The Garden State’s middle name is “invention.” In fact, New Jersey is the only state to have its own Inventors Hall of Fame, founded in 1987 and now supported by the Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken.
Among the more than 375 honorees are America’s greatest inventor, Thomas Edison, whose home and laboratory are now a National Historical Park ideal for group tours, and Albert Einstein, for his scientific brilliance at Princeton University. New Jersey is also home to Fort Lee, the original Hollywood, and birthplace of pioneering companies such as Bell Telephone and RCA Laboratories.
In Atlantic City (see sidebar, page 38), the theme of the moment is reinvention, as the resort town continues to rebound from recent casino closings with a renewed focus on meetings, tourism and non-gaming options.
Taking the theme of invention in a different direction, New Jersey is ripe with creative teambuilding, hands-on learning and unwinding. From the intricacy of glass working to high-adrenaline outdoor laser tag (see Zoom In Q&A, page 40), groups can go inventively off-agenda at the following “patently” rewarding options.
Vandermark Merritt Glass Studios, Branchburg
Opened in 1972, this renowned family-run glass working studio, the only one of its kind in New Jersey, established its reputation by creating museum-quality Colonial-era glassware reproductions, traditional Art Glass, cameos and other forms.
With Vandermark pieces prized by collectors and found in such preeminent institutions as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian and Corning Museum, groups of 10 to 24 people have a unique opportunity to learn from the best while helping to make their own high-quality paperweights, bowls and other take-home pieces.
“Guests work hand-in-hand with our artists to learn the tools and techniques of shaping glass, while also working together to accomplish their finished pieces,” says Doug Merritt, who learned his craft from studio founder Gerald Vandermark before partnering with him. “Not only is this a fun experience, but everyone leaves with a feeling of accomplishment and self-esteem.”
Popular with corporations and social groups, the suburban studio is open from October to December and from April to June.
Princeton Tour Company, Princeton
Since arriving in Princeton from Nashville in 2006, founder Mimi Omiecinski has poured her irresistible personality into making her nationally recognized tour company an absolute must for visiting groups. Six new tour guides, each as passionate about the famed university town as Omiecinski herself, enhance a rich set of tour options for groups.
“One of our guides, a retired corporate executive and Revolutionary War expert, partners with Gallup leadership and team effectiveness consultant Jake Herway (see next listing) on our Battlefield Leadership Experience program,” Omiecinski says. “After consulting with the client’s HR team, they take small executive teams on two-hour walking tours of the Princeton Battlefield. In 1776, this is where George Washington and the Continental Army turned the tide of the war—there is much to learn from their example.”
Omiecinski specializes in private corporate tours and customized events year-round, with popular programs including ghost walks, scavenger hunts, secret supper clubs and “our shameless namedropping five-star tours.”
NJ Bike Tours, Princeton
Jake Herway calls his many bicycling experiences while growing up in Europe the essence of “joie de vivre.” Inspired by those memories, he founded his bike tour company to impart that same magic to clients.
“I believe in transporting people from their routines into environments that engage all five senses,” Herway says. “While not quite Switzerland, our roughly 40-mile area touring region in central New Jersey is full of country charm. On the bicycle, people make connections—with physical challenge, with farmers and artisans, with their group and with themselves.”
Year-round programs range from moderate 13-mile rides along the flat towpath of the historic D&O Canal to more advanced 45-mile rides on hilly country roads. Especially popular are private tours such as “Farm-To-Table” and “Magical History.”
It’s BYOB—bring your own bicycle and helmet.
“We can refer local bike shops for rentals,” Herway says, adding that the ideal group size is five to 10 people, so everybody gets the most out of the experience.
Pirate Voyages, Ocean City
Ahoy, land lubbers! For a swashbuckling good time, groups of up to 49 can charter adventures aboard the Sea Dragon, a custom-built pirate ship complete with 16 water cannons. Along with pirate-themed programming geared toward children’s parties, including treasure hunts and mock sea battles, adults can book the vessel for three-hour BYOB evening cruises—or their own pirate excursion.
“We have had corporate groups come fully dressed in pirate gear,” says Jamie Richard, co-owner along with husband Joel. “We can also work with planners to customize elements, such as firing the water cannons.”
Now in its eighth season, the company operates between Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend, with charters running May through September. Excursions are in calm bay waters about 15 miles south of Atlantic City. Parasailing adventures at sea are also available.
Essex County TreeTop Adventure Course, West Orange
Located within the 36-acre South Mountain Recreation area, this dynamic aerial course offers a uniquely challenging experience for adults and children. Reservations are required, and while no group rates or specific programming are provided, the facility generally accommodates 25 guests per hour.
Rebuilt and expanded to include a zipline and children’s section following Hurricane Sandy, sturdy telegraph poles support a series of obstacles up to 35 feet off the ground. While participants are personally outfitted beforehand with a helmet and harness, steady nerves are required— equivalent to a high-wire circus act, there’s no turning back.
If that’s too much, adjacent Turtle Back (separate entrance and admission) is New Jersey’s top-rated zoo, offering group rental facilities and attractions, including a mini-railroad ride.
Overlooking the nearby Orange Reservoir, where groups can go boating, McLoone’s Boathouse offers dining with a full bar and semi-private space for parties and functions, buyouts for up to 500 people included.
Gary’s Wine & Marketplace
Founded in 1987 and with four Northern New Jersey locations—Bernardsville, Wayne, Madison and Hillsborough—this acclaimed wine retailer routinely offers public food and wine events, along with customized hands-on wine-tasting programs for groups.
“Wine is the great equalizer,” says Gary Fisch, founder and CEO. “No matter how much you know, there’s always much more to learn.”
Typically introducing four wines over a 45-minute period, Fisch says his wine-tasting workshops are great for fostering collaboration and group dynamics.
“Companies have leveraged our wine tasting workshops as an incentive for attendees sitting through long presentations and meetings,” Fisch says. “Plus, wine is fun, so it livens things up and gets people engaged and interacting with each other.”
Each location hosts wine, craft beer or spirits tastings on Saturdays and frequent weekdays throughout the year. The business was named 2014 Retailer of The Year by Market Watch Magazine, the leading trade publication for the retail spirits industry.
Delaware River Tubing, Frenchtown
With summer just around the corner, what better than a group day out tubing, rafting, kayaking or canoeing along the moderately paced, shallow waters of the historic Delaware River?
Owned by a U.S. Marine veteran, this popular operator offers flexible, affordably priced options for groups, including special prepay and weekday rates.
Along with shuttle service and equipment, programs include life jackets and paddles, and every canoe, kayak, tube and raft rental includes a barbecue meal from the “Famous River Hot Dog Man.” This floating food vendor has been a local attraction since 1987, with picnic tables in the water adding to the fun.
Adventures typically last three to four hours, during which groups can swim, explore small river islands, or engage in teambuilding activities. For groups looking to bond, double and triple tubes are available, which can be joined with “stay together” straps.
