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Companies
are Building Stronger Employee Morale and
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Collaboration
at Somerset County, N.J. Venues
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From Outdoor Activities to Culinary
Competitions, Employees are
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Enjoying Off-site Corporate Team
Building Activities
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Bridgewater,
NJ – July 2018 / Newsmaker Alert / Sites
throughout Somerset County,
N.J. offer unique corporate team-building activities that help improve
communication and collaboration while providing much-needed downtime. Whether
strictly inter-office or with clients, employee outing or conference with
a twist, these sites provide opportunities for off-site fun and shared
experiences not found in the workplace.
Social
responsibility in the great outdoors
Fairview
Farm Wildlife Preserve in Bedminster, headquarters of the non-profit
Raritan Headwaters Association, offers volunteer and learning opportunities
for area companies.
“Our
service days focus on conservation projects and education,” said Trish
McGuire, volunteer manager. “Projects are customized for groups and include
habitat restorations or projects like creating a rain garden. The employees
get an outdoor experience on a beautiful wildlife preserve, connect to
nature and each other, and contribute to Raritan Headwaters’ mission to
protect water and the region’s natural resources.”
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She
noted that people who work together don’t often know each other on a personal
level. Coming to Fairview Farm or one of the organization’s other preserves
enables employees to get acquainted in new surroundings.
“They
start talking about their jobs and move on to their personal and shared
interests. By end of the day, they’ve bonded as a team. It’s a rewarding
experience and it’s why so many companies return year after year.” Groups
are invited stay for lunch and enjoy the property, enhancing their time
away from work.
The
learning component covers watersheds, water conservation, and how individuals
can support the health of water supplies, often resulting in employees
“bringing our mission back to the office, implementing practices like recycling,
reducing waste or using less bottled water,” added McGuire.
Similarly,
the Somerset
County Park Commission Environmental Education Center in Basking Ridge
offers corporate volunteer opportunities paired with learning, with projects
based on the groups’ skills or time available. It supplies all the materials
and many companies arrange for food to be delivered afterwards so the employees
can enjoy extra social time together.
“Employees
may plant, weed, mulch and clear trails, or do building or repair projects,”
explained manager Carrie Springer. “Facilitators talk about the plant life
and habitat maintenance related to the project, and employees enjoy a day
out of the office together while doing something good for the environment.”
Building
stronger teams through food
When
its corporate clientele sought immersive, educational experiences as well
as fine dining, Osteria
Morini in Bernardsville started offering food-and-wine dinners with
a sommelier or wine producer. After requests for more interactive experiences,
pizza, pasta and pastry classes were added at Osteria Morini and its sister
restaurant, Nicoletta Pizzeria.
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“Corporations
wanted something that would enable employees to loosen up more than sitting
around a dinner table,” explained Jonna Gerlich, marketing and events director.
“The pasta class is very popular.” The chef makes the dough while talking
through the concepts of pasta preparation; attendees then make different
shapes, fill the pasta, and are served dishes from the lesson.
Gerlich
added that some companies host competitive cooking classes; employee teams
prepare a dish from start to finish in the restaurant kitchen and are then
served a multi-course dinner with the competitors’ dishes. For bigger groups,
the restaurant offers reception-style events with cooking demonstrations
and tastings at different stations.
The
Olde Mill Inn in Basking Ridge offers three culinary
corporate team-building programs that foster intense teamwork for groups
of 15 to 80 people. These programs are popular year-end or midyear events;
are used to kick off new projects or bring together new teams; and are
booked as employee outings to boost morale or introduce new accounts or
teams within the organization.
“Wealth
management firms, professional service providers and large pharmaceutical
companies who want a fun team-building or client activity in the Basking
Ridge area come to us,” said Sheri Maselli, corporate director of sales.
“We can combine these activities with a corporate meeting, lunch or dinner
reception on our premises.” They are:
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Chocolate
bridge building – with candies, Rice Krispie treat “planks” and chocolate.
Judging is based upon creativity, team participation, team spirit and structure
durability.
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Cocktail
reception –participants have 45 minutes to make two hors d’oeuvres to enjoy
with cocktails afterwards. Judging is based on creativity, teamwork, taste
and presentation.
