Meetings are synonymous with the concept of team building, they are a forum whereby all delegates can share in the process of making decisions or be developed to take on increased responsibility and productivity. We have found that a very large percentage of corporate groups will wish to include an element of team building in their meetings agenda and as such the Tides has developed an extensive repertoire of activities together with a strong reputation for building and maintaining teams of employees. The Tides Inn location in a tranquil part of the Northern Neck allows us easy access to open spaces, river, Chesapeake Bay and other locations perfect for hosting extra curricular activities for your group.

We list below some of the activities which have been enjoyed by past groups and which are available to your company or organization. Each has a proven effect on the team which we will be happy to discuss with you.

This culinary event engages the group in a teambuilding activity that is hands-on, creative, challenging and competitive. The activity also doubles as their group lunch following the competition. Teams will be evenly divided and assigned a station. Each station will contain the necessary utensils (individual stoves, skillet, mixing bowl, spatula, tasting spoons and bowls, aprons etc.) to create a gourmet sandwich, soup and salad. A table in the center of the room will contain all necessary ingredients (lettuces, sandwich meats and cheeses, oils, vinegars and herbs, sliced vegetables, etc.) to create these items. They will also be provided with washable markers to draw on the aprons and create a team name. The groups will have about 1 hour to create their meals. Judging will be based on Creativity, Taste and Appearance.

A real live game of lost and found! You and your teammates will be blindfolded and dropped off at an unknown location. You must use your GPS to follow the waypoints that are already programmed inside the navigator. At each point, there will be clues to lead you to your next location. At each location, there will be items or surprises to collect. The mission is to collect all your items and get to the end point before the other teams. Unpredictable, exciting and realistic, this event challenges groups of all kinds.

Miss Ann’s long lost treasure map has been found. Now it is up to your team to solve the mystery of the stolen map and find the buried treasure. Together, you must decipher the clues and solve the riddles that will lead you to the X marks the spot. On your journey, be cautious as you might encounter unexpected obstacles and sticky situations. Make sure to stick together, or one of your teammates may vanish.

You are just a snap, click and shot away from the finish line. This will test your creativity and willingness to think outside the box. On a resort-wide excursion, you must collect a group of images. Your tools: a Polaroid camera and your teammates’ ideas. Good luck and Happy snapping.

Let’s set the scene - 200 old fashioned liquor lockers each with its own key, and a basket of keys in the center of the table. The object — match the key to the correct locker, find the matches of items inside and with the help of your teammates — keep your sanity. This requires concise planning and execution, as well as exceptional problem solving skills. Memory proves to keep you on your toes and keep you laughing!

“They are off and hauling shell!” Your attendees will take great pride in sponsoring their very own “Thoroughbred” hermit racing crab. Winners of each heat move on to compete in the final championship match. Prizes will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.