BizBash
  • Production & Strategy
  • Catering & Design
  • Event Tech & Virtual
  • Venues & Destinations
  • Meetings & Trade Shows
  • Sports
  • Advertise
  • Events
Topics
  • Production & Strategy
  • Catering & Design
  • Event Tech & Virtual
  • Venues & Destinations
  • Meetings & Trade Shows
  • Sports
  • Advertise
  • Events
  • Industry Buzz
  • BizBash Lists
Resources
  • On-Demand
  • White Papers & E-Books
  • Podcast
  • Magazine
  • Events
  • Awards
  • Subscribe
User Tools
Follow BizBash
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconFacebook iconTwitter X icon Pinterest iconYouTube iconTikTok
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Get Featured
  • Press Releases
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Subscribe to Magazine
Follow BizBash
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconFacebook iconTwitter X icon Pinterest iconYouTube iconTikTok
  • Production & Strategy
  • Catering & Design
  • Event Tech & Virtual
  • Venues & Destinations
  • Meetings & Trade Shows
  • Sports
  • Advertise
  • Events
  • On-Demand
  • White Papers & E-Books
  • Podcast
  • Magazine
  • Events
  • Awards
  • Subscribe
  1. Production & Strategy
  2. Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships

14 Creative Teambuilding Activities With a Local Focus

Check out these experiences that provide meeting guests with a chance to experience local culture.

Mitra Sorrells
September 19, 2017

Teambuilding activities can be a great way to foster relationships, improve communication, and create a sense of community among employees and meeting participants. The long-term value of those activities is enhanced if they are unique and memorable experiences. So if you are looking for something a bit out-of-the-ordinary on this front for your group, here are 14 options that tap into the traditions and specialties of their specific locations.

Canoe-Making
Canoe-Making

Polynesian explorers used canoes to travel along Hawaii’s shores. At Hilton Hawaiian Village, groups work together to build a canoe out of plastic and cardboard and then test it on the waters of the resort’s Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon.

Photo: Courtesy of Hilton Hawaiian Village
Biscuit-Making
Biscuit-Making
Homemade biscuits are a traditional Southern treat, and the Restoration Hotel in Charleston has created a teambuilding activity around this indulgence. Guests take a short trip to Callie’s Charleston Biscuits for a hands-on biscuit-making class.
Photo: Chris McEnriry
Oyster Farming Lesson
Oyster Farming Lesson

At Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club on Cape Cod, groups can do a guided tour of oyster farms and learn about aquaculture.

Photo: Jonathan Manrique
Line dancing
Line dancing
Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, which bills itself as “the world’s largest honky tonk,” offers group workshops to learn traditional Texas line dances such as the Fort Worth Shuffle and the West Coast Swing.
Photo: Courtesy of Billy Bob's Texas
Glass Blowing
Glass Blowing

Tacoma, Washington, is known as the heart of the art glass movement. Hotel Murano, a short distance from the Museum of Glass, has partnered with the Tacoma Glassblowing Studio to create a glass-blowing experience for meeting and event guests. Participants work with one of the studio’s instructors to create a glass piece, which they can pick up a few days later or have shipped to their home.

Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Murano
"Cairns & Cocktails"
'Cairns & Cocktails'

At Mission Point Hotel on Michigan’s Mackinac Island, attendees can work together to experience one of the region’s favorite pastimes—creating cairns, or small stacks of rocks—in a remote spot overlooking Lake Huron. Following the cairns creations, the group can create and sample custom cocktails made with items from the property’s “cocktail garden.”

Photo: Courtesy of Mission Point
Beignet-Making class
Beignet-Making class

At the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, planners can arrange for culinary classes to make local favorites such as beignets.

Photo: Sam Hanna
Adult Coloring Books
Adult Coloring Books

Guests at Kimpton’s Taconic Hotel in Vermont can partake in adult coloring sessions or art lessons led by staff from the nearby Southern Vermont Art Center. The hotel also offers other activities such as team kayaking and canoeing on the Battenkill River and hikes using Manchester Woodcraft walking sticks.

Photo: Paul Gelsobello
Sailing Lessons
Sailing Lessons

A new 22-slip marina at Gurney’s Newport Resort in Rhode Island is the starting point for group sailing lessons on Newport Harbor.

Photo: Courtesy of Gurney's Newport Resort & Marina
Beekeeping Lesson
Beekeeping Lesson

The New York Hilton Midtown recently added 450,000 bees to its 16,000-square-foot green rooftop. Planners can arrange for a lesson in beekeeping with fourth generation beekeeper Andrew Coté and sampling of new menu items such as whipped ricotta cheese crostini with honeycomb.

Photo: Courtesy of New York Hilton Midtown
Bourbon-Infused Cooking Lessons
Bourbon-Infused Cooking Lessons

Kentucky produces more than 90 percent of the world’s bourbon. Groups that meet in Lexington can learn how to incorporate the spirit into meals at the “Everything is Better with Bourbon” cooking class led by Wild Thyme Cooking.

Photo: Courtesy of Wild Thyme Cooking
Salsa Lessons
Salsa Lessons

Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort offers a variety of locally inspired teambuilding activities, including salsa dance classes on the hotel’s waterfront terrace and cooking classes focused on the flavors of the Baja region.

Photo: Courtesy of Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort
Hula Lessons
Hula Lessons

At Hilton Waikoloa Village, a resident kumu hula, or teacher of hula, can provide lessons to groups.

Photo: Courtesy Hilton of Waikoloa Village
Foraging Hike
Foraging Hike

Guides from Firelight Camps in New York’s Finger Lakes region can take guests on a foraging adventure through the property’s expansive acreage. After the hike, Firelight Camps co-founder and Food Network Star finalist Emma Frisch teaches participants how to use the ingredients they found to prepare a feast.

