Groups can escape to Illinois for a meeting. Or at least check out a local escape room, which is all the rage as far as teambuilding opportunities go in the Prairie State.
Other teambonding options throughout the state include culinary and arts-inspired challenges, learning the skills of circus performers and engaging in an improv workshop created by the same company that produced American treasure Tina Fey.
Chicago
When convening in the “Windy City,” groups can tap into an experience that aligns them with the likes of Ms. Fey, Alan Alda and Bill Murray via an event with Second City, the famous comedy club and school of improvisation.
“Creating in teams is really, really hard, especially teams of high performers,” said Second City’s Kelly Leonard, executive director of insights and applied improvisation. “But Second City has developed a very specific and practical pedagogy to make teams excel. And those skills are fully transferable from the stage to the workplace.”
Participating in a Second City teambuilding workshop, he added, will arm people with techniques for successful collaboration in the workplace.
Teambuilding events with cooking school The Chopping Block are fun, inspiring and interactive, according to the company’s marketing manager, Andrea Miller.
“We firmly believe that cooking brings people together,” she said. “Not only will your team learn cooking skills they can use in their own kitchens at home, they will learn how to effectively communicate and work together.”
Led by experienced chefs trained to engage and inspire, each event’s topics and objectives are customized to meet the group’s goals, schedule and budget.
“We will work with you to concoct the perfect menu and experience for your team,” Miller said. “A professional kitchen setting brings people together, gets them working as a team, and in the end you get to enjoy a delicious gourmet dinner together.”
Chicago Suburbs
Two physical teambuilding options await groups in Chicago’s North Shore, including the Evanston, Ill.-based Actor’s Gymnasium.
“They teach circus arts and performance skills on-site or off-site,” said Gina Speckman, executive director for Chicago’s North Shore CVB.
Performers from Actor’s Gymnasium, including aerialists, stilt walkers and contortionists, are also available to entertain groups off-site.
At Northbrook, Ill.-based Athletico Center, a multiuse sports/events center that also accommodates group functions, teambuilding activities can be arranged to increase problem-solving skills and bolster camaraderie.
An Amazing Race-inspired game is one option, as well as indoor company picnics during which groups can engage in play.
“Any program can be custom-created to meet specific goals,” Speckman said.
Greater St. Charles is “teeming with group interactivity via arts and entertainment,” according to Vikki J. Myers, destination marketing and community relations manager for the Greater St. Charles CVB.
PageBreak“Venues like All Things Art Studio, The Painted Vine Cellar and Fine Line Creative Arts Center host teams that want to develop works of art guided by celebrated instructors and passionate artists,” she said. “And the interaction of groups in dinner theater/murder mysteries is a new and beloved collaborative activity found in our local theaters.”
Sports-based teambuilding can also be arranged in St. Charles, including disc golf at St. Charles Park District and organized biking and kayaking outings.
“And our IACC-certified Q Center gives meetings of all sizes access to 95 idyllic acres of scenery where groups may engage in signature professional development activities like the Outdoor Skill Exchange,” Myers said.
Located south of Chicago on a 38-acre wooded preserve, Olympia Fields, Ill.-based Irons Oaks Environmental Learning Center features a teambuilding course that includes high ropes and a climbing wall.
“The experience forced me outside of my comfort zone in a way that I didn’t even realize it was happening, due to the calming motivations of the staff,” said Mary Patching, director of sales for the Chicago Southland CVB.
Dave and Buster’s in Orland Park, Ill., offers a menu of teambuilding activities that serve as icebreakers for larger groups, including Mad Dash, which has teams work together to complete a series of missions.
Northern and Central Illinois
The Quad Cities CVB, which covers an area that includes the Northern Illinois cities of Rock Island and Moline, recently created a teambuilding activity for a visiting group that incorporated top area attractions.
“People were set up in small teams and challenged to a photo scavenger hunt throughout the area, tied into social media posts,” said Lynn Hunt, vice president of sales for Quad Cities CVB. “Winning teams were awarded prizes and a video slide show was created for the final lunch event. It was very popular with the group and a great way to wrap up their conference.”
Adventure Quest of the Quad Cities also offers a corporate teambuilding event, including high and low ropes courses in a beautiful rural environment.
“It takes away the stress of the office,” Hunt said. “The facilitated discussions get people to open up and learn about each other, and the fun games make everyone work together so, in the end, you go back to a more cohesive workplace.”
In Central Illinois, the Springfield Art Association offers a variety of events that promote team spirit, according to Gina Gemberling, executive director for the Springfield CVB.
Among the options available is the canvas and cocktails BYOB event, during which participants imbibe and nibble on cheese and desserts while completing a themed project to take home.
Groups can also check out the Springfield Escape Room, during which teams use clues and problem-solving skills to escape a confined space before a set amount of time runs out.
A similar opportunity, Gone in 60 Escape Games, recently opened in Peoria’s Warehouse District.
“This team-builder is an action-packed, intense game,” said Trianna Kientzle, marketing project manager for the Peoria Area CVB. “The puzzles within the rooms are complex, so teams are wise to consult the knowledge of everyone in the room.”
She added that staff will watch the game, taking note of how each team member works with others so participants can reflect on that feedback and apply it in a business setting.
Nearby Peoria in Morton, Ill., is The Cookery, where groups can partake in a tasty teambuilding experience.
“We offer many ethnic topics as well as a mystery basket theme, which forces groups to come up with a dish together that represents their team in a given amount of time,” said Owner/Chef Amanda Pyles.
Groups can choose to challenge themselves in an escape room in Champaign County as well, where there are several to choose from, including Urbana-based Champaign-Urbana Adventures in Time and Space, Champaign-based Brainstorm Escapes and the newest room, Urbana-based LabEscape.
“Escape rooms are perfect teambuilding exercises that encourage groups to problem-solve while also having fun,” said Terri Reifsteck, vice president of marketing for Visit Champaign County.
And for groups that prefer a traditional teambuilding outing, nearby Monticello, Ill., is home to Allerton Park & Retreat Center, offering two ropes courses and a Titanic challenge, during which attendees work together to build a boat.
