Planners looking to arrange activities will likely appreciate the diverse experiences available in the Lone Star State. But there’s more to the equation than simply finding and booking an event within a certain geographic area.
Among the many desirable benefits of group activities are cultivating effective communication, developing problem-solving skills, building trust, and reinforcing company culture. Likewise, engaging in team-building events often increases attendee engagement, develops and celebrates individual strengths, and improves decision-making abilities in participants.
To help illuminate activities that could best suit your group’s needs, Texas Meetings + Events compiled a Texas-size roundup of engaging, challenging, and delightful team-building experiences.
From Lake To Desert
Groups will find lake-style luxury aboard the double-decker vessels available through the company Austin’s Boat Tours (ABT). The boats accommodate up to 20 people and feature a waterslide and barbecue grill, as well as licensed captains who also serve as onboard chefs.
“ABT boats can be used as creatively as possible, including setting up obstacle courses on the water,” says Jocelyn Brandt, marketing director and co-owner of Brandt Communications, an Austin-based events and communications company that has hosted several group outings with ABT. “Plus, the Lake Travis Mansion—a three-story building that overlooks the lake—is ideal for hosting breakout sessions.”
The animal lovers in your group might well enjoy a one-of-a-kind interaction with a big alligator or slow-moving tortoise. Planners can arrange outings to Gator Country Adventure Park in the heart of Beaumont for up-close encounters with animals that have been surrendered or rescued from other places and now call Texas home. The park also serves as a sanctuary for what its website refers to as “nuisance” alligators: those who no longer fear humans and have exhibited aggressive behavior.
The park is home to hundreds of animals—including American alligators (the longest of which measure more than 14 feet), crocodiles, snakes, tortoises, other reptiles, and mammals. Out on the water in intimate eight-person motorboats, tours ply the wetlands of the surrounding Taylor Bayou. Navigating through the waterways, participants actively look for wildlife amid moss-covered cypress trees while they learn about the area’s ecosystem.
To the far northwest in Amarillo, groups will find a highly competitive challenge to engage participants’ brains as well as their creativity: Outback Team Building & Training’s Cardboard Boat Building Challenge. Over the course of several hours, groups divide into teams and build a boat from cardboard, with some unexpected obstacles like course changes or a new rule thrown in along the way. After they’re built, each boat is evaluated based on a set of criteria (including water worthiness), then one team member takes to the water to compete in a navigational challenge against their fellow boatbuilders. Afterward, Outback stages an awards ceremony to celebrate everyone’s accomplishments.
To the southwest, Rent a UTV Off-Road Adventures has taken groups into the Red Sands region just east of El Paso since 2012. Owner Jamil Moutran notes the availability of Polaris Slingshots (open-air three-wheelers) for use on paved roadways, and Polaris RZRs (off-road side-by-sides) for the desert terrain.
“Our packages—which are perfect for groups of 60 or less—are designed to foster collaboration and camaraderie,” says Moutran. “And by partnering with American Eagle Paintball, we have combined the thrill of off-road tours with strategic, competitive paintball matches.”
Many participants are exhilarated by the sense of adventure the tours provide. “The stunning panoramic views, excitement of conquering diverse terrain, and high-octane thrill of the vehicles—they truly create unforgettable memories,” says Moutran.
Guided Explorations
Recognized widely as the oldest town in Texas, 300-year-old Nacogdoches is home to Fredonia Brewery, which opened in 2017 as the first brewery established in the city since the 1850s. Considered a downtown hot spot, the brewery and its welcoming spirit have led to repeat attendees (such as the Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association), but it is just as fun for first-time visitors who want to learn about beer-making outside of the event agenda (or as part of it).
During the Tour and Taste Experience, the head (or assistant) brewer first takes groups on a walking tour to explain the brewing process, then leads them to the taproom for beer tastings. Afterward, smaller groups can move to Fredonia’s covered patio for an on-site mixer, while larger corporate groups might consider buyouts of the entire brewery.
Alex Ranc, social media and marketing manager at the brewery, points out that while Fredonia Brewery offers a variety of on-site activities planners might incorporate into their meeting itinerary, the most popular add-on is Lone Star Trivia.
Although the identity of the original Dr Pepper is open to debate, the popular carbonated beverage was invented at a drugstore in Waco in 1885. Nowadays, planners can book one-hour guided tours through the city’s Dr Pepper Museum and its two historic buildings, learning about the origin and production of the fizzy drink.
In conjunction, there are several programs available, such as the Extreme Pepper Experience. It encompasses a two-hour, six-person private activity that delves deeper into Dr Pepper history and includes souvenir swag, a guided tour of the museum, and Make-A-Soda. The latter lets attendees choose a base soft drink to add various artisan flavors to, resulting in their own bubbly beverage.
