When it comes to event settings that inspire, relax and rejuvenate attendees, the beach is a top pick. The sand, surf and coastline add elements of natural beauty, waves lapping the shore have a calming effect, and the scent of salty air rising from the ocean invigorates the senses.
Sounds dreamy, right? Keep in mind there are key considerations that can make or break that waterfront get-together. We checked in with event planners and other key players around the country for their insight and ideas on planning—and pulling off—a unique beach event or meeting.
Know Your Group
Having a handle on what attendees need to accomplish during the agenda is a critical first step, particularly when considering a beach destination for the entire program.
When a group is dealing with serious subject matter, and several meetings are on the schedule, the beach may be best utilized for complementary group activities and evening events. But when the goal is to reward, motivate or energize, a casual, easy oceanfront atmosphere works well for various aspects of the meeting agenda and can be especially effective for incentive groups.
For corporate and other groups, a beachfront meeting provides a refreshing change from the traditional conference setting, according to Michele Wilde, director of conferences and events at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida.
“It offers a more casual atmosphere to better engage attendees in team and rapport-building at a different level than in a typical meeting context,” she said. “It allows planners to incorporate a more relaxed dynamic into the agenda, and to capitalize on expanded areas, additional square footage and unique, versatile backdrops afforded by outdoor spaces. This can prove beneficial to meeting planners who are looking to do a program that doesn’t require a formal environment.”
Build Excitement
Taking your meeting to the beach is a sure-fire way to up the “excitement ante,” and boost attendance.
“If people can choose whether or not to attend a conference, give them a reason to want to go,” said veteran event planner Stacy Stern of The Special Events Group in Boca Raton, Fla. “If you choose a site on a beach, people tend to relax and get into it because they want to be there.”
Creative messaging that promotes the many natural and outdoor experiences that go hand-in-hand with a beach setting is one way to entice potential attendees.
Think Outside the Box
There are countless ways to get outside the boardroom and utilize the beach in new and exciting ways during a meeting agenda.
Scott O’Hanlon, director of marketing, advertising and communications at The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, in Huntington Beach, said one of the most unique programs at the property is a “barefoot breakout.”
“Instead of a breakout in the foyer, attendees get some time to wiggle their toes in the sand,” he said. “It’s all about stretching, getting outside and giving guests a change of scenery. We tray-pass hors d’oeuvres under a canopy so no one gets too hot.”
Tubs of water are placed around for attendees to dip their feet into, and when it’s time to go back inside, The Waterfront’s Barefoot Butlers are on hand to make sure everyone is de-sanded and de-salted.
“They get attendees back into their shoes totally fresh and clean and ready to continue the program,” he said.
Meanwhile, one Fortune 200 company’s COO requested that the final meeting of a two-day program at Florida’s Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota be moved from the ballroom to the beach.
“He prefers a relaxed, casual atmosphere and didn’t want to spend all of his time indoors,” said Victoria DeSilvio, principal of the Victoria DeSilvio Group of Boca Raton, Fla., the firm that partnered with Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Forte Events, to execute the meeting.
They came up with “A Fireside Chat” concept. Everyone sat around a fire pit on the beach, toasting s’mores, sipping cordials, watching the sun set—while verbally downloading information from the prior two days.
“This type of event allowed everyone to exhale,” DeSilvio said. “Because the COO was able to chill out, the whole group followed suit and was able to decompress.”
While not all management is comfortable bringing it that far “out of the proverbial box,” most welcome teambuilding and other activities to take place outside. Other times, you find that rare client who wants to take it all to the next level.
“We had one client who did their whole program [business and entertainment] on the beach,” said C. Aaron Sayer, director of creative services at Hello Florida! Fort Lauderdale.
The program, a sales conference that included employees from all across the country for a medical technology equipment company, proved to be exciting, challenging and quite different from any other comprehensive agenda they had worked on before.
“We basically built a ballroom on the beach,” Sayer said.
