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Minnesota is a U.S. state in the Midwest that contains more than 10,000 lakes, including Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, and Lake Itasca, the Mississippi River’s primary source. This coastal destination has majestic waterfalls, beautiful trails, and historic lighthouses, making it a wonderful place to have a company retreat.
There are tons of things to explore in Minnesota, including going to Voyageurs National Park, Walker Art Center, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnehaha Falls, and Gooseberry Falls State Park. You could even bring out your inner youth and go to the Nickelodeon Universe theme park or the Minnesota Zoo.
Minneapolis has lots of options for team-building activities, including axe throwing and escape rooms. These games are designed to be fun but also inspire your team to work together in order to achieve the same goal.
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We've put together this list of team-building activities in
Minnesota
to help you get the most out of your visit.
Minneapolis’s retreat agenda shifts between canoe races on Bde Maka Ska, warehouse dinners in the North Loop and long evenings by the Mississippi that make the city feel far more outdoorsy than most corporate retreat destinations.
We had an unforgettable company offsite in Panama with 19 team members, and everything from start to finish was exceptional. The food was incredible, authentic, fresh, and consistently delicious throughout the trip. Our hotel stay was fantastic, especially the strong air conditioning, which was a huge plus in the tropical heat! Surf Office did an outstanding job managing everything. As a small team, using them was a huge help to ensure we hit deadlines, found team-building activities, and had a good selection of food choices. They were professional, highly organized, and incredibly on top of every detail, making the experience smooth and stress-free for everyone involved. From scheduling to coordination and on-the-ground support, they handled it all flawlessly. Transportation during the event was well-organized and reliable, making it easy to move between activities without a hitch. Overall, this was a 10/10 experience. Highly recommend this destination and working with Surf Office for any team looking to recharge, connect, and be inspired in a beautiful location. We will absolutely be using them again for our next company off site!
I had a great experience working with Surf Office! Elke and Alvaro were extremely helpful throughout the process and I always felt confident our retreat planning was in good hands. We've held 2 retreats working Surf Office and would recommend them to anyone looking for help planning a company retreat.
We are a 100% remote Software Company that has been doing self organized Teamevents since 2016. They are a very important part of our company culture and something the whole company is looking forward to throughout the year. As the company grew we have been searching for a partner to organize a Teamevent for 50 People in 2024 and have found the perfect one with Surf Office. The main advantage for us was not them taking over the main organization, it was that they just had the same vibe. You can find people who will organize a team retreat for you - but only a few will catch the right vibe and select the right venues - Surf Office does! Needless to say that the whole process was smooth and the organization was flawless. If you are a boring company, please do not hire them. But if you are a bunch of people that are working together and actually like each other, i would really give it a shot. For us, a Teamevent has never felt this easy.
We recently partnered with Surf Office to organize our company retreat in Osaka, Japan, and we couldn't be more pleased with the experience. From the outset, Surf Office showed exceptional ability to coordinate across time zones, manage the language barriers, and handling the logistical complexity of a group of 100+ people with ease and professionalism. The team from Surf Office were flexible, communicative, and proactive every step of the way. They helped us plan everything, from the event scheduling to restaurant reservations, hotel reservations for 100+ people, team activities, and last-minute changes They ensured the entire retreat was seamless, memorable, and highly energizing for our team. Thanks to their support we were able to focus on what mattered most: connecting as a team, exploring a new culture, and building lasting memories We highly recommend Surf Office to any company looking to run a world-class team offsite, especially in international destinations.
We went to Lisbon with 31 employees from all over the world. The event had been organised by SurfOffice/Elke. The hotel was top, the activities were top and the food was top. The communication with Surf O. was very good too, and it helped that Elke is a Dutch woman living in Lisbon. The coda app was not very handy at first, but turned out to be useful at the end/towards the event. We look back at a very successful All Company Meeting in Lisbon!
We can highly recommend Surfoffice for company retreats! From the very first contact until the end of our trip, everything went smoothly. Communication was consistently fast, reliable, and highly professional. A special thanks goes to Stef, who supported us throughout the entire organization process. She was always available, answered all our questions, and made the planning process extremely pleasant with her friendly and helpful approach. Lola also did an excellent job in finding the perfect accommodation for our group — her quick and competent assistance was invaluable. The accommodation itself was beautiful, with an incredibly kind host who took great care of our group and prepared delicious meals for us. Surfoffice provided us with a perfectly organized company trip — efficient planning, outstanding support, and a wonderful experience for the entire team. We are already looking forward to our next trip with Surfoffice!
SurfOffice delivered an absolutely outstanding service. Their attention to detail, responsiveness (literally day and night!), and presence throughout the entire process went far beyond our expectations. The whole team was a true pleasure to work with — professional, proactive, and always one step ahead. A special thank you to Cris, Romane, and Angela: you were exceptional. Your dedication, kindness, and efficiency made all the difference. Thank you again — we would 100% recommend SurfOffice and look forward to the next collaboration!
Great support, personalised service and great experience. Would highly recommend Surf Office services to any organisation. Their follow-up tools make it very easy to also communicate with your team.
I organized our company retreat with the help of SurfOffice, specifically with the help from Candela and Álvaro. They helped me tremendously, made sure important things were taken care of, deadlines were met and they made sure we could have a smooth experience with the company during the week - we had an absolute blast on Gran Canaria and the Team had an amazing week! The communication was absolute S-Tier. Clear, quick and always friendly, which made organizing an event very enjoyable, which normally is a rather monotone and sometimes even chaotic experience. I came into this without any event organization experience and leave with a "wow, this was smooth!". Thank you for this!
Yes, Minnesota is a strong destination for company retreats thanks to its mix of lakes, outdoor activities, creative cities, and reliable infrastructure. Teams can organize a corporate retreat in Minnesota with strategy sessions, waterfront activities, brewery visits, hiking, and social dinners across both urban and nature-focused locations.
Minnesota stands out because teams can combine city experiences in Minneapolis–Saint Paul with lake cabins, forests, and outdoor adventures within a relatively short drive. In our experience hosting teams, Minnesota works especially well for companies that want a balance between productive work time and relaxed outdoor settings.
Minneapolis is the top choice for larger corporate retreats thanks to its restaurants, event venues, and direct flights. Duluth works well for lakefront offsites near Lake Superior, while Brainerd Lakes is popular for cabin-style retreats and outdoor team building. Stillwater and Grand Marais are also great for smaller company retreats with a quieter atmosphere.
Most teams arrive through Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), which offers strong domestic and international flight connections. Downtown Minneapolis is around 20 minutes from the airport, and many popular retreat areas can be reached within 2–3 hours by car.
Summer and early fall are usually the best seasons for a Minnesota company retreat. From June through September, temperatures are typically between 65–85°F, making it ideal for lake activities, hiking, and outdoor team building.
Popular options include:
Most teams plan a 3 to 4 day corporate retreat in Minnesota. This gives enough time for work sessions, outdoor activities, and social events without requiring long travel schedules.
Lake Minnetonka, the Brainerd Lakes region, Gull Lake, and areas near Lake Superior are some of the most popular choices for lake retreats. These destinations work especially well for teams looking for waterfront accommodations and outdoor activities.
Teams can expect a mix of modern Midwestern restaurants, lakeside dining, craft breweries, rooftop bars, and outdoor social experiences. Minneapolis also has a strong live music and arts scene that works well for evening group activities during a team retreat in Minnesota.
Compared to many coastal retreat destinations in the US, Minnesota is often more affordable for accommodation, dining, and group activities. In our experience, teams can usually organize a high-quality offsite in Minnesota while maintaining more flexibility in their retreat budget.
