One of the best ways to disengage attendees from their smartphones, tablets and laptops is to put them on a horse—or at least engaged in a ranch activity that gets them in the fresh air with no touchscreens and keyboards.
Recently, Genworth Financial, a company specializing in long-term care insurance headquartered in Richmond, Va., convened at Westgate River Ranch in Polk County, Fla., a one-hour drive south of Orlando, for a regional retreat/incentive program. The group included 18 sales agents and their spouses.
“The goal was to enhance our team culture and develop more trust between our sales agents,” says Todd Johnson, a Genworth general agent who coordinated the event. “We selected their ‘Saddle Up and Ride’ team-building program.”
The group was divided into four teams of two that received a quick demonstration on how to assemble a horse saddle. One person is blindfolded, while the other talks their partner through the steps of assembling the saddle. Once assembled, the saddle is fastened to the horse and one of the team members must ride blindfolded through an obstacle-laden maze as the other team member guides. A typical program lasts about two hours.
“It was great fun and rewarding to see our group work together to solve problems out of their realm of expertise,” Johnson says.
At the 600-acre JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, attendees can fully immerse in the Texas lifestyle with two-step dance sessions, armadillo races, mechanical bull riding and tequila tastings.
Other intriguing options include the Big Cedar Resort in Branson, Mo., which offers Ozark Olympics featuring cattle roping and a “patty” toss; Dunton Hot Springs Resort near Telluride, Colo., which has a restored ghost town with a saloon and dance hall; and Bumble Bee Ranch in Arizona, 50 miles north of Phoenix, where team-building cattle drives, cowboy dinners and target shooting are popular.
