10 Group Activities and Teambuilding Ideas in Los Angeles

Catalina Island is now offering what it bills as the first nighttime zip line eco-tour in California. The two-hour adventure covers three quarters of a mile on five separate lines, reaching speeds of nearly 45 miles per hour, at heights up to 300 feet above the canyon floor. At each station, guides discuss the ecology and bio-diversity of the island, as well as its nocturnal wildlife, history, and culture. Group packages that include lodging and other activities can also be arranged. 

Fragrance company Ka-Mil-Yin can arrange perfume-making parties for a girlie group. Event packages include a display of glass cork-topped perfume bottles holding an array of 20 different oils to chose from, a fragrance mixologist to assist guests in creating their signature scents, and custom labels (which, for a $45 graphic design fee, can include logos).

Planet Dailies L.A. and the Mixology Lounge, a new hybrid coffee shop and handcrafted cocktail bar concept from Planet Hollywood, is slated for a March opening. Mixology Lounge bartender Joseph Brooke is available to lead group classes at the new bar space or at any off-site location. Brooke can lecture on cocktail philosophy or mixing, lead tastings, talk about how to build a home bar, or cover any other custom topic.

Groups can soak in some culture April 1 through July 1 when Lacma presents their latest exhibit, "Children of the Plumed Serpent: The Legacy of Quetzalcoatl in Ancient Mexico," an exploration of Quetzalcoatl, the patron deity to the ancient kingdoms of southern Mexico. The show includes 200 rare objects, like painted codices, turquoise mosaics, and textiles from the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Group ticketing is available for 10 or more.

Last summer, Montage Beverly Hills launched £10, an exclusive hideaway within the hotel that is available for private events and scotch tastings. (The space derives its name from the Scottish ten pound note which displays a rendering of the famed Macallan Distillery’s copper stills.) £10 bills itself as the only establishment in the world where guests can experience a glass of Macallan's 64-year-old whisky, priced at $64,000 per shot. (Don't worry—there are more-realistically-priced whiskys available, too.) In addition to scotch tastings, the lounge offers a range of wines and champagnes by the glass and Scott Conant’s Scarpetta Beverly Hills provides the snack menu.

Off ‘N Running Tours is now offering a new addition to its Venice Arts running tour, a four-mile circuit that allows participants to get up close to local art. All participants will now receive a medallion fashioned after artist William Attaway’s popular "Running Man" sculpture. “Everyone has t-shirts [so] we wanted to give our guests something that they would be able to display,” said Off 'N Running president and C.E.O. Cheryl Anker. Beginning and ending at the studios of Attaway and Alberto Bevacqua, the tour enables visitors to experience the seaside destination while learning about pieces such as the iconic ballerina clown sculpture by Jonathan Brofosky, the "We Are All One" mural, and the Venice public art walls.

Six Taste, which bills itself as the largest food tour company in Los Angeles, offers guests to experience the cuisine of specific neighborhoods during four-hour guided walking tours. Groups get the chance to sample popular dishes from five to eight different restaurants while learning about the history and culture of the area. Six Taste currently offers tours for groups as small as six in Little Tokyo, downtown, Santa Monica, San Gabriel, Arcadia, Hollywood, and Thai Town.

For an uplifting corporate outing, take a group to see Mary Poppins at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre. Tickets went on sale March 4 for the musical, which will run late this summer for four weeks only—August 9 through September 2—as a bonus to the 2011-2012 season.

This one's a classic crowd-pleaser: The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association recently announced the summer series for its 91st season at the historic Hollywood Bowl. The season spans 14 weeks, from June to September, and offers shows representing a variety of genres with the orchestra's repertoire. Group ticketing became available in late-January for popular programs like the fireworks and movie night programs in July, as well as A Prairie Home Companion, and the Grease and Sound of Music sing-alongs.

Action Segway Tours has introduced a new and environmentally friendly way to explore Big Bear Lake by means of electric two-wheel Segway Personal Transporters. Guests can tour the mountain resort on a Segway x2 model, which navigates varied terrain with minimal environmental impact. The two-hour tour covers sidewalks, paths, and paved roads. Each tour is led by two or more certified Segway tour guides who identify Big Bear landmarks along the way, and educate guests about the area's history and surrounding flora and fauna.