Photo: Courtesy of Firelight Camps
Latest in Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Them x Destination DC's WorldPride DC Kick Off Event
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Summer Lovin': See How These Brands Celebrated Romance
Washington, D.C., is hosting this year’s WorldPride celebration.
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Brands Are Backing Out of This Year's Pride Events—But Some Are Stepping Up
Max's 'Mothers of Max' Art Installation
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
50 Cool Event Ideas You May Have Missed From TOMS Shoes, Mattel, Barstool Sports, and More
2025 Industry Innovators Article Image Experiential2 B
Brands & Event Pros
Industry Innovators 2025: 11 Experiential Experts Reinventing How We Experience Brands
Related Stories
For a Yelp community event in 2009 in New York, the user review and social networking Web site kept guests cool with branded fans and misting stations near the event's entrance.
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
branding
American Express Fan Experience
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
17 Highlights From U.S. Open Brand Activations
Wedding planner Mindy Weiss spoke at the three-day conference. The custom-designed speaker stage backdrop by Event Effects Group featured the event's beachy color palette and icons that were designed by Gifts for the Good Life.
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Branding ideas
Digitell
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Gratitude marketing
More in Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Summer Lovin': See How These Brands Celebrated Romance
From prebiotic soda to laundry appliances, brands are cashing in on the feel-good vibes of coupledom.
Them x Destination DC's WorldPride DC Kick Off Event
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Brands Are Backing Out of This Year's Pride Events—But Some Are Stepping Up
Facing political pressure, some companies are cutting back on public and financial support for LGBTQIA+ events, while others remain strong.
Washington, D.C., is hosting this year’s WorldPride celebration.
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
50 Cool Event Ideas You May Have Missed From TOMS Shoes, Mattel, Barstool Sports, and More
Here’s a look at some steal-worthy ideas we spotted in May 2025.
Max's 'Mothers of Max' Art Installation
Brands & Event Pros
Industry Innovators 2025: 11 Experiential Experts Reinventing How We Experience Brands
Meet the boundary-pushers, rule-breakers, and big thinkers shaping the future of experiential marketing.
2025 Industry Innovators Article Image Experiential2 B
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
See How Keebler (And Its Elves) Created Some Experiential Marketing Magic
The brand brought its Hollow Tree to life with creative pop-up experiences in three major cities.
Keebler brought its iconic Hollow Tree to life through pop-up experiences in New York, Chicago, and Cincinnati.
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Netflix Rebuilds a Bookstore for 'YOU' Fan Experience—See Inside Joe Goldberg's Twisted Reality
The streaming service tapped longtime agency partner Invisible North to transform a blank-canvas venue in New York into Mooney’s Bookstore—creepy cage and all.
The YOU event took place April 22 and 23 in a completely transformed, 5,000-square-foot space located at 489 Broome St., just ahead of the release of season five, the final season of the beloved show.
Most Popular
Event Production & Fabrication
20 Bold Event Entrances That Made a Lasting Impression
Sports
Why Golf Is Suddenly the Coolest Brand Platform Around
Event Production & Fabrication
5 Tips for Producing Events in Real-World Locations
Event Production & Fabrication
5 Music Event Trends Making Noise in 2025
Meetings
How The Wall Street Journal Designed Its Future of Everything Event Around a B2B Crowd
Meetings
See How Fast Company Combined a Business Summit with a Black-Tie Gala
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Get a Peek Inside These Star-Studded Beauty Events
Haircare, skincare, and makeup brands, including celeb-founded lines from Beyoncé, Paris Hilton, Selena Gomez, and Serena Williams, connected with consumers through creative activations and recent events.
Chillhouse’s Forever Wear Launch
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Inside Motorola’s Bold, Multisensory Razr Launch Event
The visually striking debut for the brand's latest Razr flip smartphone featured immersive design, stylish photo ops, and surprise sensory elements.
The launch event for Motorola's new Razr flip phone took place on April 24.
Sponsored
Why Audiences Tune Out & What Experiential Events Do Better
Your audience isn’t bored, they’re underserved.
When the audience drives the interaction, the message sticks. This Shell Recharge activation turned learning into a hands-on moment, because engagement beats explanation.
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Cue the Confessional: How Hulu Transformed a Beverly Hills Mansion Into a Reality TV Paradise
The streaming service celebrated its expanded unscripted slate with mini activations, reality stars, and... a live python?
On April 22, Hulu brought together 100 influencers and press, plus 150 of its reality TV icons and creatives, for Get Real House, a fully immersive event at Casa Lago Beverly Hills.
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Stagecoach 2025: Saddle Up for the Best Brand Activations From the Desert’s Country-Cool Festival
Check out 50+ ways brands like Facebook, BÉIS, Bud Light, NYLON, American Express, e.l.f. Cosmetics, and more embraced the spirit of the Wild West at the world's largest country music festival.
NYLON Desert Disco, Presented by Coach
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Step Inside the First-Ever, Brand-Packed Ulta Beauty World Event
The retailer brought together beauty lovers, industry insiders, and top brands for its inaugural consumer-facing event in San Antonio.
The inaugural event welcomed 1,500 beauty enthusiasts, including more than 80 influencers.
Page 1 of 134
Next Page
BizBash
Follow BizBash
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconFacebook iconTwitter X icon Pinterest iconYouTube iconTikTok
  1. Privacy Policy
  2. CCPA: Do Not Sell My Personal Info
  3. Contact Us
  4. Site Map
© 2025 Connect Biz, LLC. All rights reserved.