Among the many changes in the corporate meetings market, one of the most significant has been the greater emphasis of both planners and clients on the ROI of dollars spent on meetings. Despite the fact that many meetings are being held in outdoors-oriented South Florida, the still lingering “AIG effect” in many cases “locks” groups into conference rooms with back-to-back sessions, barely allowing participants a glimpse of the outside world during business hours.

The notable exceptions seem to be activities that can be classified as teambuilding, to eliminate any appearance of corporate get-togethers as junkets.  Dragonfly Expeditions is reacting to the increased demand for these kinds of activities.  The most commonly sold option this season has been our successful Historic South Beach Scavenger Hunt.  This hunt can be done for groups as small as 15 guests or as many as 150 to 200.  The participants receive a clue sheet and have to locate several landmarks on South Miami Beach without the help of technology and solve a variety of tasks using their people skills and their ability to work together to find the locations in the shortest possible timeframe.

Additionally, we would like to point out which of our products can also serve this purpose, so that our meeting planning partners have the opportunity to create both a bond among the participants, as well as a bond to the destination.

Everglades Backwater Tour

Overcoming the initial hesitation to step into the waters of the Everglades for a wet hike collectively creates a tremendous connection among participants. Guests often feel like a group of National Geographic explorers when they navigate their path through a cypress dome together.

“We grew a little last Friday – and for the better! I want you to know that you and your staff made us feel safe, comfortable and encouraged about our world around us.”-Finance and Administration Department, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau

Kayak and Canoe Excursions

We pair participants on double canoes and kayaks which forces the guests to work together to steer through some of the challenging routes (especially first-time paddlers) Immersing the guests into unknown environments creates a sense of exploration and discovery.

• Paddling in Paradise – Isle of Capri Kayaking
• Munyon Island Kayak Adventure
• Loxahatchee Canoe Adventure
• Great Discoveries on the Bay
• Estero River History Paddle
• Paddling the Oleta

Gourmet Cracker Cooking School

Participants have the opportunity to prepare a variety of courses from locally grown ingredients in small teams before sharing the dishes with the rest of the group.  Getting meals ready together is a tried and true bonding experience that has been lost for many people in the current, more hectic society due to lack of time and different schedules in families.  Cooking together inspires every participant to work in sync with the rest of the group to achieve the common goal. (For groups from Naples and Marco Island)

If you haven’t thought about these options as teambuilding activities, feel free to request the most current descriptions for inclusion in your next proposal.  We are happy to help our partners sell these exciting choices during conference calls and on site inspections!