There’s a magical quality to being on the water—hints of summer days past and problems forgotten. Groups can recapture those fond feelings and have a relaxed event or meeting in the Midwest while enjoying panoramic vistas and soothing waves.
Appledore Tall Ships, Bay City, Mich.
Aboard BaySail’s Appledore schooners, groups can do everything but walk the plank. The two sailing vessels can be chartered from Bay City, Mich., for a teambuilding program or a sail and reception.
Teambuilding trips can entail literally learning the ropes and every other duty on the ship, including how to navigate, and discovering the ecology and maritime heritage of the Great Lakes. Large groups can rent both schooners and hold their own race on Saginaw Bay.
BaySail also offers on-deck catering and can tailor any teambuilding or event package with specific activities and menus. Planners can also choose a dockside reception for attendees who don’t quite have their sea legs yet.
Lake Geneva Cruise Line, Lake Geneva Wisc.
Lake Geneva Cruise Line offers more than gorgeous Wisconsin scenery. The staff is experienced with groups and meetings and can handle any type of event. They’ve arranged events for groups of up to 140 people, according to Clare Mulcahy, charter sales manager for the company, and one of the most popular options is a geocaching teambuilding program.
“We have the Geneva Geo Challenge, where the captain puts groups in teams,” she said. “They solve puzzles we give them and figure out coordinates where the boat goes next. That leads them to the next spot. It’s great fun.”
Planners can also hold meetings onboard, since the boats have built-in viewing screens for presentations, audiovisual equipment and seating that can be enclosed. After a session, groups can enjoy a catered meal and entertainment, ranging from live music and casino games to a murder mystery program.
“Many times, a group will do a dinner cruise,” Mulcahy said. “Our smaller boats are also great for a cocktail cruise.”
Celebration Belle, Moline, Ill.
Riverboat fun awaits aboard the Celebration Belle. This four-deck queen of the Mississippi River can handle receptions and events for up to 800 people and offers several group packages, including meetings on one deck followed by lunch or dinner on a separate deck.
Decks are climate-controlled for comfort, which makes the Celebration Belle a popular choice around the holidays for Christmas parties and twinkling light tours. Menus ranging from light snacks to prime rib are available, along with live entertainment.
Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo, Branson, Mo.
Outdoor fun is a top draw in the Ozark Mountains, and Branson has different venues on separate lakes for groups.
“The Showboat Branson Belle on Table Rock Lake can be chartered for an off-site event for up to 700, or you can book a smaller group for a sunset dinner or lunch cruise, which also includes a fantastic live show,” said Deborah Cohen, director of meeting and convention sales for the Branson CVB. “There is also the Spirit of America catamaran, which can be chartered for up to 50.”
The Showboat Branson Belle, a Victorian-era themed vessel, is fully equipped for a day of business and pleasure on the lake, with audiovisual equipment and meeting facilities onboard. Planners can take advantage of numerous options, such as following a meeting with dinner, live entertainment, dancing or a fireworks show. The staff can also assist groups in creating their own talent show or awards ceremony.
Meanwhile, downtown Branson rolls right up to Branson Landing and Lake Taneycomo, making Main Street Lake Cruises an easy option for smaller groups. The company operates two vessels: the Lake Queen paddleboat and the Landing Princess yacht, both available for receptions and other special events.
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South Bass Island Lighthouse, Put-in-Bay, Ohio
What’s just as cool as meeting on a boat? Taking that meeting to the lighthouse. Located near the village of Put-in-Bay along Lake Erie, the historic South Bass Island Lighthouse is 45 minutes from Toledo, Ohio, and a world away from stress.
Perfect for board retreats, the lighthouse has meeting space for 10 people, and three bedrooms available for an overnight stay. More people can be accommodated with a reception or event on the grounds, and the entire property can also be rented. Before an event, attendees can tour the top of the lighthouse, built in 1897, or participate in scientific exploration aboard a research vessel.
The island is only accessible by ferry, plane or boat, but there are other accommodations on the island if a larger group plans to stay the night.
The lighthouse is owned and operated by Ohio State University, and nearby Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island is a teaching lab for the college. Educational and teambuilding opportunities are available.
Paradise Charter Cruises, Minneapolis and Lake Minnetonka, Minn.
At Paradise Charter Cruises, planners have plenty of ways to meet and play on the water.
“We have so many options,” said David Lawrance, owner and operator of the business. “We have five boats, and we can accommodate from 10 to 145 people or do classroom style for up to 80. We can also do a board meeting layout.”
Audiovisual equipment and other amenities are available onboard, making a waterborne meeting an easy solution for planners. When the meeting is over, the cruise can segway into narrated tours, a reception or other event with full bar service and menu options.
Paradise Charter yachts explore the beauty of Lake Minnetonka, and the company’s flagship yacht, Paradise Lady, departs from downtown Minneapolis along the Mississippi River.
Steamship William G. Mather, Cleveland, Ohio
Sometimes ships can take groups back in time without moving an inch. The Steamship William G. Mather, located at the Great Lakes Science Center next to Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, is a historic marvel and a key piece of the city’s heritage. The nearly 700-foot vessel was the cutting edge of cargo-carrying technology when it was built in 1925 and still feels the spray of Lake Erie.
With its four-story engine room, massive cargo holds and brass- and oak-clad pilot house, the ship carted coal, steel and iron ore through its decades of service, making the modernization of Cleveland possible and aiding in the resource effort of World War II.
Beautifully restored, the Steamship William G. Mather features event space for up to 300 guests and offers teambuilding and other programming as part of the Great Lakes Science Center.
Currently, the ship is available for events from May to October, although future plans include making it a year-round attraction.
