Just because you have to go away on a work trip, it doesn’t mean that you have to go somewhere boring. Forget the days of spending your work trips at a hotel or a toe that doesn’t offer your own bedroom, Wi-Fi, or amenities. Nowadays, retreats are often a sought-after vacation that you get to take with your work colleagues to work on some much-needed plans, meetings, or ideas for the future.
We think that having a nice spot for your corporate retreat can be the difference between coming up with a good idea and having your collaboration fall by the wayside. You need somewhere relaxing and functional so you can enjoy sitting around with your co-workers, talking about what needs to be done, and spending free time bonding with one another. After all, teamwork makes the dream work! So, if you are good friends with the people on your team, and you all get along, this is going to make your job that much easier. Right? Right! That is why we think that finding a corporate Mount Airy vacation destination in the heart of beautiful nature and near a bustling mountain town is the ideal spot to not only focus on the tasks at hand but enjoy a peaceful atmosphere.
Let’s check out a few spots in Mount Airy, NC that are great for corporate retreats so you can spend quality time with your co-workers and get some work done in no time at all. This way, you have more time to explore!
Cross Creek Country Club
One of the most exciting spots for you to check out during your corporate retreat in Mt. Airy, NC is the Cross Creek Country Club. This golf club offers an incredible full-scale 18-hole course that is geared for golf lovers who bring their own clubs. Even if you are not a huge golf aficionado, and you’re not trying to be the next Tiger Woods, we think you will enjoy the beginner shots, driving a golf cart around the beautiful course, and bonding with your co-workers. Plus, there are other sports for you to check out during your time here!
Even if you’re not an athletic person, we know that the Cross Creek Country Club offers something for everyone. This golf club has dining and social activities that are good for meeting new people, eating classic Southern food, and sipping on some carefully crafted cocktails.
You can watch people try and hit a hole-in-one as you sit in the Grand Ballroom with a large balcony that overlooks the course, featuring perfect views for a social or a work setting. Cross Creek Golf Club gives every visitor privacy, opulence, and luxury that is unique to this location. You won’t find this in a sterile hotel boardroom!
All you need to do to get set up and get ready to work is contact the staff. The Cross Creek Golf Club is well-versed in setting up spaces for meetings, gatherings, and events, so they have the waitstaff, amenities, and space needed for your large groups and work requirements.
Old North State Winery
Having a work meeting at a winery? That sure is something new! However, we think this could possibly be the best way to loosen up, have fun, and get to know your colleagues. Forget going around the room and sharing a fact about each other in the office space for an icebreaker. This can be awkward and forced. Instead, why not sit outside at a beautiful winery on Main Street? This is a much better idea for a corporate retreat in North Carolina!
Old North State Winery is housed in a former 19th century hardware store right in the heart of Main Street, providing the ideal spot to people watch and have a few cocktails with your co-workers and even your boss! We think that a nice relaxing atmosphere with wine tasting, healthy food, and live music is an unbeatable time for you to share with your colleagues. Head here any day of the week to enjoy lunch or dinner, sip on a glass of red or white wine, and chat with the world-renowned chef, Chris Wishart.
Not sure what to order during your time here? We recommend starting with the ONE Board, featuring three North Carolina cheeses made from local farmers, prosciutto, salami, toast points, and sweet jam. You can also share the roasted half-shell Chesapeake Bay oysters with horseradish parmesan crusted with the table to enjoy local seafood. If you are a fan of healthy food and want to taste some fresh flavors, you can’t go wrong with the shrimp spring roll with sweet chili sauce or the spinach salad to share with one of your colleagues.
As a main dish, we highly recommend getting the Bristol Bay sea scallops with pork belly, almonds, thyme, and hickory grove cheese. If you are not a huge seafood person, you can’t go wrong with the butternut squash ravioli with foraged Chanterelle mushrooms and tomato cream for a vegetarian feast!
Round Peak Vineyards
Round Peak Vineyards is a very popular event, wedding, and corporate extranet space held in the heart of Mt. Airy and the surrounding mountain ranges. We love this spot for fun parties, weddings in the barn, cocktail parties, corporate retreats, meetings, birthday parties, and much more. The possibilities are truly endless when you book a space here at Round Peak Vineyards!
The Blue Ridge Mountains are the backdrop of your business meetings and corporate luncheons as you hang out at the Round Peak Vineyards. You can get ready for the meeting in one of the on-site cabins to change out/into your work clothes, grab your laptop, and prepare for the pitch. After the work is done, you can have a few drinks from the private bar, head to the semi-private outdoor garden to sample a fresh pour of wine and take photos of the nearby vineyards that are right within arm’s length.
Go for a Drink After Work Is Done!
