Believe me, peanut butter and jelly under full sail through the sparkling blue waters of Tahiti leaves a stronger and more lasting impact than caviar and Champagne in a convention center food court. There are good reasons experienced event planners set their key outings and events in unique and amazing venues, and none of them have much to do with the quality of the ingredients or the luxury of the furnishings.
Lasting memories are made of setting and ambiance, which is the real reason planners are constantly searching for that next over-the-top venue, theme or decor. While the following eight options might not be for every client or budget, the combination of can’t-forget content and don’t-want-to-forget settings produces results for the right group that will endure long after the event or excursion is another entry in the books.
1. Dine with the Fish
Attendees have to eat. But they don’t have to eat prepackaged meals in a fancied-up hall that seats 5,000. The right setting can transform a simple sandwich into a memorable experience.
That’s the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, the world’s first, and easily the most opulent, all-glass underwater restaurant. Part of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort, Ithaa is set in an acrylic tunnel 16 feet beneath the lagoon off this private island retreat. It’s not a huge venue, only 14 covers, but every table provides a 270-degree view through the crystal-clear lagoon filled with swirling schools of tropical fish, cruising sharks, rays, turtles and other marine denizens.
In a setting like this, the food is almost secondary. But the European-Asian fusion menu won’t disappoint and special events call for special menus. And consider shifting the usual evening gala to lunchtime. Artificial lights attract their own fish crowds, but the underwater effect is at its most entrancing when the sun shines through the waves.
2. Sleep Beneath the Waves
Hoteliers have been talking about underwater properties since Jules Verne’s science fiction adventure classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was serialized in 1869. The Manta Resort on Pemba Island, off the coast of Tanzania, actually built one.
Most of this secluded resort is a collection of thatched rooms and beachside villas that would please any high-performing incentive or C-suite group. What puts Manta on the cutting edge is the Underwater Room, an isolated island floating in the middle of the lagoon. The bedroom is suspended 12 feet beneath the surface, surrounded by tropical marine life and about as far away from civilization as you can get.
Manta’s submerged room is surrounded by a never-ending marine parade. The untouched coral reefs surrounding the island make Pemba one of the top dive sites in the world and the shallow waters put the most vibrant views within touching distance for snorkelers—or anyone lucky enough to score a night in the Underwater Room.
3. Under the Northern Lights
February isn’t the high season for most incentive destinations anywhere north of the Caribbean. But this is one of the busiest months of the year at Kakslauttanen, a small family-owned hotel 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Finland. Winter nights are long in Lapland, with midmorning dawn fading into midafternoon sunset, which leaves 18 hours a day to soak up the aurora borealis, aka the Northern Lights.
The rippling curtains of light shimmer across the nighttime sky from the end of August until the end of April, and there may not be a better spot to watch than from one of the plexiglass domes that provide unobstructed views of the night sky, a mind-altering experience for urban dwellers who are lucky to spot more than a handful of stars amidst the ever-present light of civilization.
The resort also offers cozy log cabins, some with viewing domes, a mix of suites that can be converted to breakout space and a central hall that can easily seat 400 or be used for group events.
4. Walking on Air
A good number of attendees have probably peered down into the Grand Canyon from the air, a few have likely even ridden or hiked to the bottom and up again. But how many have walked over the Grand Canyon?
That’s the opportunity at Grand Canyon Skywalk, a U-shaped glass skybridge that extends out over the canyon and the Colorado River, created by the Hualapai Tribe at the western end of the canyon. At the end of the glass bridge, the rim of the Grand Canyon is 70 feet behind you. The opposite rim is three miles in front. And when you look down, the Colorado River is 4,000 feet straight below.
Maybe not the easiest excursion from Las Vegas for anyone afraid of heights, but the glass and steel bridge can support a dozen 747s, not to mention your attendees. The one catch is that visitors are not allowed to carry phones, cameras and other items on the Skybridge to ensure that nothing falls into the canyon below. It’s an easy opportunity to work with staff photographers, who know the best angles and poses to create individual or group photos.
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5. Underwater Museum
For planners taking groups to Cancun, the Museo Subacuatico de Arte, or MUSA, is a must-do. The underwater art museum comprises two groups of sculptures that have been set up for diving and snorkeling views; there is also a dry land exhibition for attendees who would rather stay out of the water. An exhibit at Manchones sits in about 28 feet of water, an easy dive for beginners, with a second exhibit at Punta Nizuc in about 10 feet of water for snorkelers and non-divers who want to try a quick trip beneath the surface.
MUSA is part of Aquaworld, an experienced group operator in Cancun. Attendees can join standard public departures, but the company prefers arranging private tours with specialized guides who can explain the relevance and meaning of each of the sculptures.
6. Going Down for O2
Taking a breather at an oxygen bar is always a welcome respite from a busy event schedule. Clear Lounge Cozumel Puerta Maya offers flavored oxygen with a twist: You have to go underwater to get pure breathing.
The O2 lounge makes its home in a 13,000-gallon freestanding aquarium on the Carnival Cruise Pier. No funny-looking oxygen tubes looped around your ears and no diving experience needed. Instead, oxygen-enriched aromatherapy is delivered through special clear diving helmets that are designed for non-swimmers. The entire experience lasts about 20 minutes, all of it directed by a bartender who entertains, guides and reassures with underwater Jenga, write-on message boards and bubble guns for underwater shootouts. There are also bubble curtains, a digital display wall for photographs, photo props and plenty of opportunities to interact with attendees outside the clear walls.
7. Surf Austin
Austin has a solid reputation for delivering the hip and the unexpected. South by Southwest (SXSW), triathlons for the disabled, biker rallies in cowboy country, Eeyore’s Birthday Party and now breaking surf. “Surf’s up in Austin” is the catchphrase when NLand Surf Park opens near Austin–Bergstrom International Airport later this spring.
Chief Marketing Officer Marian Melcher Hanson likens the 160-acre surf park to nine liquid football fields with waves ranging from one-footers to four-footers, and perfectly curling six-footers rolling every 60 seconds. The initial phase includes a meeting pavilion and an event lawn in addition to a de rigueur restaurant, tiki bar, surf shop and changing rooms.
Group offerings are still in the design phase, but look for everything from small pro-am surfing experiences for VIP groups to larger teambuilding exercises and park buyouts for company celebrations. Group bookings open March 1, 2016.
8. Ski Dubai
No, “Ski Dubai” is not a misprint. It’s the name of the first, only and largest indoor snow resort in the Middle East. From the outside, Ski Dubai looks like a broad, enclosed tunnel snaking up above a parking structure that is part of the Mall of the Emirates. From the inside, Ski Dubai is a complex of five ski runs, including the world’s first indoor black run, with a quad chair lift soaring overhead.
Attendees from Colorado or Switzerland will probably be underwhelmed. The longest slope is about 400 yards long with a total fall of less than 200 feet. But this isn’t ski country, this is Dubai, one of the driest, hottest and least-likely-to-snow places on Earth. When outside temperatures fall to 105 in the shade, schussing down the slope in 25-degree comfort leaves an amazing impression.
