Looking to get a corporate group out of the office and interacting? Here are 10 new group activities for that can work for teambuilding, meeting breaks, incentives, and other kinds of corporate outings in Miami and South Florida.
1. Sushi Samba now hosts tasting experiences and classes for groups called SambaAdults. Tastings include beverages from sake and pisco to beer and cachaça. Mixologists will be on hand for demonstrations, to explain different flights of drinks and teach attendees about taste and variety. Groups could also order prepared omakase, a Japanese tasting menu. For those wanting to learn how to make sushi, the "Sushi & Sake 101" course teaches guests about sake, different ingredients, and how to make it at home. Also new is a samba dance class where samba instructors teach the Brazilian dance.
2. China Grill Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina offers sake, maki, and roll sushi school for groups. The class includes sake sampling, instruction on the art of sushi making and a meal of maki, sushi, and tempura that students will help prepare. Hand-rolling instruction is led by executive sushi chef Songphon Rawangphan. The class concludes with a demonstration of how to make Ty-Ku Sake fusion cocktails and dessert. Space is limited to 16 students, and pricing varies depending on group size.
3. The Miami Beach Rowing Club has created corporate teambuilding programs for groups of any size on the Indian Creek Waterway on Miami Beach. The rowing center has a meeting space with a kitchen, audiovisual gear, and Wi-Fi. Coaching staff leads training exercises beginning on land for basic training, and then guests hit the water on an eight-person scull. Groups will learn about camaraderie, communication, motivation, and collaboration.
4. Ace Sailing Charters is offering sailboating on Biscayne Bay with a 65-foot sailboat for groups of six. Captain Frank Pingitore offers full-day charters for eight hours, a half day for four hours, and sunset sail for three and a half hours. For a teambuilding activity, guests are put to work on the boat. Groups get to stop and swim, watch dolphins, and even explore Stiltsville, a historic group of wood stilt houses. Sandwiches, snacks, and soft drinks are provided. Prices are $400 for a sunset sail, a half day priced at $500, and $850 for a full day. A moonlight sail and longer-term charters will also be added to the schedule.
5. Cheese Culture, a shop in Fort Lauderdale, opened in August and specializes in international and domestic artisan cheese and charcuterie. The store offers classes and pairings, teaching others about cheese and wine or beer, how to entertain with cheese, and how to create a cheese platter for an event. A typical class consists of 12 people. Pricing is about $35 per person, and attendees receive a discount on products that were sampled during the event. The class is approximately and hour and a half to two hours long and is held in the tasting room in the back of the shop.
6. Revo Soccer opened in March and is the only soccer field that glows in the dark. It hosts soccer activities for groups for three to four hours of playing time and offers usage of a patio for food and drinks (water and Gatorade are provided). Players get glow-in-the-dark gear with spray-on invisible paint and a dodgeball to play with. A mural lights up in the dark in the background of the venue to let groups feel as though they are playing against a city skyline at night.
7. Roam Rides presents its Miami art tours series, which takes guests on a ride through the Wynwood art district. The tour takes groups of 16 on Vespas to see the neighborhood's mural exhibitions from local artists. Guests also ride across the Venetian Causeway to see how the walls of the former garment district have been transformed into an open-air museum. Other options include the gallery tour and collections tour.
8. The Museum of Discovery and Science is launching the adventurous new exhibit "The Everglades Airboat Adventure." Guests can hop on board a 20-person simulated airboat and journey into the Everglades without ever leaving the museum. The experience offers twists, turns, and stops. While on board, passengers can learn about the water, weather, plants, and animals that call these wetlands home. The ride and exhibit open November 11.
9. The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County presents "Santaland Diaries," a show written by David Sedaris that looks at the frustrations and joys of working as an elf at Macy's Santaland. The holiday show is available for complete buyouts at the Carnival Studio Theater, which seats 200. The holiday performance runs December 14 to 23.
10. The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Coral Gables opened last month and provides private classes for groups for $10 to $15 per person for a 45-minute session. In the first few lessons, the dance staff introduces several of the most popular dances, from the fox trot to salsa, and everything in between, like the waltz, tango, swing, hustle, cha-cha, and merengue. The group can continue taking courses for multiple sessions, narrowing in on one type of dance style.