At the Harbour Beach Marriott in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sayer’s team erected a tent complete with full flooring, air conditioning, staging and audiovisual. The side of the tent facing the ocean was done in a clear material, enabling the entire 300-person group to see the water. Ramps, entrances, exits and all other details necessary to replicate an effective, fully functioning meeting space were constructed right on the beach. Restroom trailers for the guests’ convenience were parked on-site as well.
“We wanted attendees to have a real ‘toes in the sand’ type of experience, so everything happened out there,” Sayer said. “We did a welcome reception and a gala. We used generators [for power], brought in lighting and entertainment. The infrastructure was extremely expensive, but we were able to minimize some costs using beach elements as decor.”
A second tent was put up to house the kitchen.
“We did a plated dinner one night, chef-attended stations another,” he said. “We served seafood and a giant paella and did a clam bake.”
The event took three to four days to build and the same amount of time to tear down.
“It was such a big deal because this program closed out the company’s current year and delivered next year’s message,” Sayer said. “It was designed to get everyone pumped.”
Get Social
Not only is the business portion of the meeting important, but so are the social aspects. As options expand to outside, overall opportunities multiply. Steer clear of the expected and inspire your group by presenting atypical activities, teambuilding tasks and breakout sessions that literally get them out of the building.
Say hello to breezy bungalow breakout sessions, encourage guests to engage in cabana chats, and incorporate teambuilding activities such as beach Olympics, building sand castles, making kayaks, Jet Ski relays and yoga and tai chi classes.
Treat Groups to a Coastal Excursion
For meeting groups not gathering at a beachfront destination, adding a coastal event to the itinerary is a great way to surprise attendees and immerse them in an authentic local experience.
“We recently did a clam bake on the beach for a group of 45 to 50 people,” said Jordan Carbotti, principal at Perfect Surroundings in Newport, R.I. “The event took place at The Ocean House at Watch Hill in Watch Hill, R.I., right next to Taylor Swift’s house. We brought custom-created tables onto the sand. Each table had a trough running down the center, which we filled with wines and craft beers—all made locally.
Dinner was a New England clam bake, which Carbotti said actually doubled as entertainment.
“We followed the traditional way to cook this, which was by digging a hole in the sand and filling it with all of the seafood—lobster, clams, shrimp, mussels, etc.—and topped it with seaweed to cook it. Because the group was quite high-end, the food was plated for them. Of course, we used as many local items as possible.”
After dinner, the group went over to a fire pit and made s’mores and chatted. It was all about bonding, according to Carbotti.
The only decor was hundreds of lanterns that were strung all around, and the centerpieces were simple succulents that accented all of the natural elements on a beach.
Another planner in New York surprised a corporate group with a trip to the shore.
“After the day’s meetings, we had the corporate group that we were working with board escorted coaches, and we took them to a beach near Atlantic City on the Jersey Shore for a fun and casual off-site experience,” said Jaclyn Bernstein, owner, president and partner at Access New York Metro in New York City. “When they arrived, they were welcomed by a sand castle branded with the company logo. The group was then treated to a sand castle-building teambonding experience.
The idea was to kick your shoes off and play in the sand, according to Bernstein, with a super relaxed ambience that included a barbecue on the beach.
“It was all about the element of surprise,” she said. “They weren’t expecting to go to the beach, and that was what made it so fun. It turned out to be quite a success.”
Andrea Michaels, owner of Extraordinary Events in Sherman Oaks, Calif., once brought a group of VIPs from Mexico to Isla Mujeres, a small island just across the bay from Cancun.
“From the boats they were on, they could see a bit of a turquoise and chartreuse glow surrounding the island,” she said. “As we got closer, the glow grew stronger. As we approached, the entire island was aglow in a mirage of colors.”
The group docked, and hundreds and hundreds of candles led the VIPs over a clear platform.
“They loved the beach experience, but were not the type of people who want to touch the sand,” she said. “It’s all about knowing your clients and giving them what they want.”
Musical great Seal provided the entertainment at the event, and the client insisted on hiring a master chef, the renowned Patricia Quintana, to prepare a five-star meal for them.
“It was a tribute to Mayan culture—creative, exquisite, all about the attention to detail,” Michaels said. “It was just beautiful.”
