Forecast: 8 New Ideas for Meetings and Events

Six Flags Great America, in conjunction with Warner Brothers Consumer Products on behalf of D.C. Entertainment, recently opened the Joker Free Fly Coaster, inspired by the comic villain. The twisted coaster lifts riders up a 12-story, 90-degree hill, then flips them upside down throughout the weightless ride. The amusement park, which is located between Chicago and Milwaukee in Gurnee, Illinois, offers packages for corporate outings, including catered picnics for groups of 100 or more. The package includes a private picnic area, an all-you-can-eat meal, entry into the Hurricane Harbor waterpark, and custom invites and save-the-date cards. Pricing is available upon request.

Toronto-based catering company Eatertainment now offers an upgraded snack bar for meeting breaks. The spread features dessert terrariums, apple cider with cinnamon sticks, fresh juices, purple potato chips with crème fraîche and caviar, baked polenta mini cakes with fresh figs and gorgonzola, lavender and blueberry panna cotta, and grilled stone fruit skewers served in shot glasses with Greek yogurt. Pricing is $35 per person, with an additional cost for an on-site chef.

Fort Lauderdale-based Just Bars launched its Plank Wood Collection. The rustic designs feature eight-foot bar sections and high-top tables with grass bases and corner pieces. The bars cost $600 each; the grass corners cost an extra $200 each. Delivery is available in South Florida, Naples, the Keys, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville.

The Hotel Zoe San Francisco, open since June in Fisherman’s Wharf, now offers an open-air option for meeting breaks and teambuilding sessions: the “Seas the Day” package. In partnership with local charter companies, groups can conduct seminars at sea, go on kayaking excursions and deep-sea fishing trips, and take guided tours to Alcatraz Island. The hotel’s event and catering staff can customize packages; pricing starts at $5,000 for 10 people. For meetings indoors, the 221-room boutique hotel has 2,000 square feet of event space.

Groups looking for a Central Florida outing can book a trip with Hop On tours. A 12-passenger bus takes guests on one of three routes, each one visiting four local breweries. Participants choose either a 12-ounce beer or a tasting flight at each location. The experience costs $600 for 12 people. The pick-up and drop-off location is the Broken Cauldron Brewery and Taproom in downtown Orlando.

New York-based floral studio Flower Girl now offers children’s birthday party options, available during two two-hour time slots on Sundays. The party includes D.I.Y. activities such as flower-crown making and terrarium-building, along with floral decor. Pricing starts at $700 for six children, plus $45 for each additional child, with a 12-child maximum. Add-ons like flower crowns for each guest are also available for an extra charge.

Twice New is a foundation launched by two event-industry veterans, Crystal Ortiz and Christina Rosenberg, in August. The nonprofit organization, which serves Los Angeles and Orange County, provides easy solutions for event waste: Representatives pick up excess supplies and food from any event or venue and donate it to local charities or shelters. Twice New charges a small fee, but that, as well as the items donated, is tax deductible; prices vary depending on location and quantity.

The bartenders at the Highball Lounge inside the Kimpton Nine Zero Hotel in Boston offer creative “how-to-cocktail” breakout sessions for corporate groups and other parties. For groups of from 10 to 30 guests, the beverage experts will conduct an interactive cocktail-making class where guests can learn the latest tips and techniques on how to craft the perfect drink. Attendees also receive a copy of The Little Black Book of Cocktails and a Kimpton-branded cocktail shaker. Pricing starts at $250 for a party of 10.