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7 Great Business Retreat Activities
Your leadership team will soon be leaving town, heading towards a few days of team building and business-minded brainstorming. You’ve been charged with planning your executives’ business retreat activities.
So, where do you start?
Here are seven luxury business retreat activities that will keep your leadership team happy while creating a successful company outing:
1. Golf
Any good group outing with executives is likely to include a round or two of golf.
Look for golf courses in the area where your execs will be staying, and reach out to the courses for assistance with your planning needs.
Gold course employees are usually well-versed in the art of planning executive getaways.
2. City-Wide Scavenger Hunt
Take team-building across town with a scavenger hunt that resembles The Amazing Race.
There are plenty of online resources to help you make this dream a reality.
The concierge at your leaders’ hotel may be able to offer some tips.
3. Cook-Off
Cook-offs are favored luxury business retreat activities that pit leaders against each other in a little friendly food competition.
Choose a theme, separate the attendees into two teams, and let the kitchen contest begin! Maximize teamwork by including the task of shopping for groceries in the battle.
4. Bowling
Leaders tend to have a hard time letting their hair down and just hanging out.
A few gutter balls usually help to bring out some humility, allowing the participants to just enjoy themselves without worrying about always trying to win.
5. Show Your Strengths
StrengthsFinder 2.0 is renowned for making a huge impact in the workplace.
Have each participant take the test, read about his or her strengths, and discuss them with the group.
Each person can then choose one person for further discussion.
With their StrengthsFinder partner, each person can explore the ways they can enhance communication now that they’ve been given the tools necessary to bridge the gaps.
6. Create A New Company
Throughout the week, task your leaders with creating a new company.
They’ll need a name, product or service, slogan, logo, vendors, and everything else that makes a business run. This exercise will help each functional department understand the viewpoints of other areas.
If you break your participants into teams, make sure various departments are represented in each group.
Each team should analyze the other’s company, asking questions and identifying holes.
7. Rope Courses
A rope course may seem cliche at first, but these team-building businesses have been around for a long time for a very good reason: they’re impactful.
Rope courses and zipline adventures are intended to take people out of their comfort zones and find trust with each other.
When you’ve been tasked with planning team-building events for your company’s corporate retreat, fret not!
These ideas will have your executives well on their way to a successful and enjoyable getaway.
Where’s Your Next Heroic Adventure?
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A Traveller’s Guide to Finding the Cheapest Airport Parking
When planning a trip beyond the great blue horizon, people often make many considerations for the time they will be in the air heading from point A to point B.
Many travellers fail, however, to make proper considerations for the logistics of arriving and departing from the airport and, therefore, have to make last minute and often costly arrangements for the parking of their vehicles.
Fortunately, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and finding the cheapest airport parking solutions before you go is easier than ever.
Below is an outline of what you should expect and should be looking for when picking the cheapest airport parking.
Tons of Competition
Many people simply drive onto the premises of the airport and pay for the most affordable option of parking that is available.
This is akin to walking into a major theme park without bringing any refreshments and immediately having to pay £5 for a bottle of water.
The reality is that most major airports have several – if not dozens – of private and off-site airport parking solutions that were built with price competition in mind.
The main reason for parking off-site as opposed to at the airport is the savings in cost. Without this benefit, off-site airport parking would not be a viable business model in most cases.
Disadvantages to Consider
By selecting the cheapest airport parking available – whether at the airport or off-site – there are going to be obvious disadvantages.
This may include being a very inconvenient distance away from the terminal if on-site or having to wait for a shuttle to take you to and fro if you are using an off-site parking service.
While on-site airport parking in many cases is expensive, it’s understood that access to your vehicle from the airport and vice-versa is typically easier than it would be with the cheapest airport parking solutions, especially those that are off-site.
Ultimately, it all comes down to nothing more than the balance of cost versus convenience.
Online Services
There are several online comparison hubs that you can use to find the best deals on airport parking.
One example in North America is BestParking, which compares on-site and off-site parking solutions that are centred around 79 airports throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Comparison tools like this one allow you to know before you go, make prior reservations, and get a scope of what each airport parking solution has to offer.
You can map out and determine how far each parking hub is from the airport, how much it will cost, and how long your “commute” will be.
Using online airport parking comparison tools is the best way to find the cheapest airport parking, regardless of where you are located currently.
