Sites throughout Somerset County, N.J. offer unique corporate team-building activities that help improve communication and collaboration while providing much-needed downtime. Whether strictly inter-office or with clients, employee outing or conference with a twist, these sites provide opportunities for off-site fun and shared experiences not found in the workplace.

Fairview Farm Wildlife Preserve in Bedminster, headquarters of the non-profit Raritan Headwaters Association, offers volunteer and learning opportunities for area companies.

“Our service days focus on conservation projects and education,” said Trish McGuire, volunteer manager. “Projects are customized for groups and include habitat restorations or projects like creating a rain garden. The employees get an outdoor experience on a beautiful wildlife preserve, connect to nature and each other, and contribute to Raritan Headwaters’ mission to protect water and the region’s natural resources.”

She noted that people who work together don’t often know each other on a personal level. Coming to Fairview Farm or one of the organization’s other preserves enables employees to get acquainted in new surroundings.

“They start talking about their jobs and move on to their personal and shared interests. By end of the day, they’ve bonded as a team. It’s a rewarding experience and it’s why so many companies return year after year.” Groups are invited stay for lunch and enjoy the property, enhancing their time away from work.

The learning component covers watersheds, water conservation, and how individuals can support the health of water supplies, often resulting in employees “bringing our mission back to the office, implementing practices like recycling, reducing waste or using less bottled water,” added McGuire.

Similarly, the Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center in Basking Ridge offers corporate volunteer opportunities paired with learning, with projects based on the groups’ skills or time available. It supplies all the materials and many companies arrange for food to be delivered afterwards so the employees can enjoy extra social time together.

“Employees may plant, weed, mulch and clear trails, or do building or repair projects,” explained manager Carrie Springer. “Facilitators talk about the plant life and habitat maintenance related to the project, and employees enjoy a day out of the office together while doing something good for the environment.”

When its corporate clientele sought immersive, educational experiences as well as fine dining, Osteria Morini in Bernardsville started offering food-and-wine dinners with a sommelier or wine producer. After requests for more interactive experiences, pizza, pasta and pastry classes were added at Osteria Morini and its sister restaurant, Nicoletta Pizzeria.

“Corporations wanted something that would enable employees to loosen up more than sitting around a dinner table,” explained Jonna Gerlich, marketing and events director. “The pasta class is very popular.” The chef makes the dough while talking through the concepts of pasta preparation; attendees then make different shapes, fill the pasta, and are served dishes from the lesson.

Gerlich added that some companies host competitive cooking classes; employee teams prepare a dish from start to finish in the restaurant kitchen and are then served a multi-course dinner with the competitors’ dishes. For bigger groups, the restaurant offers reception-style events with cooking demonstrations and tastings at different stations.

The Olde Mill Inn in Basking Ridge offers three culinary corporate team-building programs that foster intense teamwork for groups of 15 to 80 people. These programs are popular year-end or midyear events; are used to kick off new projects or bring together new teams; and are booked as employee outings to boost morale or introduce new accounts or teams within the organization.

“Wealth management firms, professional service providers and large pharmaceutical companies who want a fun team-building or client activity in the Basking Ridge area come to us,” said Sheri Maselli, corporate director of sales. “We can combine these activities with a corporate meeting, lunch or dinner reception on our premises.” They are:

• Chocolate bridge building – with candies, Rice Krispie treat “planks” and chocolate. Judging is based upon creativity, team participation, team spirit and structure durability.
• Cocktail reception – participants have 45 minutes to make two hors d’oeuvres to enjoy with cocktails afterwards. Judging is based on creativity, teamwork, taste and presentation.
• Ready, Set, Cook – held in the banquet kitchen, participants prepare each other’s dinner under the guidance of the chef and his team, and enjoy their creations with wine afterwards. Team spirit, food preparation and final presentation are judged.

In Branchburg, the sprawling Branchburg Sports Complex (BSC) is home to the largest laser tag arena on the East Coast (9,000 square feet on four levels) and host to many corporate team-building events and company outings.

“We can accommodate up to 80 people per laser tag mission so it’s great for corporate events or private parties,” said Lisa Sepulveda, marketing manager. “Our ‘Quest for Success’ is a corporate team-building favorite because it requires strategy, communication and collaboration, and it can be enjoyed by employees of all ages.”

The focus of BSC’s high-energy programs are to engage diverse groups and help them to improve communication, boost employee morale and get to know each other outside the work environment. Many area companies have worked with BSC for years.

Field games, classroom-style games and facilitated team-building challenges are tailored to the needs of each company, with specific exercises that create a stress-free bonding experience. BSC’s private meeting facilities offer high-definition TV, multi-media connections, flexible setup arrangements and catering options for businesses that want to combine a company meeting with an extensive team-building curriculum in one location.

TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, home of the Somerset Patriots Baseball Club, offers numerous corporate hospitality options. Marc Russinoff, VP of media relations, said the ballpark hosts many conferences or meetings at its 72 home games. Regional healthcare organizations, pharmaceutical firms, telecommunications firms and nonprofits are among those that have hosted employee outings there.

“Corporate guests book a suite for a meeting and stay for a game, with a range of options to entertain employees and clients.” he said. Those include:

• The picnic area for 30 to 500 people, who can watch the game and enjoy an all-you-can-eat barbeque buffet down the left field line.
• The party deck, which accommodates groups from 30 to 150, and includes an upscale buffet and a great vantage point to watch the game.
• Seventeen hospitality suites for 30 to 40 people with indoor/outdoor seating, large-screen TVs, exclusive wait service and dining menu.
• The Diamond Club for about 50 people, with smart TVs, flexible seating, all-day use of the area and dining. Some companies hold special events with noted sports figures there.

Corporate groups in the suites may also get a surprise visit by manager emeritus and former Yankee great, Sparky Lyle, who attends home games, signs autographs, takes pictures and answers questions. The 1977 Cy Young award winner managed the Somerset Patriots for 15 years and represents them at many community-wide events.

The USGA Golf Museum in Liberty Corner offers a very different type of “corporate golf outing” with tours of the famous museum, golf trivia games and putting contests on the famed 16,000-square-foot Pynes Putting Course. The Pynes Putting Course is unique for its very challenging design, inspired by the Himalayas green at St. Andrews in Scotland; the putters, replicas of vintage equipment from the late 1800s and early 1900s; and the replica golf balls from the 1913 U.S. Open, which guests can keep as a souvenir.

According to Kim Gianetti, the manager of education and outreach, “Many wealth management firms in Somerset County host client appreciation events here, with a museum tour followed by putting contests between associates and clients before dinner in the area.”

More information about Somerset County’s cultural, educational and recreational destinations is at visitsomersetnj.org.