The Rebirth of Corporate Retreats
Why Alaska is the ideal location to energize, motivate, and inspire
By Kathryn Mackenzie
Corporate retreats took a backseat to more pressing financial matters as the economy dipped and companies began cutting costs wherever they could during the past decade. As the national economy has slowly eked its way out of recession, more businesses are considering investing in offsite trips to get employees away from their workstations to gain new perspectives and forge new bonds.
Work-related trips mean different things to different people. For business leaders they can be a great way to bring together workers from different departments and remote offices to meet face-to-face, create cohesiveness, instill company ideals and culture, and form new bonds and friendships. For employees, the concept of a “work vacation” often creates a sense of dread, conjuring images of embarrassing workshops learning trite trust exercises; long, dry, day-long meetings and brainstorming sessions; and precious time away from family members.
Alaska’s corporate retreat offerings turn those perceptions upside-down by offering adventure, luxury, and one-of-a-kind experiences for businesses of all sizes. Its many resorts, inns, and lodges feature activities designed to inspire productivity, spark the imagination, and soothe even the most harried soul.
Stillpoint Lodge
Stillpoint Lodge is a second-generation, family-owned and -operated lodge. Originally designed to host retreats for artists and interfaith spiritual groups, the facility expanded its services in 2007 to offer more events such as board retreats, weddings, and continuing education credit workshops. JT Thurston, son of the original lodge’s founders, Jim and Jan Thurston, operates Stillpoint Lodge with the help of Beka and Lucas Thoning, managers of Stillpoint Lodge for nearly a decade.
“Stillpoint was built as a retreat center and workshop space that the original owners ran for ten years. Their son wanted to bring more adventure to the place, and one pivotal thing he did that has attracted more groups and business clientele is to add private showers and bathrooms. You don’t want to be showering in the main lodge with your CEO right there,” Beka Thoning, general manager and executive chef of Stillpoint Lodge, laughs. “Previously the lodge operated with compost bathroom facilities; now we have really nice bathrooms, a hot tub, and a bar and liquor license. The renovations have revolutionized the way we operate.” As an adventure lodge, Stillpoint offers a “unique combination of eco-adventure, leisure, and culture.”
Stillpoint Lodge is located in Kachemak Bay and Wilderness Park and surrounded by Kachemak Bay State Park, just twelve miles from the Homer airport, according to the company website. The lodge can be directly accessed via boat, float plane, and helicopter. The idea behind Stillpoint Lodge is to provide a comfortable, upscale, and remote place for groups of twelve to twenty-five people to hold meetings to enrich individuals and also foster team building through common interests. Executive groups, including physicians and lawyers, can earn continuing education credits in between whale watching, wildlife spotting, helicopter and plane rides, kayaking, fishing, hiking, and biking. With stunning views and luxurious amenities, a business trip to Stillpoint Lodge will likely leave visitors wanting more.
“One thing we experience over and over again is that once they get here, our visitors always regret not booking another night or two. They think they want to go somewhere else, but once they’re here they realize they can access anything there is to do in Alaska right here,” says Thoning. “There’s something for everybody. We have captains and pilots right on staff, so not everybody has to do the same thing and we help tailor activities to keep everyone happy.”
Since the lodge is open only in the summer, Thoning recommends booking an executive getaway one to two years in advance, if specific dates are needed. “I do get requests for corporate groups year-round, but we’re really only able to accommodate groups Memorial Day through September. So for us, trying to schedule that and make sure we have chunks of time for a whole-lodge buyout… gets a little tricky if people wait too long. I really do like it if people call me and give me a year’s notice. Then we can really dial-in the dates that they prefer and tailor their activities to fit their unique needs,” she says.
Stillpoint Lodge features round-the-clock access to meals, a hot tub, sauna, Wi-Fi, a wellness library, yoga space, lounge, and beverages. After a day of learning, bonding, and sightseeing, visitors can rest easy with all the creature comforts of home in their cabins, each with its own private bathroom, handmade quilts, and flannel sheets. When the day is done, it’s time to disconnect and enjoy the surroundings—no televisions here. “People are blown away by how a place can exist like this away from a city. It has a Scandinavian feel and is very classy, everything is being renovated to be classy, clean, and modern,” says Thoning.
