeze occurs you never have to wait again.

The Grand Fiesta Package with two machines is generally the most popular options for corporate events because it allows you to serve an alcoholic beverage in one machine and a non-alcoholic option in the other. It’s easy, affordable, and the team at Margarita Man does all the hard work for you, leaving you to get down to business and also have fun with your company retreat.”

He adds, “Our goal is to accommodate our clients in any way possible. We always strive to schedule the delivery of the machines early enough to help ensure that there is one less thing to worry about when getting everything prepared. We try and work around our clients’ busy schedules and not ours. The delivery and pick up are always negotiable to help ensure that we make your event as stress-free as possible!”

There are many different types of beverages that you could choose depending on the preferences of those who will be attending.  “For full day retreats or morning events, our coffees are a great way to start out the day,” says Beth Howie, owner of the local Maui Wowi franchise.  “Cold or hot, we have so many options to choose from.  If you’re looking for an afternoon treat, our healthy fruit smoothies also come in a wide variety of flavors.  We provide a festive, fun touch to any event and all of our drinks are made with high quality ingredients.  Our job is to take the stress and worries away, both on the planning side and on-site during the event, so that you can focus on organizing and running a productive, successful company retreat.”

Aside from the fun drinks, there are plenty of other sweet treats that are sure to be crowd pleasers. The great thing about partnering with a local bakery for your event needs is that there are so many options to choose from!  “Among our offerings are cakes, cupcakes, cookies, rolls, and many other favorites that can be tailored to your exact specifications,” says Faith Musil, owner of Smallcakes: A Cupcakery.  “I especially love the mini cupcakes because it gives your guests the options of trying several different flavors without going overboard.”

She continues, “Company retreats are very important, and we can definitely help with the collaboration of the event from a planning standpoint.  Whether there is a theme in mind or not, we enjoy providing ideas for our clients to run with whether it is a variety of desserts or one that is more focused.

Planning in advance is super important (at least for me, I hate not having a plan).  This way, the event is set up and there are not as many little details that need to be worked out in a short period of time.  Collaborating on events is one of my favorite things to do — to sit down with a client and get a feel for their ideas while brainstorming together is always a lot of fun.  We are happy to do as much or as little as is requested by our clients.  Our goal is to enhance your event and make it as enjoyable as possible on the planning side as well as when during the event you actually get to sample the sweets!”

Company retreats are generally most successful when combining elements of training or brainstorming with team building activities and enjoyable experiences for extra benefits that can be far reaching in terms of company culture and productivity.  As there are plenty of possibilities to choose from, make sure that it’s not all fun or business but a good mixture of the two for the best outcome.