After you get your work done and you finish your meeting, it is time to head out on the town for a drink with your mates! There is no better way to get to know your colleagues and your co-workers than to go for a cocktail and really loosen up on your Mount Airy vacation.
We think the first place that is a must-visit on our list of fun and upbeat bars in Mt. Airy is Kazoku Sushi and Bar. We love this restaurant and bar for fresh sushi, mouthwatering seafood, and light shared dishes that are great for big groups. Try some sake, wine, beer, or cocktails here and share some sushi, sashimi, Hibachi entrees, seafood, chicken, and dumplings. Definitely try one of the inventive and fun cocktails from the extensive menu!
Explore Nature with Your Colleagues
The best thing about spending your business vacation in Mt. Airy is that you can really have fun after you’re done with meetings! We know that working in a winery, brewery, or wedding venue isn’t too taxing, but it can still be hard to work all day long. Once you do have a day off, we highly recommend spending the pristine weather and long days of sunshine exploring the nearby area.
The best part about having a work trip in Mt. Airy means that you can go hiking, biking, or fishing on your day off. We recommend doing an easy walk through the forest to see the nearby wildlife, hear the sounds of the birds in the trees, and get in some exercise during a beer and wine-filled corporate weekend. You can also take a boat out on the water and try your luck at fishing to test your patience and feel the sunshine on your face.
Another fun thing to do that will really get the blood flowing and increase your adrenaline is going mountain biking on the dirt trails. Whiz down the mountain as you hold your breath and steer your bike closely around the turns!
Share a Breakfast Together the Next Morning
Another great spot to check out to get a filling breakfast before heading to your meeting is the Mill Creek General Store. After a day of meetings, calls, and late-night dinner and drinks, you might be in the mood for some strong coffee and a hearty breakfast. Mill Creek is your knight in shining armor during your corporate retreat in North Carolina!
This bustling cafe not only offers sandwiches from behind the counter, but it now offers an extensive menu featuring made-to-order food, warps, salads, handmade sodas, and healthy groceries for you to bring back to your accommodation. Plus, you can pick up some souvenirs to bring back home to your friend or family from your fun business trip!
There are dozens of other coffee shops and cafes along Main Street in Mount Airy, NC, that are perfect for stopping at before you hit the trails and take off on a full-day or half-day hike with your friends. Pick up some coffee to go and make sure you purchase a pastry to give you the much-needed sugar rush as you are climbing uphill to get pristine views of the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.
Grab a Sweet Treat
Really solidify your ‘sweet’ new friendship and business relationship with a coworker by heading to the infamous Miss Angels Heavenly Pies on Main Street in Mt. Aiy to pick up a savory or sweet pie that is going to be one of the best snacks you have had on your entire trip! This bustling cafe and bakery is open almost every day from 9 am, so you can eat here early in the morning to pick up some hot and fresh pies before the best ones are taken!
Miss Angels churns out fresh pies using local produce and fruits from the nearby farms and apple orchards that are within a stone’s throw of the shop. Make sure you stop by and meet Angela, the owner, to really get a feel for down-home baking!
Work Together in a Coworking Space
There is no better way to share your ideas, collaborate with one another, and hold meetings with your co-workers than to share a workspace. We think that finding a reputable and logistical co-working space with an office, desks, chairs, Wi-Fi, and a relaxing ambiance can be a fun way to hold meetings, send emails, collaborate on big proposals, and field Zoom calls.
Head to Interworks, a sprawling space that offers different layouts of office spaces, over 14,000 square feet of rentable space, solutions that fit with your business trip length and requirements, and high-end amenities you won’t find in typical offices or cafes with internet. Interworks is the first coworking space in Mt. Airy, offering space for entrepreneurs, solo business owners, small business owners, freelancers, remote workers, and colleagues.
You can even use one of the rentable conference rooms to stay professional, field meetings, and hold worldwide conference calls with others in your business. Rent a functional conference room in Mt. Airy to get more space for large-scale business meetings, hold workplace events, and utilize the fast Wi-Fi.
Plan Your Corporate Retreat Today
As you can see, Mt. Airy and the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains are the best area to have a corporate retreat. Not only can you do fun events that are going to keep you on your toes and make sure you spend quality time with your co-workers or your clients, but you can also get some work done that must be finished by the end of the trip. Utilize the co-working spaces, event venues, corporate retreat spaces, breweries, and wineries to sit down, sip on some local brews, and put your minds together.
Even though working isn’t always fun, a corporate retreat like this is! Plus, when you stay with us, you can rest assured you will always have a cozy and relaxing place to stay when you are done working, hiking, or exploring the town during the day. You can curl up in the plush bed, lay your head down on the fluffy pillow, and count the sheep as you slowly doze off to sleep. Talk about relaxing! Contact us today.