If you are willing to walk a little bit more or otherwise spend more time on a shuttle getting to your destination, then you will appreciate the flexibility and savings that off-site parking solutions can offer.
For many, though, parking on-site is a must. No matter what, though, there are generally many pricing options available for this service, too. So the only way you can save the most money and be prepared is by doing your homework beforehand.
Adventure Forth to Your Next Heroic Adventure
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The Pirates Of Mauritius: More Indian Ocean Booty
Piracy has long been a problem in the southern Indian Ocean, not just in recent times, but as long ago as the seventeenth century.
However, while the legendary Golden Age of Pirates came to an end in the nineteenth century, the same cannot be said of the waters in the area of Mauritius and the Seychelles.
Modern piracy is alive and well in this area, although international efforts to curb their activities is beginning to have an impact.
The pirates are largely from Somalia and there are many complicated factors in play as to why piracy continues to exist as a threat to international shipping and the fledgling economies of the Seychelles and Mauritius.
The Somali Civil War
Since approximately 1991, when the government of Somalia collapsed, the Somali Navy was no longer available to patrol and protect the coastal areas of Somalia from illegal fishing in Somali waters.
As the fledgling Somali fishing industry was threatened by this situation, a group of displaced Somali fishermen formed a coastguard to protect their livelihoods. So began the piracy and attacks on shipping in the area, particularly around the Bay of Aden. This situation soon changed and the motives for the attacks on international shipping changed to profiteering.
Warlords supported the pirates after recognising the potential profits which were available for the taking.
Dumping Of Toxic Waste
It has been reported s been by both Somali pirates and the United Nations that toxic waste has been illegally dumped in the waters off Somalia, resulting in further destruction of Somali fishing grounds.
In Somalia piracy is generally viewed as a form of National defence whereas other nations view it as an evil that must be removed.
However, as with the situation with illegal fishing, the attacks escalated with the realisation of huge profits that could be made from the pirate trade.
Escalation Of Pirate Activities
The size, value and location of the pirate’s activities continued to increase and the Bay of Aden was no longer the sole area of operations for the pirates.
The southern Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea have became a hub of pirate activity with large international shipping being the most attractive targets.
Other nations such as China, Germany, the UK, US and Spain have also been affected, to the point where one hundred and eleven attacks occurred in 2008 alone.
This increased to over one thousand attacks in 2009 and the frequency rose to daily.
A multinational task force called Task Force 150 was set up in 2008 to both patrol the area as well as provide escorts for unprotected shipping.
The Indian government also began regular patrols at this time because of the number of attacks on the Indian shipping destined for the Arabian Gulf.
Some shipowners have supplied their own security and increased insurance costs, together with security costs, have resulted in very costly losses to some international shipping.
The Current Situation
Mauritius and the Seychelles have become involved in counter-piracy patrols in recent times due to the effect that piracy has been having on the development of tourism in both countries.
In fact on 30th of March 2010 the Seychelles Coast Guard rescued 27 hostages.
They also sank two pirate boats on the same day. In July 2011 both the Seychelles and Mauritius signed an agreement to transfer captured pirates to be tried locally if the pirates had been captured in Mauritian waters. Agreements have also been signed which allows for prisoners to serve out their prison terms in Somalia.
In addition to these measures, the Seychelles has also agreed to work with the Somali government to create a raised awareness of Somali piracy as well as the need to develop alternative means of employment for Somali pirates.
This recognises that fighting piracy alone will not solve the problem and that international assistance is required in this area as well. This further demonstrates that the Seychelles remains committed to ending piracy in the Indian Ocean and has displayed commendable leadership.
As recently as January 2012, the Danish, British Spanish and United States Navy’s captured Somali pirate vessels and these ongoing international patrols are lessening the number of pirate attacks on the international shipping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTtjtdeoH1c
In 2012 imprisoned pirates peeked at 76 pirates in prison in the Seychelles while with joint efforts of multiple countries the frequency of piracy in the region has declined.
United Nations standard prisons are to be built in Somalia, and the pirates transferred there to serve their sentences (see more). The Seychelles is also working with the African Union to address political and economic issues that are resulting in piracy.
All these measures are having an impact on the level of piracy-related activities in the region and the number of attacks is expected to continue to drop.
