TECHNOLOGY IS ON THE RISE, and although it is much more convenient and inexpensive, it doesn’t give the same kind of face-to-face interaction that a meeting does. People need human connection and what better way to get it than a team building event? Bring coworkers together and show them you appreciate them with a small work getaway. According to Stefanie Rowe, Director of Sales and Marketing at Hotel EMC2, “Stepping away from the daily grind can make a large impact on future productivity and motivation when team members feel appreciated.” The event can still be work related, with meetings and training galore, but you’d be surprised how much difference a change of scenery can make. Team building is also integral to a coherent work environment, so use the event as a way to boost morale. Have coworkers learn more about each other with ice breakers or play a game that requires teamwork. Attendees will have fun, while also making important connections that will help their company flourish.
Team Builders:
When arranging the event room, informal is the hip, new thing. Move over traditional ballrooms and lecture halls, because this new year is all about finding a space with character. Breweries, museums, and other venues with a unique and open space are becoming a trend in the planning community. Even seating arrangements are getting a makeover. Rowe stated, “In mid-size lecture style events, we see event planners layer their seating from front to back with couches, chairs, and then high boys for guests to mingle and move around, which creates a relaxed and intimate atmosphere. The main idea is to create spaces for brainstorming and networking.” An experience like this also creates value in the mind of the attendee. Not only are these kinds of spaces unique, but they are unforgettable.
- Break into teams and test their knowledge with trivia.
- Bring out their saucy side with a friendly cooking competition.
- Bring back the classics and go on a scavenger hunt.
- Clean a ditch or prepare sack lunches for the homeless with a little community service.
- Take a vote and let your employees decide!
When arranging the event room, informal is the hip, new thing. Move over traditional ballrooms and lecture halls, because this new year is all about finding a space with character. Breweries, museums, and other venues with a unique and open space are becoming a trend in the planning community. Even seating arrangements are getting a makeover. Rowe stated, “In mid-size lecture style events, we see event planners layer their seating from front to back with couches, chairs, and then high boys for guests to mingle and move around, which creates a relaxed and intimate atmosphere. The main idea is to create spaces for brainstorming and networking.” An experience like this also creates value in the mind of the attendee. Not only are these kinds of spaces unique, but they are unforgettable.
- Boost - Cincinnati, OH: Boost is located in an urban loft that’s over 100 years old! In addition to conference tables and chairs, Boost also provides couches and soft chairs. But just because there are comfy couches, doesn’t mean they don’t get down to business. The also provide everything you’ll need for your meeting, including audiovisual, usable wall space, bookcases containing both traditional and unique meeting supplies and props, and much more!
On Broadway KC - Kansas City, MO: Get a little fresh air at On Broadway KC. Their rooftop event space features contemporary lounge furniture and a serene ambience emphasized by vivid green landscape. The 4th floor rooftop also features a full bar, full kitchen, mood lighting, and state of the art sound for your perfect outdoor meeting.
sparkspace - Columbus, OH: sparkspace is all kinds of creative. Every one of their corporate meeting rooms are designed to excite each person who walks through their door. Unique elements like their inspiring decor, an extremely comfortable mix of furniture, and a world-famous wall of candy ensure that your team will never be bored!
the bare room - Chippewa Falls, WI: Create your own space from scratch at the bare room. This DIY space allows you to bring in everything you want and organize the room your way. Rent out some couches and decor and create the event you envisioned!
Exchange312 - Chicago, IL: Exchange312 is a beautifully curated, bespoke luxury event venue located in the heart of Wicker Park in Chicago. This venue offers its guests a distinguished, flexible, and personalized venue to exchange new ideas, inspire conversations, unique experiences, and unforgettable memories. The built-in bar will surely help with getting the creative juices flowing, as well! The space is customizable with an in-house event team to make your every wish come true!
Food For Thought
Customization is on the menu for this upcoming year. Choosing a menu that can please every attendee is hard, especially with all of the health trends that have increased in popularity in the past decade. Not everyone just eats meat and potatoes for their meals anymore! There are so many dietary restrictions and allergies that need to be taken into account before a menu can be finalized. And there is no magical meal that will please everyone, so keep the options open with a few choices. Having a “Build Your Own” menu is flexible for the attendees and won’t leave the caterer running around like a chicken with his head cut off. Buffets are always an option as well. Make it a theme, like Hawaiian or Italian, and let the attendees choose for themselves!
sparkspace - Columbus, OH: sparkspace is all kinds of creative. Every one of their corporate meeting rooms are designed to excite each person who walks through their door. Unique elements like their inspiring decor, an extremely comfortable mix of furniture, and a world-famous wall of candy ensure that your team will never be bored!
the bare room - Chippewa Falls, WI: Create your own space from scratch at the bare room. This DIY space allows you to bring in everything you want and organize the room your way. Rent out some couches and decor and create the event you envisioned!
Exchange312 - Chicago, IL: Exchange312 is a beautifully curated, bespoke luxury event venue located in the heart of Wicker Park in Chicago. This venue offers its guests a distinguished, flexible, and personalized venue to exchange new ideas, inspire conversations, unique experiences, and unforgettable memories. The built-in bar will surely help with getting the creative juices flowing, as well! The space is customizable with an in-house event team to make your every wish come true!
