Whether gathering at poolside, meeting new staff at cocktail hour, or engaged in training sessions, meeting attendees often look forward to breaking free for outdoor team building activities in San Diego. Many meeting planners consider interactive team building events the highlight of their conference, and sunny destinations help make it a success.
Or maybe
they just want to golf. Either way, good weather brightens moods and
cultivates receptivity better than a tornado in Waco or a snowstorm
in Duluth.
Language
can be clumsy when it comes to defining the reality of life. The
Oxford Dictionary is no different when defining team building as:
“The
action or process of causing a group of people to work together
effectively as a team, especially by means of activities and events
designed to increase motivation and promote cooperation.”
That’s
a mouthful, and the definition is open to anyone’s interpretation.
Without getting the lawyers involved, let’s say team building
simply means building
relationships.
Team
relationships often evolve serendipitously long before teams arrive
in San Diego. At the mere mention of San Diego as the next conference
destination, teams engage early on with colleagues at their location
and remote offices. Team synergy naturally develops for the big event
ahead.
Arriving
in San Diego visitors easily mesh with the casual beach town vibe.
Corporate meetings are easier when minds are nourished and receptive
to new ideas and creating solutions.
Venture
Up plays its part by injecting the fun into corporate training
sessions, or creating events to drive home meeting objectives. The
activities are non-threatening and involve everyone’s brainpower,
whether or not staff are able or willing to participate physically.
While
Venture Up facilitators often cite research and anecdotes
from Harvard
Business Review, MIT
and Stanford,
we emphasize the value of spontaneous creativity in teamwork and
problem solving.
Venture
Up clients staying in the eclectic Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego often
choose Strategic Games or the Amazing
Race team building experience.
Several versions of the race are available, taking in the historic
seafaring history of the region, and including company-specific
elements. Other teams take to grassy Mission Bay grounds, with
affordable conference hotels nearby, while others indulge in luxury
golf resorts in North County.
The list
below gives a quick look at some of the popular hotels and resorts
catering to conferences involved in corporate training and team
building events:
NORTH
San Diego Team Building Sites
Nestled
in Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, the Fairmont Grand del Mar
offers a taste of Tuscan luxury on the north San Diego coast. A
palatial marble lobby welcomes guests to this grand estate hotel, 20
miles north of the airport. The world class enclave is known for its
spacious rooms, a sprawling 21,000 square-foot health spa, four
swimming pools, and the Tom Fazio-designed golf course. Even the
locals gather here to relax and take in fine dining by the sea.
Meetings
The
lofty Lodge at Torrey Pines offers jaw-dropping views of the
Cliffside coast and lush park surroundings. A woodsy, rustic
ambiance sets it apart from other Tuscan inspired resorts that share
world class status in San Diego. Spacious rooms with hard wood
furnishings and luxury amenities indulge guests. Many rooms have
sweeping views of the beach or Torrey Pines Golf Course. Crackling
fireplaces bring warmth to the resort’s common areas. Fitness
amenities include an outdoor pool and hot tub as well as full service
fitness center, with all it takes for a homey beach getaway -- a
library, pool table, big screen television, and old-fashioned board
games.
L'Auberge
Del Mar is the centerpiece of this north shore village, offering
a world of luxury steps from the beach, on the historic grounds where
old-time celebrities found solace. Lucy and Desi Arnez, Bing Crosby,
and Clark Gable graced the 5.2-acre grounds of the original hotel,
which was later torn down and replaced with a 120-room beach
landmark. L’Auberge recently underwent a $26 million renovation and
offers guests luxury and comfort in Hollywood Regency style.
Conference planners favor this hotel for impeccable service and
intimate meeting space.
Looming
above La Jolla Cove over the vast Pacific, La Valencia Hotel is the
“Pink Lady of La Jolla”, named for its rose-colored stucco
exterior. The Mediterranean-style hotel has 112 guest rooms, each
decorated in its own style. All rooms have high tech amenities
for
The
Grande Colonial was built in 1913 and its historic charm brings
guests back year after year. The oldest hotel in La Jolla, the Grande
is a luxury property with down bedding, an outdoor pool, and the
on-site restaurant with award-winning farm-to-table cuisine.
GASLAMP
District Team Building Sites
Hotel
Solamar in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter attracts business travelers
with its style and location, just three blocks from the convention
center and a block from Petco Park. Guest rooms at Hotel Solamar
include dark mahogany furnishings, plush bedding, Gilchrist &
Soames bath products. All are fully-equipped for tech business
and entertainment needs. Pet guests have their own luxury bedding.
A sun deck and pool offer a welcome break from meetings, and the best
beaches are a short drive away.
A $500
million renovation restored the US Grant to its Old World splendor.
The son of General Ulysses S. Grant opened the hotel in 1910 when it
catered to socialites. Today it bridges Old World charm with modern
necessities, including high tech needs for business and
entertainment, a fitness center and California cuisine. Some of the
city’s main attractions are nearby, but the beach requires a 15
minute drive. The hotel’s elegance and seclusion make it a good
choice for corporate leaders planning training meetings and getting
down to business before breaking out for a day in the sun.
The Hard
Rock Hotel is king of the Gaslamp
Quarter,
overlooking the dazzling San Diego Bay, and across the street from
PetCo Park. It’s easy to feel uncool around the hip rock ‘n’
roll set, but staff is welcoming to everyone, even if you’re over
age 30, which most guests are. Rooms have excellent stereo systems
(Quelle surprise!), with great sound in the bathroom so there’s no
need to sing in the shower. The halo-illumination beds are
befitting a rock star. The hotel is dark, with a sprawling bottom
floor that is more like a rock ‘n’ roll museum. Visitors who take
a day in the sun, return for their brand of relaxation – a night in
the club where locals and visitors mix beyond the midnight hour.