Mauritius Landscape
Read Part 1: Pirates of the Seychelles: Looking for Booty
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Pirates of the Seychelles: Looking for Booty
Magnificent cliffs and stunning waters have earned the Seychelles a reputation for romance and unparalleled beauty. Every year honeymooners flock to this storybook paradise, which lies more than 1,000 miles from any other land mass between Africa and India.
Inhabitants of African, European and Asichanan descent call the remote archipelago home but have only populated the islands for a few hundred years. The first people to make use of the area were pirates who hid from capture in the uncharted waters during the 16th and 17th centuries.
This piracy has its roots in the Seychelles’ distant and unstable neighbor, Somalia.
According to the Congressional Research Service, in the 1990s, Somali warlords operating along clan lines began using misleading names to act as “official security” and extract fines from foreign ships.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc2qxcxNwCM
Although pirates drowned by the dozen, financial desperation countered the risk associated with pirating on dangerous open seas in small fishing skiffs. In addition, the pirates benefited from certain conditions including high levels of commercial activity, weak regional cooperation, small national navies, and a large coastal area across which they could operate. The pirates loosely organized into seven to ten “gangs” with different patterns of activity and different abilities.
In response to the increased piracy, international vessels intensified patrol in the waters off the Horn of Africa.
Unfortunately, this pressure pushed the pirates southeast across vast stretches of ocean to the Seychelles. “Motherships” loaded with fuel and water allowed the pirates to increase their range around the isolated islands where, according to the BBC, more than 200 attacks took place in 2009 alone.
Unlike pirate attacks in other regions that aim to seize ships and cargo, these attacks often involve kidnapping and ransom demands for as much as $5 million, possibly because the pirates have access to inland areas of Somalia where they can hold victims for what have become longer and longer periods of time.
Insurance companies often settle these types of kidnapping cases hidden from the media.
However, in September 2009, when pirates captured British retirees Paul and Rachel Chandler from their yacht less than 60 nautical miles offshore, the terrifying story became public and attracted international attention. As incidents such as this one continue to publicize piracy in the Seychelles, islanders fear that frightening images of AK-47s and rocket grenades will superimpose those of turquoise waters and pink granite in the minds of potential tourists.
This fear runs deep because the Seychelles’ tourism industry provides 25.5 percent of its GDP and employs a large portion of the population.
None of these provide enticing material for brochures, and residents are keenly aware that couples looking for romantic getaways and leisure sailors wanting to experience the stunning natural scenery do not want threats of piracy overshadowing their fantasies. Furthermore, the Seychellois worry that the ransoms paid for hostages will only make piracy look more profitable and increase the number of attacks.
However, their biggest nightmare is that the pirates will venture out of the open seas and attack one of the tourist beaches.
The people of the Seychelles have good reason to be afraid.
The nation’s economy, which had finally begun to rebound from a huge per capita national debt, has begun to see large scale negative effects from piracy.
Most large vessels have begun carrying French marines or Spanish private contractors for defense. According to the African Independent News, these security details have successfully fended off at least ten separate pirate attacks, but this protection drains monetary resources, both public and private.
Piracy has hit the fishing industry in the Seychelles even harder than tourism and shipping.
The backbone of the islands’ economy rests on skipjack and yellow tuna fin tuna headed for the European market. One tuna factory alone employs 3,000 people in a nation of only 85,000.
In September 2009, the same month the Chandlers were kidnapped, the factory’s entire tuna fleet had to come into port because the danger of pirate interception was so high. Crews continue to fear both the pirates themselves and the economic dangers they bring.
The factories, in turn, have had to let go dock workers and crew members, leaving them without incomes.
While the EU, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Russia, US and Britain have supplied help to the Seychelles in the form of spotter planes, drones, and ships to better prevent pirate interception, it is estimated that naval ships have but a fifteen to thirty minute window in which they can successfully ward off an attack.
Further hindering the effort to stamp out piracy in the region is the tricky issue of pirate imprisonment.
Astoundingly, until 2010, foreign vessels that captured pirates often took them to Somalia and let them free.
A breakthrough was achieved in 2010 when the Seychelles passed tough anti-piracy laws and sentenced eleven pirates to ten years in prison. It became the only other country besides Kenya to sign an agreement with the EU that allowed suspected pirates to be jailed and prosecuted.
The tiny nation also built a new wing for captured pirates in its one and only prison.