Food For Thought
Customization is on the menu for this upcoming year. Choosing a menu that can please every attendee is hard, especially with all of the health trends that have increased in popularity in the past decade. Not everyone just eats meat and potatoes for their meals anymore! There are so many dietary restrictions and allergies that need to be taken into account before a menu can be finalized. And there is no magical meal that will please everyone, so keep the options open with a few choices. Having a “Build Your Own” menu is flexible for the attendees and won’t leave the caterer running around like a chicken with his head cut off. Buffets are always an option as well. Make it a theme, like Hawaiian or Italian, and let the attendees choose for themselves!
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
We’ve all wondered about what kind of carbon footprint we’ll be leaving behind. If you’re in the business of keeping yours to a minimum, look to partner up with a venue that’s all about sustainability. Meetings and events can create a lot of waste, including food, badges, packing materials, signage, and the list goes on and on. Creating a sustainable event can reduce this waste exponentially, and it doesn’t have to cost you a black market kidney to do it! It can be as easy as sourcing your food locally, reusing table cloths, or going paperless and using more app-based technology. We have listed a few venues that have sustainability on the mind, but they aren’t the only ones working towards a greener environment. Look for venues that are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified or check with your venue to see what they are doing to reduce, reuse, and recycle!
Catalyst Ranch - Chicago, IL: All of Catalyst Ranch’s furniture, decor, and embellishments are either made out of recycled material or refurbished in order to eliminate production of new materials. They also donate all of their un-served food to Pacific Garden Mission, a homeless shelter in Chicago’s South Loop.
Lied Lodge and Conference Center - Nebraska City, NE: Lied Lodge and Conference Center has their very own Fuelwood Energy Plant onsite where they use wood chips made from pallets to heat and cool the hotel. Many of their supplies are made from recycled material, and attendees also have the option of leaving behind their name badges for reuse or recycling.
McCormick Place - Chicago, IL: McCormick Place offsets 100% of its electricity usage with clean wind energy. They have also cultivated a 20,000 sq.ft. rooftop garden that provides 8,000 pounds of produce every year for use in their catering and restaurant dishes. The garden is also home to over 30,000 honey bees!
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino - Milwaukee, WI: The Gold LEED Certified facility of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino built a bio-digester, located just west of their property, that converts large amounts of food waste to energy - including energy used to heat the casino’s hotel property.
Monona Terrace - Madison, WI: Monona Terrace is another Gold LEED Certified facility on our list. Their Frank Lloyd Wright facility is going literal green with their rooftop garden. Approximately 3,000 prairie plants have been added, as well as an herb garden that compliments the menu at their seasonal rooftop garden cafe. The Wisconsin native plants used in the garden require minimal water and maintenance, while also attracting a diverse array of pollinators and wildlife that helps reflect the health of the environment.
We’ve all wondered about what kind of carbon footprint we’ll be leaving behind. If you’re in the business of keeping yours to a minimum, look to partner up with a venue that’s all about sustainability. Meetings and events can create a lot of waste, including food, badges, packing materials, signage, and the list goes on and on. Creating a sustainable event can reduce this waste exponentially, and it doesn’t have to cost you a black market kidney to do it! It can be as easy as sourcing your food locally, reusing table cloths, or going paperless and using more app-based technology. We have listed a few venues that have sustainability on the mind, but they aren’t the only ones working towards a greener environment. Look for venues that are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified or check with your venue to see what they are doing to reduce, reuse, and recycle!
Catalyst Ranch - Chicago, IL: All of Catalyst Ranch’s furniture, decor, and embellishments are either made out of recycled material or refurbished in order to eliminate production of new materials. They also donate all of their un-served food to Pacific Garden Mission, a homeless shelter in Chicago’s South Loop.
Lied Lodge and Conference Center - Nebraska City, NE: Lied Lodge and Conference Center has their very own Fuelwood Energy Plant onsite where they use wood chips made from pallets to heat and cool the hotel. Many of their supplies are made from recycled material, and attendees also have the option of leaving behind their name badges for reuse or recycling.
McCormick Place - Chicago, IL: McCormick Place offsets 100% of its electricity usage with clean wind energy. They have also cultivated a 20,000 sq.ft. rooftop garden that provides 8,000 pounds of produce every year for use in their catering and restaurant dishes. The garden is also home to over 30,000 honey bees!
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino - Milwaukee, WI: The Gold LEED Certified facility of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino built a bio-digester, located just west of their property, that converts large amounts of food waste to energy - including energy used to heat the casino’s hotel property.
Monona Terrace - Madison, WI: Monona Terrace is another Gold LEED Certified facility on our list. Their Frank Lloyd Wright facility is going literal green with their rooftop garden. Approximately 3,000 prairie plants have been added, as well as an herb garden that compliments the menu at their seasonal rooftop garden cafe. The Wisconsin native plants used in the garden require minimal water and maintenance, while also attracting a diverse array of pollinators and wildlife that helps reflect the health of the environment.