The phrase “team building” often triggers a myriad of responses, including the occasional groan or eye roll. It serves a purpose, though: to bring colleagues closer together through a shared experience.
Today’s team-building activities go far beyond standard icebreakers or “getting to know you” games, ranging from elevated ropes courses to improv classes. In the Pacific Northwest, planners and other group leaders frequently incorporate the region’s stunning natural beauty and the distinctive cultures of its many diverse communities into team-building activities to curate truly unforgettable experiences. “[Team building] is about getting together outside of the office and trying something new and different,” says Michelle Ng, owner of Vancouver Foodie Tours in British Columbia, a company that runs culinary walking tours around the city. “It really helps build their relationships in a different kind of way.”
As Ng has experienced firsthand, few things bring teams together like food. “Food provides an access point to people,” Ng says. “Certain dishes bring back memories of people’s childhoods. It gives teams a great, authentic way to connect.” Vancouver Foodie Tours curates three group tours led by experienced guides: the “Granville Island Market Tour,” “Gastronomic Gastown Tour,” and “The Ultimate Asian Food Adventure.”
Feed the Masses
The Granville Island Market Tour is Vancouver Foodie Tours’ most popular. During this experience, teams spend two hours exploring Granville Island Public Market and sample 28 different foods from 12 vendors. The food is prepared in advance, so there’s no waiting in line. The Gastronomic Gastown Tour is a three-hour journey through Vancouver’s quaint, historic Gastown district, where participants enjoy a full five-course gourmet meal with a mixology element. The Ultimate Asian Food Adventure is a two-hour culinary celebration of Vancouver’s diverse Asian communities. “It’s a culturally immersive experience for people who want to sample the cuisines, but also the histories and cultures,” Ng explains. “It’s a food-tasting tour with history.” Walking food tours give attendees a chance to sample new foods and traditional dishes while learning more about a particular city. “Walking is really the best way to learn about a place,” Ng explains. “Walking tours are a great way for people to get to know the heartbeat of a city and neat stories that make Vancouver interesting.”
For teams seeking a more hands-on foodie activity, consider a cooking class. In Portland, Oregon, Monika Reti, owner of Hipcooks (which also serves eastern Los Angeles and Orange County in California), regularly works with teams of all sizes, from major Fortune 500 companies to small, locally based nonprofits. “Our classes lend themselves well to groups who want to interact with each other and enjoy a meal, and there is wine at the end,” Reti says. “It’s a different experience to enjoy a meal you just made rather than go to a restaurant.” No culinary skills are required—just a willingness to learn. Hipcooks’ classes can be tailored to fit the interests of the group, but Reti says its tapas/small plates and paella courses work especially well for teams. She also notes, “For a sit-down meal that’s comfortable, we accommodate groups of up to 14 people. If it is a larger group, say 14-20, we might do a tapas menu, then the small plates. Then, it becomes more of a revolving party.” Reti suggests booking a course approximately one month in advance, and at least two to three months in advance if planning for a gathering around the holidays.
Open-Air Team Building
For teams who want to get into nature and do something a little more daring, the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors does not disappoint. Adventure Collective of Gleneden Beach, Oregon, operates the aerial park and zip lines at Salishan Coastal Lodge by SCP Hotels, nestled within an old-growth forest and also in Gleneden Beach on the Oregon Coast, roughly a two-hour drive from Eugene. “All the elements are labeled by challenge level, and people can curate their own adventure,” explains Tyler Waldenberger, who co-owns Adventure Collective with his wife, Becka Waldenberger. “[Team building] definitely means stepping out of the comfort zone for some. A lot of times, when we have a corporate group, we really get to see team members shine. It is very humbling and very genuine. We see a lot of people come out of their shell a little bit. Plus, we are in nature, and we all know being in a green space is super good for us.”
Some resorts make nature a focal point for many of their team-building offerings. The Coeur d’Alene Resort in Idaho has several team-building and other group activities planners can add to a meeting agenda. Most resort activities incorporate the property or surrounding area. Among the resort’s most popular activities are Build a Boat, where groups are given a collection of miscellaneous materials and must construct a boat that actually floats (at least for a few minutes); a scavenger hunt for participants to search for various items or complete various tasks; and a Minute to Win It game. All activities are coordinated in‑house and can be customized to any scale, taking some of the scheduling pressure off planners’ shoulders. “Groups have the flexibility to choose one or more activities,” explains Kayoko Cameron, director of sales at the resort.
In Montana, soak in the state’s stunning landscapes and wide-open spaces while building camaraderie on the grounds of a beautiful resort. The Lodge at Whitefish Lake in Whitefish offers group and team-building activities year-round. Besides the activities offered on-site, like kayaking or wooden boat tours of Whitefish Lake, teams take advantage of the lodge’s proximity to Glacier National Park—about a 30-minute drive—to do some extra exploring. The conference services team at the lodge helps planners execute all aspects of their program and is happy to make referrals to area vendors or coordinate details for off-site excursions.
Debra Ravenscraft, senior director of global accounts with HelmsBriscoe of Scottsdale, Arizona, worked with two groups who stayed at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake and booked guided tours of Glacier National Park for them via Whitefish Outfitters. “The guides really know their stuff,” she says. “They’re local guides, so they know the trails; they know the cool stories and the hidden gems. I was personally on a ‘Red Bus Tour,’ which takes you all over the national park.” Ravenscraft adds that Montana is on many people’s bucket lists. “They don’t want to be stuck in a meeting room,” she says. “When people figure out they’re so close to Glacier National Park, they want to get out and experience it. You just feel you’re seeing part of the country not everyone gets to see. Teams come home with beautiful pictures and great stories.”
One hour southeast of Missoula, Montana, The Ranch at Rock Creek in Philipsburg, Montana, offers three outdoor team-building experiences—the Survival Skills Challenge, a ropes course, and the Frontier Skills activity. Frontier Skills focuses on outdoor know-how, including several fire-starting methods and how to locate potable water sources. The Survival Skills Challenge builds upon knowledge groups gained from Frontier Skills and puts it into practice. The ropes course features 11 different challenges, from walking across a log to Leap of Faith, which involves participants jumping from a pole to a bar. Though all attendees are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones, there’s no pressure. “‘Challenge by choice’ is one of our mantras,” explains Jessie Belding, guest experience manager at The Ranch at Rock Creek. “We challenge you up to the point where you say ‘no.’”
Expect the Unexpected
Team building is about trying something new and, on some level, expecting the unexpected. As its name suggests, Unexpected Productions in Seattle provides groups with something a bit out of the ordinary. Operating out of Market Theater in the famous Pike Place Fish Market, Unexpected Productions is a repertory theater that also holds improvisation classes.
“We teach basic communication skills using improv techniques,” explains Ron Hippe, Market Theater’s outreach specialist. “Teams can come to our theater, where we also offer catering and bar service, or, more often, we go on-site to a business.” Roughly 25 years ago, Unexpected Productions members realized many improv skills translate well into the business world. Market Theater’s improv training teaches participants how to listen actively and be nimble on their feet, along with creativity and inclusivity skills. If someone is actively listening, they can come up with a response to fit the moment. Hippe says the classes are popular because people enjoy fun face-to-face activities that also teach a skill.
With such diverse activities available in the Pacific Northwest, planners have plenty of options for teams to build skills, strengthen their rapport, and create a lifetime of shared memories.
