Nothing brings people together quite like the great outdoors. Days spent in stuffy ballrooms can be tedious when the sun’s warmth beckons. This summer, consider taking your group on a new team-building adventure. A break in the great outdoors can actually boost creative thinking. Amusement and water parks offer a wide range of activities and spaces to host a memorable summer event that might feel a little bit like a vacation if it weren’t so effective at doing the hard work of getting associates to work together.
1. Hilton Anatole Dallas JadeWaters Pool, Dallas
Take a break from the office air conditioning and sweltering Dallas summer heat at Hilton Anatole’s outdoor water and activity park. The 3-acre resort-style pool area at JadeWaters features private cabanas, a lazy river, a swim-up bar and an outdoor restaurant. Hilton Anatole’s 600,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art meeting space, 45-acre campus and 1,606 guest rooms are water-adjacent.
2. Mt. Hood Adventure Park at Skibowl, Government Park, Oregon
This powerhouse in the wilderness offers serene views overlooking the Cascade Mountains. Activities, such as horseback riding, bungee jumping, paddle boarding and white-water rafting, are nothing short of exciting. The resort just introduced Amaze’n Maze, where attendees can find four checkpoints that spell maze before pointing the way out. Your meeting is easily customizable, whether you have 50 people or 5,000. The resort’s lodges will accommodate them all.
3. Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida
A thrilling change of pace can happen in this amusement park. Build comradery with your team by strapping them into the Wild Surge drop tower or arrange a scavenger hunt that aligns with your meeting goals. You can rent out sections or buy out the whole park for a private experience. Need a break? Busch Gardens also hosts company picnics with an unlimited buffet. When it’s time to work, you can hold a meeting in one of six venues that fit 50 to 4,000 people.
4. Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, California
You don’t have to go across the world to complete the Amazing Race. In the Golden State, Knott’s Berry Farm is offering “The Appmazing Race” as a team building activity. The mobile journey is complete with destinations, roadblocks and bonus challenges to keep your team consistently engaged. Knott’s Berry Farm Resort Hotel combines luxurious accommodations for both business and leisure. The 320-room room full service hotel features resort caliber amenities, 16 SNOOPY-themed rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space.
5. Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
Party like it’s 1999 at Cedar Point’s exclusive beach parties. Or, challenge your team’s knowledge in specially-designed game and trivia shows tailored to your industry. You can do it all at this Lake Erie attraction billed as the roller coaster capital of the world. The park’s meeting space accommodates 50-500 people.
6. Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Let the magic of your meeting happen with a little Disney dust. The resort boasts over 700,000 sq. ft. of ballroom and meeting space across six locations. The “Imagineers” at Disney can design themed events with the same originality as the parks. The experience is sure to bring out the playfulness among your team. Childlike joy continues in Toy Story Land, which opens June 30. Embark on the safari ride, Epcot sea adventure or Star Wars guided tour if your group is up for extra excitement.
