When it comes to making teamwork fun, no one does it like Alabama. From Corporate Space Camp in Huntsville to the Porsche driving school in Birmingham or a tailored beach Olympics event on the white sands of the Gulf Coast, attendees will have a blast while sharpening their skills.
Gulf Coast
With sprawling beaches and clear blue water, it’s no wonder that most groups head outside for events and teambuilding activities along Alabama’s Gulf Coast.
“The culture of our destination revolves around the outdoors—the beach, trails, Gulf waters—and all the activities available with these resources,” said Beth Gendler, vice president of sales for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism. “Groups that experience our outdoor adventures like paddleboarding, biking, fishing or nature cruises are able to experience the heart of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.”
In addition to one of the largest fleets of available boats and ships to charter for tours and fishing, the area also offers over a dozen golf courses designed by the top professionals in the field, such as Earl Stone and Arnold Palmer. Other popular teambuilding activities include ziplining, kayaking, Segway tours and custom-tailored beach Olympics, Gendler said.
“We have worked with a local company that produces beach Olympic games for groups as well as made referrals for visits to the National Naval Aviation Museum, golfing, fishing, sunset sails and dolphin cruises,” she added.
Outdoor backdrops for teambuilding are also popular in neighboring Mobile.
“We’re on the Delta, so we have a lot of watersports,” said Patty Kieffer, director of leisure sales and events for Visit Mobile. “We have kayaking and airboats, or planners can arrange a deep-sea fishing tournament or sailing regatta.”
She added that scavenger hunts are another top pick, especially when paired with Mobile’s Oyster Trail, a public art treasure hunt where visitors grab a trail map and search for large fiberglass oyster shells painted with depictions of life on the Gulf.
“Different artists paint the shells, and it’s all a project to highlight the Mobile Bay Oyster gardening program,” Kieffer said.
The intricately painted artworks are hidden in plain sight in parks, hotels, businesses and along the street, making it a great teambuilding exercise. Other types of scavenger hunts are available through the downtown as well, since the area is very walkable and features 6,000 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. One of those sites is the Battle House, A Renaissance Hotel, located near the Port of Mobile. The property also features more than 21,000 square feet of meeting space, a AAA Four Diamond restaurant as well as a spa.
River Heritage Region
In the capital city of Montgomery, there are plenty of options for teambuilding, as well as attractions that explore the city’s heritage and complicated past to bring attendees together.
“Montgomery is home to two of the most cataclysmic events in our nation’s history," said Melissa Bowman, director of marketing and communications for the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce."These two events shaped the image of our nation—the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement.”
Bowman added, “While in Montgomery, take time to walk the streets of downtown and learn what happened in this historic city. The telegram to fire shots on Fort Sumter was sent from the Winter Building at Court Square. Just steps from this location was where Mrs. Rosa McCauley Parks boarded the bus that put her down in the history books. Visit attractions that tell the powerful story of the Civil Rights Movement, such as the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptists Church, the Rosa Parks Museum and the Civil Rights Memorial.”
PageBreakSeveral walking tours are available, from guided to downloadable audio tours.
Whether groups want to use their brains or exercise their bodies, Montgomery has fun options, according to Bowman.
“Escape rooms at venues like Breakout Montgomery and Escapology and recreational hot spots like Rockin’ Jump Indoor Trampoline Park offer fun and exciting experiences for members of your team,” Bowman added.
In the Auburn-Opelika area, groups can choose from outdoor fun like an old-fashioned picnic with a flag football tournament, or step it up a notch with a golf tournament at the Robert Trent Jones Grand National, which features two championship 18-hole courses, plus a short 18-hole course. It’s an excellent option, especially when paired with an event or full conference at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel & Conference Center at Grand National, which features 15,000 square feet of meeting space, including 13 meeting rooms, plus amenities like indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, a fitness center, restaurant and more.
Metro Region
Birmingham beats in the heart of Alabama as the state’s most populous city. It also has plenty of teambuilding ideas to suit any taste.
“From a treetop zipline to a Porsche driving experience to a stroll through our Civil Rights District, Birmingham offers a wide range of unique teambuilding ideas,” said Brent Cotton, servicing manager for the Greater Birmingham CVB.
Gearheads can satisfy their need for speed with a half-day or full-day teambuilding event at the Porsche Sport Driving School, where attendees take to the track for an action-packed program behind the wheel of several top models. The school is located at Barber Motorsports Park, along with another teambuilding option, a scavenger hunt among the world’s largest collection of motorcycles at the Barber Motorsports Museum.
At the McWane Science Center, groups can team up through the facility’s four interactive Adventure Halls for a fun experience sure to please anyone’s inner child, or planners can boost creativity with the Positively Funny improv workshop.
Indoor challenges await at the Breakout Birmingham escape room, or attendees can grab some fresh air at Red Mountain Park and try their skills on the ropes course or the zipline through the Hugh Kaul Beanstalk Forest.
In Tuscaloosa, groups can think their way out of Breakout Tuscaloosa’s escape room challenges, or go retro with a bowling tournament at AMF Bama Lanes. AdVenture Games Inc. also features tailored team experiences, from a spy game to treasure hunting.
Mountain Region
In the north along the Tennessee River is Huntsville, home to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Appropriately, the teambuilding opportunities in this city are out of this world. A top pick is Corporate Space Camp, which offers single-day or multiple-day scenarios, including simulated space missions, flight simulations and more. Also available at the center is the Area 51 ropes course.
For something more down to earth, groups can tackle the Lucky Duck Scavenger Hunt to find the bronze ducks placed strategically around the downtown area, or learn to create stained glass with a Sip & Solder party at Big Glass Art. Veloce Indoor Speedway offers go-kart race packages, or planners can up the stakes with an axe throwing competition at Civil Axe Throwing, one of Huntsville’s newest attractions.
The city has loads of options, and the CVB is ready to help planners choose the best one for their group, according to Bob Rogers, vice president of conventions for the Huntsville CVB.
“The most recent one was Bikes and Brews in our visitor center,” he said. “It’s a fun way to enjoy our craft brews, see the city and build camaraderie.”
In nearby Florence, groups can team up for geocaching adventures, enjoy a disc-golf tournament at McFarland Park, which features an 18-hole disc-golf course, or bounce their way through games at two separate trampoline parks. For outdoor fun, there’s Joe Wheeler State Park, which features golf, fishing and other natural pursuits. The lodge also offers event space for groups.
