Whether you come to the National Capital Region for a business meeting, a sport gathering or reunion, one of the overriding goals is to strengthen connections. Just taking a trip together establishes a common bond. But once you’ve made all the effort to travel together as a group, you can elevate that experience even more through teambuilding.
When members of a group work together toward a common goal, morale grows, trust builds, collaboration improves, communication blossoms, and motivation increases. Make that activity fun, and you can supersize your results, forging bonds that will take your team and your organization to the next level.
Groups and meetings in Fairfax County typically have high attendance. Between Washington, DC and our own attractions, it’s an exciting and inspiring place to meet. Every season brings new, world-class events and attractions. And the energy of being in “the world’s most powerful city” is palpable. Layering a good teambuilding event on top of that makes everything more memorable and satisfying. It’s an opportunity most meeting planners won’t want to pass up. Take a look at some of our teambuilding suggestions below.
Teambuilding Through Teamwork and Physical Challenge
Photo Courtesy Vertical Rock Tysons Bouldering and Fitness Center's Facebook
Physical activities take people out of their heads and into a shared experience where they are motivated to work together, support each other, develop strengths and identify weaknesses. It’s something they wouldn’t normally do and now they are sharing that activity together, helping to build trust and camaraderie. It is important with these activities, however, to use them to encourage collaboration, rather than competition.
Indoor rock climbing and bouldering are big in the region. Vertical Rock is the newest bouldering venue with over 150 bouldering problems to challenge climbers from beginner to advanced. With two locations, they offer bouldering and rock climbing for groups. Fun Land of Fairfax, Adventure Links and The St. James also boast rock climbing programs for teams. Rope courses are also popular. You’ll find them at Adventure Links and Fun Land of Fairfax, as well as at Go Ape Zipline Adventure Park. Go Ape has two treetop courses, over 100 obstacles and eight ziplines!
Real and virtual golf are also popular teambuilding exercises. Venues like City Swing, Monster Mini Golf and Rudy’s Golf, Restaurant and Sports Bar have virtual and mini golf activities for groups to enjoy that are also approachable for non-golfers. Rounding out this category is the unbridled fun of bouncing at Sky Zone Trampoline Park or Flight Adventure Park.
Teambuilding Through Strategy and Problem-Solving
Photo Courtesy @escapeherndon
Problem-solving and strategic activities are great for teambuilding because they force people to work together, communicate and cooperate. Here your teams will discover new strengths and weaknesses and learn to respect both individuals and the group dynamic.
Escape rooms are the perfect example of this type of teambuilding. Participants are locked in a room and have to escape using clues they find in the room. Escape Room Herndon, Escapology—The Live Escape Game, Cyber Raccoon Escape Room and Bond’s Escape Room are all good choices to explore.
Another option is virtual reality and laser tag activities. Between Ultrazone Laser Tag Amusement Center, Shadowland Laser Adventure Center and SandboxVR, you won’t have to travel too far from your hotel to sort out issues through laser games. Finally, for gaming games, Hashtag Gaming Arena will bring you together overboard games, trivia and other matchups. For people who like those things, Hashtag is a one-of-a-kind, East Coast’s largest kind of place.
Teambuilding Through Group Touring and Learning
In today’s hybrid workspaces, teambuilding activities may be a rare opportunity for virtual employees to meet and learn about each other. Touring and learning together is a low-pressure teambuilding approach for getting to know each other. It provides natural topics for conversation and a shared experience. Moreover, you can theme it around certain topics for later discussion. Here are some suggestions:
- Leadership. Visit George Washington’s Mount Vernon and learn about his leadership, his attitude toward service and the sacrifices he made to be our first president. Gather at the Mount Vernon Inn afterward for a cup of Peanut Soup and a discussion of leadership skills.
- Service. Visit the National Museum of the US Army and explore the breadth of our army’s legacy and service in protecting our country. Afterward meet at Woodlawn Press Winery to patronize a veteran-owned business or at nearby G34.3 Brewing Company to discuss all you’ve learned about service.
- Innovation. Nothing sets the imagination going like outer space. And literally no destination in the world captures the spirit of aviation and space exploration like the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Immerse your group in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, bring them face to face with Space Shuttle Discovery, and break down those limits inside their minds.
- Creativity (and Perseverence). The Workhouse Arts Center is truly one of a kind. On the one hand it’s an artist colony your guests can explore. It’s impossible to leave without being inspired to create. But it’s also a former prison. And the Lucy Burns Museum inside tells the story of female perseverance and the sacrifices women made to gain the right to vote. Just imagine the discussions that will be had!
- Research. This year at George Mason’s Gunston Hall, the riverside garden is the star. That’s because this is its first season having been restored to its historic splendor. And that took 40 years of research to make happen. Show your group what dedication and exacting research can do.
- Being In The Moment and Awe. Nature is a great teacher when it comes to being in the moment. Great Falls Park with its large and powerful waterfall, and Huntley Meadows Park with its bird sanctuary and atmosphere of peace can both teach profound lessons to your group. And both have spaces you can use to discuss what you’ve observed.
Taking a class is another way for teams to get to know each other and bond. Making chocolate bars and candles and art together are shared experiences that are memorable and encourage interaction. Finally, there’s a new day-long bus and bike tour that includes Mount Vernon, the riverside Mount Vernon Trail and Old Town Alexandria. Unforgettable!
Teambuilding Through Camaraderie and Socialization
No pressure here. Just a casual activity to help people get to know each other better in a fun way. Maybe you go for a hike. Or visit a winery or brewery. Check our events page to see if there is a show at Capital One Hall or Wolf Trap you’d like to see. Or do something completely new and different by discovering The Perch, a park 11 stories in the sky with mini golf, food trucks and a biergarten.
Trivia contests can also be fun ways to learn about each other. And you’ll find a trivia night nearly every day of the week at our bars and restaurants—visit Aslin Beer Company on Mondays, Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern on Tuesdays, Bunnyman Brewing and Shipgarten on Wednesdays, and at Lake Anne Brew House on Thursdays.
Another way is through a group dining experience. Especially if your group hails from a less diverse region of the country, exploring a new cuisine together can be memorable and mind opening. This can be made even more social and fun by choosing interactive dining. For Korean food, try Korean BBQ where food is made tableside and served family style. Japanese food is also cooked tableside and family style at Japanese steak houses. With Chinese cuisine, Dim Sum and Hot Pot restaurants encourage sharing and interaction. Brazilian Steak Houses bring huge skewers of meat to the table and carve it to order.
If you’ve always been curious about pho, banh mi and other Vietnamese cuisine, Eden Center has more than 40 (!!!) restaurants and bakeries in the East Coast’s largest Vietnamese Shopping Center. Finally, there is one interactive dining experience beloved by locals that is unique to our region—all you can eat blue crabs. As it turns out, we are all equals when picking meat greedily from those shells. It’s a unique skill and experience every traveler to this region should have.
When you plan a meeting or event in Fairfax County, expect people to show up. We are a popular tourist spot with countless attractions. We have some really cool meeting spaces. And we are flanked by two major airports—Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), making us accessible from anywhere. So if you want to build stronger teams, this is the place to it. You will have your guests’ undivided attention here. And you’ll be able to create the kind of gathering people will talk about for ages. Contact us and let our team help your team excel. Don't forget to mention us in your team's escapades by using @VisitFairfax and #FXVA!
