Gateway to Summer Minnesota Planning

Summer is just too short. Calendars fill up fast, so enticing guests to attend your conference, summer meeting, corporate retreat or team-building get-away can be a challenge. But if you combine business with fabulous weather, the great outdoors and exciting adventures, you can turn your humdrum gathering into the must-attend event of the season.

Play a Round This Summer

There’s nothing more productive than team building events at the country club. Drink in the sunshine and discuss company initiatives (or not) at Brackett’s Crossing Country Club with golf, tennis, swimming or dining on their spacious patio. Or swing over to Stonebrooke Golf Club, renowned for stunning grounds, delectable dining and an outdoor terrace with spectacular views. Back to nature buffs will love team get-togethers at Legends Club with its gorgeous 18-hole course set against a sprawling natural backdrop. Or consider Rush Creek Golf Club, known for its lush 18-hole course named “Best Public Course” in 2001 and 2002.

If your team is more inclined to recline, Paradise Charter Cruises has just the boat for you. Come aboard any of their luxurious fleet and cruise either Lake Minnetonka or the Mighty Mississippi in style. Plush charter cruises can also be had aboard Excelsior Bay Charters luxurious yachts, also located on the beautiful Lake Minnetonka. Plan a memorable theme event on the Padelford Riverboats that cruise the Mississippi, or sit back and drift along the St. Croix aboard the riverboats in the fleet of the St. Croix Boat + Packet Co. in Stillwater.

Inclement weather won’t rain on your parade (or your event) when your team slips on those fashionable shoes and goes bowling. These days, bowling centers are entertainment hubs, like Brunswick Bowl, with its four metro locations, where your team can knock down pins, eat, enjoy libations, video games and billiards. Bryant Lake Bowl offers lanes, great food, plus live theater and musical performances. For a bit of spicy variety, try Pinstripes where your crew can enjoy bowling, bocce and an Italian bistro all in one location. Search for more golf courses, boating excursions or bowling centers at meetingpages.

Get Away From It All

Sometimes there’s nothing like packing up the team in the mini-van and whisking them away for the weekend. Look for accommodations with onsite crews who will happily assist you with your summer meeting or corporate retreat planning. Begin by asking the pros at Cragun’s Conference and Golf Resort. They’ll tell you this all-inclusive resort is the perfect distraction-free spot with golf, swimming, fishing, and even a stress-free spa. Grand View Lodge offers north woods seclusion essential to fostering focus on work, as well as golf, swimming, spa visits and brief road trips to the local vineyard. Breezy Point Resort boasts a brand new business center plus tennis, golf, beaches and the 50-mile Paul Bunyan Trail for ambitious hikers. And when your team isn’t horseback riding, playing volleyball, waterskiing or canoeing, they’ll appreciate the state-of-the-art conference spaces at Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes, Arrowwood Resort + Conference Center or Thumper Pond. Look for more places to gather the group together at meetingpages.

Back to Nature

Take the company party out of the lunch room and into the great outdoors. A ball game at the Minnesota Twin’s Target Field or TCF Stadium, home to the U of M’s Golden Gophers, are both guaranteed grand slams. Think on your feet by touring the beautifully landscaped grounds of the Earle Browne Heritage Center with its blooming gardens and bubbling fountains. Or book the bunch at the Riverwood Inn + Conference Center for picturesque perfection amid 15 acres of Mississippi riverside trails and landscaped grounds. Then again, you could combine teamwork with fun at Oak Ridge Hotel + Conference Center, heralded as the Best Team Building Venue + Conference Center in Minnesota. And for a true wildlife experience, nothing rivals the Audubon Center of the North Woods with 535 acres of natural habitats, forests, and restored wetlands. For an elegant encounter with nature, enchant your group with the rolling prairie land and French Norman style buildings of the Gainey Conference Center, or plan a day of excitement at Canterbury Park, with live racing, poker, casino games and more. Look for more outdoor action at meetingpages.

Dining Al Fresco

Dining outside on a warm Minnesota evening is nothing short of magical. Combine gourmet fare with a view of the stars at Crave Saint Louis Park. Bring the bunch up to the roof at Seven the Steakhouse or Epic Event Center for dazzling views and delightful cuisine. Or gather the gang together at either location of Woody’s Grille and choose from an eclectic menu of favorites out on the patio. For al fresco in Uptown, bring the bunch to Il Gatto for Italian, Cafeteria for American fare or Chino Latino for cooking from the hot zones like the Caribbean and Polynesia. Hungering for more options? Search for fab favorites at meetingpages.

Spectacular weather, fresh foods, endlessly entertaining activities--take advantage of all that summer offers and start planning that spectacular event today.