How to Plan a Corporate Retreat or Group Trip to Traverse City
Why Traverse City Is an Ideal Corporate Retreat Destination
Our professional world is quite robust, ensuring that your retreat will be professional as well while also seeming like more of a group vacation to Traverse City. Offering fun, excitement, and many opportunities for team building, the setting will actually inspire your team to do better, work harder, and enjoy what they do even more.
Close enough to shops, restaurants, and other businesses to be convenient for travel, it is also far enough away from your day to day life in the corporate world to feel like an escape. And these dichotomies ensure that your retreat will be a successful one, achieving all the goals you hoped to achieve.
Choosing the Right Vacation Rental for Your Group
Your group trip to Traverse City, MI starts as any other regular vacation might, with the hunt for ideal vacation rental. Elevated Stays offers all manner of properties, from small condos in the heart of downtown to spacious escapes that may offer breathtaking views tucked away in quiet areas. You could choose a hotel, blocking a group of rooms for your employees, but we think a vacation home lends itself better to a corporate retreat.
Our properties offer team building opportunities, including preparing meals together in our fully equipped kitchens, playing games together in game rooms, or simply sitting out on large patios, connecting with your coworkers as the sun sets over the Traverse City countryside. These wonderful amenities are just a few of the things you should look for when booking a group property in Traverse City, and we are sure you will have a few ideas of your own.
The Best Team-Building Activities in Traverse City
If this is your first corporate retreat to Traverse City, Michigan or even your first corporate retreat altogether, we can help you prepare some of the best team-building activities as shown below.
Winery and Brewery Tours for the Whole Group
Traverse City is known as the Napa of the Midwest, so of course you want to explore some of the dozens of wineries that dot our landscape. But did you know we also offer a great selection of breweries as well? And because you will want to participate in this team building exercise as well, we suggest you take a tour with Traverse City Wine & Beer Tours, letting someone else do the driving.
Address: 3402 N Four Mile Rd, Traverse City, MI 49686
Phone: (231) 499-2656
Outdoor Adventures That Build Camaraderie
It may be a little cold in the winter for these outdoor adventures but if your group vacation to Traverse City falls in summer, we’ve got you covered.
TART (Traverse Area Recreation Trail) will give you plenty of opportunities to explore the town as a team. Designated as non-motorized, multi-use paths, the TART trails are popular with walkers, joggers, and bikers. You can rent bikes for your group from Brick Wheels, which sits right along the TART.
Address: 736 E Eighth St, Traverse City, MI 49686
Hours: 9 AM to 6 PM Monday-Friday
9 AM to 5 PM Saturday
10 AM to 3 PM Sunday
Paddleboarding on the Boardman River is another great bonding experience for your corporate retreat. The River Outfitters offers tours and rentals by the hour, the day, or the week, with delivery within a 20 mile range of their headquarters.
Address: 1910 W South Airport Rd, Traverse City, MI 49686
Hours: 10 AM to 6 PM
Unique Experiences That Make the Trip Memorable
There are many unique experiences you can enjoy during your stay in Traverse City, including:
Taking a sunset sail aboard a replica 1800s cargo schooner (Traverse Tall Ship Company)
An asylum tour of The Village at Grand Commons
Taking an art class at the Crooked Tree Art Center
Where to Take Your Group for Dinner in Traverse City
You have to eat during your corporate retreat to Traverse City, but it can sometimes be difficult to find restaurants for large groups, especially when you want to dine in private. We’ve listed a couple of suggestions for the best restaurants below.
Boone’s Long Lake Inn, 7208 Secor Road – Serving steak and seafood from inside an old sawmill, their private dining room is perfect for your corporate dinner.
Boathouse Restaurant, 14039 Peninsula Drive – Offering stunning waterfront views, a farm to table menu, and plenty of room for your large group, the Boathouse Restaurant is one of our favorite fine dining establishments.
The Filling Station Microbrewery, 642 Railroad Place – Offering a large patio with communal style picnic tables, the Filling Station Microbrewery is an ideal dining establishment for large groups. Their menu consists of snacks and pizza and the casual vibe will make everyone feel comfortable.
How to Structure Your Retreat Schedule in Traverse City
Although you will want to have free time during your group vacation to Traverse City, you will still probably want to follow some sort of schedule. We’ve provided a simple barebones 3-day itinerary, ensuring that you will be able to keep your group engaged while not overscheduling. Down time is important.
Day 1
Your first day will mostly be about assigning rooms and getting to know your Elevated Stays corporate rental, but you may have time for a sunset cruise to get the festivities started. This might be the perfect time to book a sunset dinner cruise with Traverse Tall Ship Co, offering a 2-hour sail aboard the Manitou followed (or preceded) with a dinner at Harrington’s by the Bay.
Day 2
Spend your morning in meetings while gathered around the dining table of our Michigan sanctuary, and after lunch, it will be time to head out for a tour of the Old Mission Peninsula Wine Trail. Summer visitors may prefer to explore a river float down the Broadman River, and Ranch Rudolf offers rentals of inner tubes so you and your team can do spend a relaxing few hours on the river.
Day 3
Preparing breakfast as a team will be the perfect start to the day, and although you will have to check out at 11 AM, you can use the majority of today to explore the TART trails that traverse the city. Dinner at Boathouse Restaurant will offer the perfect ending to a beautiful 3 days in our Michigan hometown.
Start Planning Your Traverse City Group Retreat Today
A corporate retreat to Traverse City, MI, is sure to be the best way to show your employees how much you appreciate their hard work. Our Traverse City vacation rentals will provide the space needed to gather together when needed and the doors that they can shut against the world when they need privacy and down time. Reserve your favorite retreat today!
