Western Spirit Cycling

I really do think that corporate retreats are worth the money.   There is just something about spending time with co-workers away from work that can change your perspective not only about that person, but about the work itself.  People actually do get to know each other in non-work settings and that leads to easier communication.  And of course, the more smooth the communication, the more efficient the organization.

Western Spirit has done dozens of corporate retreats in the great outdoors. We have done multi-sport events where we stay in hotels and do different activities each day, from hiking to golf to kayaking, in addition to biking. We have also done camping trips way out there in the backcountry under the stars away from the grid.  Out there by the campfire, people can actually talk. On this type of corporate retreat more bonding happens in three days than would happen in three weeks in Las Vegas. (Oooo that is a scary image!)

I am working on a few itineraries right now, one here in Moab, one in Jackson, and one in Sun Valley. I think they will all be fun and productive, not to mention down right cheap. They will definitely be much less expensive than renting 10 floors of the Winn Hotel—is that what Wells Fargo had reserved in Vegas before their shareholders had a fit?  Maybe they could have gotten away with it if they had been planning something more down to earth.

Ashley

Just got off the phone with a friend from college who wants to bring his management team on a Western Spirit trip.  The last corporate trip we did was in late October and it was for Nike Europe. They were celebrating 20 years of All Conditions Gear and we had 30 folks from 17 countries, including Russia, for 3 days. There were Nike athletes; two kayakers, a skier, and a climber, so we went boating, hiking, bouldering, and biking!  (No skiing of course, but you could almost do it here today–lots of snow in Moab right now.)

Nike invited editors from all different types of media, and everybody was so happy to be in Moab and to go camping.  Hanging by the campfire is where the bonding really happens.  A backcountry retreat, where you travel under your own steam, and see almost nobody is so different from a hotel based event, where everyone goes back to their rooms to check their email. While the trip was only 3 days, we really got to know each other and spent some great time with the Tinker Hatfield hearing about the early days at Nike.

So I will be working to recreate that type of magic for this next event. It’s all about providing interesting outdoor challenges with minimal logistics. At these events, it is so important to have some down time for people to really get a feel for where they are.  The Nike guys loved their time on the Colorado River. It was a sunny day and Take Out Beach was warm. They couldn’t believe they were walking around in warm sand barefoot at the end of October.

Of course planning something for a management team of 10 to 12 folks is easier. They will hopefully arrive at the same time and already know each other–at least in the context of work. Our job is to lay the groundwork for a shared experience that will make working together easier.  There is something about making it to the top of the pass, or through the thunderstorm, or just gliding through the red rock on bikes that makes showing up at work on Monday better.

Maybe we will take the next corporate trip to Lockhart Basin, or the White Rim, or Bryce to Zion.  I have a bunch of groups that went for 3 days last year, that are thinking about 4 for this year, which is great. It means we have more time to really get them out there.

Are there teenagers in your life? What are they doing this summer?  Will there be enough biking? Swimming? Camping and family bonding?  Are they apathetic and rebellious?  We have the cure. Here are two dates for you to consider:
July 7-11
July 28-August 1
Come join us in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Our family bike trips to the Black Hills are perfect for teenagers, ages 12-18. The riding is rip roaring fun and we camp on a lake every night.  Click here or just give us a call, 800-845-2453, for more details.
For the above dates, your kids ride for 40% off!  Pete Lindsay, one of the guides on these trips, has a secret formula for turning apathetic teenagers back into loving human beings!

Hope to see you on the trail,

Ashley