A change of scenery can enhance any corporate or group meeting. Fun, engaging and educational team building activities outside of the meeting room provide the team-building, relationship-strengthening, problem-solving skills that pay dividends back in the office. Located along the Rappahannock River and easily accessible form Interstate 95, Fredericksburg, VA is well-poised to provide the perfect team building or group activity to complete your next meeting.
The Fredericksburg Economic Development and Tourism Office (EDT) can assist meeting planners with all aspects of a successful group event. This includes working with area partners to create one-of-a-kind experiences that provide a beneficial break from the work at hand.
A Tasty Break From the Ordinary
The Fredericksburg region’s growing culinary scene has caught the attention of national publications, and the city is home to former Top Chef contestant Joy Crump. Let her and her team teach you how to Cook Like a Top Chef.
Trolley Tours of Fredericksburg offers a specialized wine tour that provides transportation to and tastings at four area wineries, along with some area history. These tours can be arranged privately for groups of 14 or more.
The Fredericksburg EDT can also help meeting planners find the right dining experiences for their groups, whether that be a dine-around where participants can choose from a [link to group restaurant list]list of restaurants[/link], or a seated private dining experience.
Learning From The Past
As the boyhood home of George Washington and the site of some of the most dramatic battles of the Civil War, the Fredericksburg region is an apt location to learn from the past.
The value of the area’s history in teaching modern leadership lessons appealed to California-based corporate trainer Gary Hernbroth while he was traveling in Virginia several years ago. Hernbroth now leads customized “Battlefields to Business” training sessions as part of his Training for Winners coaching business.
The sessions combine walks and lectures on the area’s Civil War battlefields with focused breakout sessions that use history as a way of digging into a group’s specific challenges.
“I call it the great adult field trip,” he said.
In many of his programs in the Fredericksburg region, Hernbroth combines his executive training experience with the local history knowledge of seasoned tour guide Scott Walker. Walker’s Hallowed Ground Tours can craft customized tours for groups of all kinds.
Walker regularly leads tours on Downtown Fredericksburg’s history and architecture and the stories of Fredericksburg homes and neighborhoods, and can help groups narrow down which of the area’s vast inventory of historical sites might best meet their needs.
For corporate groups, Hernbroth likes to hone in on the leadership decisions executives must make in different and often difficult situations, such as how an organization continues moving forward after losing an important leader. He can help explain how historical figures faced these decisions at critical moments in the past. He can also tailor custom experiences for groups with other interests.
Planners can enhance historical tours with unique transportation options like Trolley Tours of Fredericksburg, which can provide trolleys with capacities ranging from 21 to 35 people per trolley. Fredericksburg EDT can help you connect with the resources that are right for your event.
Friendly competition
Sports are a classic team building activities for groups who work closely together. Fredericksburg has multiple championship golf courses – Lee’s Hill Golf Course, Augustine Golf Club and Gauntlet Golf Club – each of which offers something unique for groups. Fredericksburg EDT can help meeting planners match their groups to the right golf course.
The folks at Penny Lanes Bowl & Games have developed their own team-building game called Crazy Bowl, which pits teams of 8 people against each other in a variety of bowling-related challenges. The bowling alley is attached to the Paragon 12 cinema, whose upscale theaters are available for meetings and can seat up to 299 people.
Challenge your co-workers to a game of Donkey Kong or any other classic video game at Reclaim Arcade. Their retro living room space can be used for presentations. At Rush Hour Live Escape Games, test your team’s communication and problem solving skills with their TEEM Building (Together Everyone Escapes More) challenges. Or, see who has the best aim at FXBG Axes.
On the Water
Many residents of Fredericksburg find its pristine waterways to be a source of renewal and inspiration. Consider incorporating a water-based activity in your group’s meeting schedule.
Fresh air will ensure time spent inside working is as productive as it can be, and the bonds your group will form as they work together to navigate rapids or share the thrill of spotting a bald eagle in flight will be long-lasting.
The Virginia Outdoor Center can arrange and lead interpretive trips on the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers. The Outdoor Center works with experts in regional history and naturalists, who can provide tours that focus on Civil War history, birds, fossils, transportation history and more. Owner Bill Micks says he can provide anything from a multi-day river trip to a two-hour float, to acquaint groups with the natural treasures many visitors don’t get to see in this region.
Get Creative
Get your team’s creative juices flowing. At Wine & Design they believe “the team that sips together, stays together.” Team members work together to build a collaborative artwork in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. At Pot & Pallets, get your hands in the clay and create your own work of art. Maybe create a art display back at the office of everyone’s creations.
Let Fredericksburg EDT help find the right team building activities for your team and make your meeting a success. Start by browsing our Meeting Planners Toolkit, or submit an RFP.