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Team-Building Overnight Trips In Tennessee

May 17, 2018

Are you looking for a way to bring your office together? You could try doing the usual team bonding activities, such as escape rooms or a karaoke night. But those activities, amusing as they may be, don’t really teach you anything about your fellow employees.

To go beyond silly fun and truly bond your employees by showing them each other’s impressive strengths, you need something a little more intense and a lot longer than just a two-hour activity. You need an overnight-team building trip. Our Ocoee river team whitewater rafting retreat is just the thing.

Our weekend rafting trips in Tennessee will test your team physically, mentally and emotionally. They will challenge your employees to work together while also having the time of their lives. We take care of all the logistics for your trip, from the gear to the food to planning the route. You just show up with your crew and let us take it from there.

Read on to learn more about our overnight team building rafting trips and why they can take your office to the next level of productivity when you return.

Why Go On A Team Building Camping Trip In Tennessee?

First, you may be wondering why you should choose guided group overnight trips near Nashville, Tennessee, instead of something your team can tackle closer to home and in a lot less time. Here are three reasons an overnight campout is the way to go:

It makes the experience feel special: An overnight trip is unusual and something worth celebrating.
It gives you separation from the office: If your previous team bonding was held in your staff room, then a lot of your already-established team roles probably continued in that setting. By leaving the office, you have a chance to reestablish those roles and see people in a new light.
It rewards your staff for a job well done: While this is a weekend rafting trip for your team, it’s also a vacation. This is a way to say “you’ve been doing a great job.”

What Does Our Smoky Mountains Corporate Overnight Trip Entail?

Our overnight trips begin with a day on the Ocoee River. Your team will paddle down the water for hours, encountering tough rapids and working together to navigate difficult turns and switchbacks. Everyone will work up an appetite as they fight to keep the raft on course and avoid flipping. Our experienced guides lead the way, but they also give teams & groups enough leeway to allow the leaders to step forward and assert their own guidance.

After hours of rafting, you will reach your location to bunk for the night. You will spend the evening eating a delicious meal prepared by our guides with the help of your fellow employees. The time as you wind down and get ready for bed provides an excellent opportunity to get to know one another better. Once you do hit the sack, the best loft bed will be awaiting you, try and have sweet dreams.

When you sit around one with people you may not have socialized with outside the office, you may feel more comfortable talking than you do at work, where you face daily deadlines and always seem to be in a hurry. This informal atmosphere fosters improved relationships, which can carry back to the office when you return.

The next morning, you’ll enjoy another hearty meal prepared by our guides before you head back out on the water. During day two, you may find you feel more confident and relaxed, having navigated the previous day’s trials with success. Some offices also set challenges of their own within the two-day retreat, such as learning something new about each person on the trip.

By the time you return to the Raft1 headquarters, your team will have bonded in ways you may not expect. The office wallflower may have blossomed into a take-charge leader. Someone who previously seemed disengaged may find new competitive vigor and comfort among their officemates. Your team will evolve in ways that surprise you, which is half the fun of the trip.

Can Everyone Participate In Our Overnight Trips In The Southeast?

You may be sold on the value to your team of participating in one of our rafting adventures. But does this trip make sense for everyone on your team? That’s another question we get asked a lot.

Whitewater rafting is a very accessible activity. You need to meet an age requirement — all rafters must be over age 12, per Tennessee law — and there are some weight restrictions due to safety. However, you do not need to be able to swim. We provide every guest with a personal flotation device.

Our guides are trained in all the essential safety requirements as mandated by the state. They know how to handle any emergency, and they can administer CPR and First Aid.

What Should We Bring On Our Overnight Rafting Adventure?

We have a thorough guide to what type of clothing to wear while rafting, which you can pass along to your team for packing purposes. You should also have your employees pack sleeping bags for the overnight. It can get chilly at night, so even if it’s the middle of summer, advise your workers to bring extra layers just in case. Better to have the option and never use it than to try to sleep with your teeth chattering all night long.

Book Your Overnight Team Building Trip Today

Unite your employees by giving them a fun goal to strive for — rafting the Ocoee River. Let us prepare the perfect wilderness retreat for your office. We take care of all the details, saving you the time and hassle of having to set things up yourself. Just come to Raft1 on the big day and get ready to have a memorable, exciting and likely insightful experience that helps show you where your team is strong and where you could use some work.

Contact us today to discuss group rates, get a free brochure or to make your reservation. We look forward to talking with you.