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Ready,
Set, Cook – held in the banquet kitchen, participants prepare each other’s
dinner under the guidance of the chef and his team, and enjoy their creations
with wine afterwards. Team spirit, food preparation and final presentation
are judged.
Bonding
over sports
In
Branchburg, the sprawling Branchburg
Sports Complex (BSC) is home to the largest laser tag arena on the
East Coast (9,000 square feet on four levels) and host to many corporate
team-building events and company outings.
“We
can accommodate up to 80 people per laser tag mission so it’s great for
corporate events or private parties,” said Lisa Sepulveda, marketing manager.
“Our ‘Quest for Success’ is a corporate team-building favorite because
it requires strategy, communication and collaboration, and it can be enjoyed
by employees of all ages.”
The
focus of BSC’s high-energy programs are to engage diverse groups and help
them to improve communication, boost employee morale and get to know each
other outside the work environment. Many area companies have worked with
BSC for years.
Field
games, classroom-style games and facilitated team-building challenges are
tailored to the needs of each company, with specific exercises that create
a stress-free bonding experience. BSC’s private meeting facilities offer
high-definition TV, multi-media connections, flexible setup arrangements
and catering options for businesses that want to combine a company meeting
with an extensive team-building curriculum in one location.
TD
Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, home of the Somerset Patriots Baseball
Club, offers numerous corporate hospitality options. Marc Russinoff, VP
of media relations, said the ballpark hosts many conferences or meetings
at its 72 home games. Regional healthcare organizations, pharmaceutical
firms, telecommunications firms and nonprofits are among those that have
hosted employee outings there.
“Corporate
guests book a suite for a meeting and stay for a game, with a range of
options to entertain employees and clients.” he said. Those include:
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The picnic
area for 30 to 500 people, who can watch the game and enjoy an all-you-can-eat
barbeque buffet down the left field line.
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The party
deck, which accommodates groups from 30 to 150, and includes an upscale
buffet and a great vantage point to watch the game.
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Seventeen
hospitality suites for 30 to 40 people with indoor/outdoor seating, large-screen
TVs, exclusive wait service and dining menu.
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The Diamond
Club for about 50 people, with smart TVs, flexible seating, all-day use
of the area and dining. Some companies hold special events with noted sports
figures there.
Corporate
groups in the suites may also get a surprise visit by manager emeritus
and former Yankee great, Sparky Lyle, who attends home games, signs autographs,
takes pictures and answers questions. The 1977 Cy Young award winner managed
the Somerset Patriots for 15 years and represents them at many community-wide
events.
The
USGA
Golf Museum in Liberty Corner offers a very different type of “corporate
golf outing” with tours of the famous museum, golf trivia games and putting
contests on the famed 16,000-square-foot Pynes Putting Course. The Pynes
Putting Course is unique for its very challenging design, inspired by the
Himalayas green at St. Andrews in Scotland; the putters, replicas of vintage
equipment from the late 1800s and early 1900s; and the replica golf balls
from the 1913 U.S. Open, which guests can keep as a souvenir.
According
to Kim Gianetti, the manager of education and outreach, “Many wealth management
firms in Somerset County host client appreciation events here, with a museum
tour followed by putting contests between associates and clients before
dinner in the area.”
More
information about Somerset County’s cultural, educational and recreational
destinations is at www.VisitSomersetNJ.org.
About
Somerset County Tourism
Somerset
County Tourism, a 501(c)3 organization, is the official destination
marketing organization (DMO) for Somerset County, N.J. a and a Division
of the Somerset County Business Partnership.
Its mission is to advance the local economy by sustainably promoting the
area’s outstanding travel products and experiences, and to offer a variety
of useful services to residents, business travelers and leisure visitors.
Somerset County Tourism is an active member of New Jersey Destination Marketing
Organizations and the New Jersey Tourism industry Association. For more
information visit www.VisitSomersetNJ.org
or call 908-218-4300, ext. 28.
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Media
Contacts:
Jacqueline
Morales
Somerset
County Tourism Director
908-218-4300
Caryn
Starr-Gates
StarrGates
Business Communications
for
Somerset County Tourism
201-791-4694 |