First discovered in 1960 by four university students, the subterranean spaces at Natural Bridge Caverns in San Antonio make up the largest cave system in Texas. The land the caverns lie beneath has been owned by the Wuest family since 1864. Natural Bridge Caverns welcomes private events and provides areas that can easily accommodate larger groups. Caterpillar Inc. recently hosted 140 attendees for an event that began with a cavern tour and ended in the venue’s ballroom for a hosted reception, dinner, and dancing.
According to Ray Martinez, group sales manager at Natural Bridge Caverns, the most popular team-building activity is Twisted Trails, a six-story rope and zip-rail (an aerial activity similar to zip lining) course incorporating gamification and interactive opportunities like a “Collect the Clues” scavenger hunt add-on. Another aboveground activity is the 5,000-square-foot outdoor maze built with plastic stockyard panels where teams work together to find their way to its center and back out again.
Julie Trevino, DMC director at San Antonio-based marketing agency The CE Group Inc., has booked numerous events at the caverns. “Attendees experience the natural cave formations on a tour or attend a customized corporate event,” Trevino says. “It’s a really unique way to host groups from an attraction-based perspective.”
A Little DIY
If you’re searching for a business centered on the craft of turning molten glass into works of art, consider Ghost Pepper Glass in Austin. Owned and operated by Katie Plunkard, the facility offers glassblowing activities designed to provide a safe, creative, and educational experience for attendees.
During a group event, each attendee is paired with an experienced instructor who goes over the tools to use and the processes involved to create glass artwork. The studio accommodates up to 24 attendees, who begin by selecting the item they want to make, the color glass they want to use, and what special effects (swirls, dots, or stripes, to name a few) they want to incorporate.
Plunkard says although the glassblowing process is often done solo, the studio regularly hosts corporate and nonprofit groups. “The process of taking a 2,000-degree molten glass ball on a metal pole, then using the same tools that have been used for thousands of years to make a work of art, makes for a very special experience,” Plunkard adds.
Alternatively, planners might have attendees who prefer playing their favorite video games. For many, the 1970s and 1980s were the zenith of video gaming, when arcades became the “it” places to be. If you have eventgoers interested in reliving the heyday of video gaming, Arcade 92 in McKinney might fit the bill.
Designed to be a space where people connect through video games—whether they’re aficionados or new to the scene and wanting to give them a try—Arcade 92 (an homage to the release of the game Mortal Kombat in 1992), opened in McKinney in 2019. Its assortment of video games were originally part of owner Michael Lepsch’s personal collection, and he opened a second Arcade 92 location in Flower Mound in 2023. Both locations offer dining and have a full bar serving specialty cocktails with names like the Atari Old-Fashioned or X-Men Mutant Power. With its one-price general admission to the facility, Arcade 92 also is easy on the budget.
When asked about activities that encourage attendees to interact during an event, Lepsch points to games like Killer Queen, which accommodates up to 10 players divided into teams needing to work together to successfully compete against rivals. Referring to these classic video games as “adult therapy,” Lepsch
believes his company lets grown-ups feel like kids again—whether they grew up gaming or not.
To appease the golfers in their group, planners often head to the epicenter of Texas’ golf scene in Frisco. “At the PGA of America Coaching Center at Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa, we’re all about making golf fun and inclusive,” says Tim Cusick, PGA master professional and head coach at the center, which opened in 2023. The 12,000-square-foot indoor facility is climate controlled, allowing for events every day of the year regardless of the weather.
Some additional games available beyond traditional golf are Tic-Tac-Toe, Putt Pong, and competitions based on participants’ longest drive and closest-to-the-pin shots. “Our cutting-edge technology allows different putting challenges for beginner, intermediate, and advanced players,” Cusick adds. “Plus, you have the option to work together as a team or compete head-to-head.” He also points to the coach-to-student ratio and the professional level of instruction as draws for the center.
David Steele, director of sports technology at Plug and Play Tech Center—a venture capital company based in Sunnyvale, California—has booked many corporate events at Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa, including one for 150 people last November. “In addition to the two PGA golf courses and coaching center,
[the hotel also is near the] PGA district, which is a phenomenal location,” says Steele, referring to a community hub between the Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa and The PGA of America Headquarters that features shops and restaurants.
Steele points out that attendees can stay at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa with its 500 guest rooms and suites, or in one of the hotel’s exclusive ranch-style houses, each of which feature four bedrooms, floor-to-ceiling windows, and access to a 24/7 concierge team. “From social events like meet and greets to artificial-intelligence workshops, golf-swing analysis, and custom-fitted clubs attendees can take home, the facility does an amazing job at checking multiple boxes,” says Steele.
