It’s hard for Lynne Forsman, founder of Nautical Destinations—now a DMC division of Pintail Yachts—to imagine gathering any business group in Annapolis without at least one agenda component that includes the water.
“A typical group program would include a tour of the Naval Academy campus, then a cruise on the Severn afterward,” Forsman says. “Matching the water with the history is a typical theme for many events we do.”
Forsman and her business partner, Nancy Galloway, founded their company 13 years ago as charter brokers, and special events gradually became part of their repertoire. Through the years, these destination experts have collected an assortment of ideas for planners to consider when they set their sights on Annapolis:
George Washington Sailed Here: Yes, he did, and reportedly ran aground! This is a good way to combine Annapolis’ history and maritime heritage.
Tavern Picnic: Annapolis has some colorful taverns and pubs that date way back, so why not set up an event in the bricked courtyard of one of the historic watering holes?
Cruising to a Crabfeast: A Maryland favorite, groups cruise the bay and take part in a traditional feast of Chesapeake crustaceans at a waterfront crab house.
Match Racing: This can be the ultimate team-building event aboard Woodwind and Woodwind II, identical 74-foot classic wooden yachts. The group is divided into two crews for training and racing. Competition and accurate strategizing produce an exhilarating finish, plus champagne for all to toast the winners.
Going Green: Groups can sail the bay on boats that follow green guidelines, meaning they serve local cuisine, recycle leftovers to food banks and follow other eco-sensitive practices. Guests learn about the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s initiatives to “Save the Bay.”
Sails Incentive: Groups of up to 40 enjoy a multiday programs that combines cruising the bay, visiting waterfront towns and hotel stays.
Customized Programs: Lisa Culver of Destination Paradise, another local DMC, adds a team-building idea from her company’s client repertoire.
“We’ve done a number of boat-building exercises for a full day of activity. The teams get raw materials in a box that have been pre-cut and drilled, and they spend the morning building and decorating their boats for about four to six people,” Culver says. “It’s pretty funny when they all get in and go out on the water.”
Other customized ideas include scavenger hunts in Annapolis’ historic district and lighthouse tours around the bay.