(“This is the pirates’ prison, hidden high in the hills” source)
While anti-piracy cooperation in the Seychelles looks promising, the situation remains complex.
Conspiracy theories abound.
However, the US Congressional Research Service explains the pirates indirectly benefit terrorists but are not directly aligned with them.
Furthermore, it debunks the myth that the pirates operate through pre-emptive intelligence on land.
As for the key to permanently lifting the dark cloud of piracy from these breathtaking islands, all involved agree that it lies in the hopeful emergence of a stable Somalia.
Read Part Two: The Pirates Of Mauritius: More Indian Ocean Booty
Seychelles Piracy in the News
- Seychelles Court Frees from Charge Somali Pirates Believed to be Guilty
- How the Seychelles became a pirates’ paradise
- Foreign travel advice Seychelles
- Anti Piracy: Seychelles – Paradise Under Attack by Pirates
- Last Somali pirates held in Seychelles to face charges, judge rules
- NATO ends anti-piracy operation; Seychelles to continue to monitor sea threats
- Buried pirate gold? Seychellois family to resume hunt for La Buse treasure
- Seychelles repatriates Somali pirates (March 13, 2017)
Elsewhere in Pirate News
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When are Private Jet Charter Flights Right for your Company?
The Great Recession caused many companies to cut their travel budgets, doing away with private jets and the like in favor of a more conservative travel budget.
With the economy recovering, many companies are re-evaluating their choices, and for good reason. Corporate travel can be a big expense, but there are options that help improve efficiency for savvy companies. Among those options are private jet charter flights that provide a certain level of service and convenience. There are a handful of times when it makes sense for companies to consider these options.
Private jet charter works for companies with unique time constraints, and for those flying to remote airports.
It also works when you’re seeking privacy or when the financial implications make a day trip better than a two-day romp.
When your executives’ time is valuable
Celebrities and CEOs get paid handsomely for their time, but they aren’t the only ones. Upper-level consultants and law firm partners can bill out $500 or more per hour to clients.
For these people, sitting in an airport for two hours before takeoff each way can cost $2,000 in productivity.
Moreover, the time spent on an airplane, even in first class, is a lost chance to work on projects.
Private jet charter service allows individuals to avoid this hassle. Executives can pull right up to the plane a few minutes before it departs. Most jets come decked out with a workspace and fully functional Internet, allowing employees to get work done on the plane. When high-value partners can save thousands of dollars in productivity, private jet charter begins to make more financial sense.
It’s not likely you’ll be sending your intern into the jetset on their first business trip; the jetset executive only makes sense when the billed hours of those flying are highly valuable.
When the location is remote and the window to close a deal is small
Not every deal is made in New York City or Los Angeles. Some take place off the beaten path.
Private jet charter service allows you to fly into smaller airports that don’t offer commercial service.
For instance, if you have to close a deal somewhere in Mississippi, a private jet might fly to within 15 minutes of your destination, while the closest major airport might be in Memphis to the north.
Private jets also go directly to their destination, while major commercial airliners may have to connect if you’re flying somewhere smaller. This can cost you even more time and add in the risk of delays or missed flights. When the deal absolutely has to be made, then private jet charter can be the best bet.
When privacy is critical
Imagine the case of a college football program that doesn’t want the world to know whom it is interviewing for its vacant coaching job.
Flying commercial can tip off the media and the public to the school’s plans. Businesses run into this too. If they want to negotiate a deal without media scrutiny, private charter makes the most sense.
The same goes for athletes and other celebrities who don’t want to announce that they’re taking yet another trip to Las Vegas. Private charter companies keep their information private.
To turn a multi-day trip into a day trip
Private jet charter companies fly according to your schedule, not the pre-set schedules laid out by the major airlines.
Using a private jet charter service often allows your employees to make a deal and get home so they can have dinner with their families and sleep in their own beds.
If you flew commercial, that day trip might turn into a two-day trip, forcing the company to pay for hotels and wasting tremendous amounts of time and productivity.
This is one of the few ways to enhance employee happiness while also saving the company money.
Private Jet Charter Makes Sense…Sometimes
Private jet charter service may seem extravagant, but it can make sense for quite a few travelers.
It’s a more convenient way of getting to your destination, allowing you to ride in comfort and get work done along the way.
More importantly, the service can help to protect your privacy and can even be a financially responsible move in a handful of situations.