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Unique experiences are a stand-out on any event itinerary, whether it’s a team-building activity or a way to boost engagement. In San Diego, the perfect year-round weather and abundance of outdoor activities makes it easy to find an experience to suit your group’s preference — and do it safely. So, if you’re looking to include some opportunities for relaxation within a packed schedule or add some southern California-style adventure to your itinerary, San Diego has you covered no matter the season. Here are four ideas to get you started.
An Ocean Expedition
You’ll find one of San Diego’s most famous sites not on land, but in the ocean. The La Jolla Sea Caves are 75-million-year-old natural wonders that are only accessible by water (for the most part), which makes paying them a visit all the more exciting. Book a guided sea kayaking tour through the La Jolla Ecological Reserve and Underwater Park to explore the seven famous caves, and tell your team to keep an eye out for leopard sharks, sea lions, and even the occasional pod of dolphins. Continue the ocean-theme with a dinner or cocktail mixer on the ocean-view terrace at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The aquarium’s two-story Giant Kelp Forest and outdoor touch pools will help keep the inspiration flowing.
A Dose of Wellness
Meetings and conventions can be hectic. Take advantage of San Diego’s 70 miles of beautiful coastline in order to encourage some rest and recharge in-between sessions. Arrange for a private beachfront yoga class, or kick it up a notch with standup paddle board yoga held right on the gentle waters of Mission Bay. Your group will thank you for the opportunity to focus mind and body in order to bring their best selves to the next session at the nearby Marina Village Conference Center, a hidden gem of a waterfront venue ideal for events both large and small.
Scenic Inspiration
Nothing gets the creative juices flowing quite like movement, and San Diego offers plenty of opportunities for groups to get active next to some truly stunning scenery. Take your attendees out of the conference room and onto a trail at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. With hiking trails that can accommodate all fitness levels, you can easily pair a morning hike with an afternoon meeting at The Lodge at Torrey Pines, an AAA Five Diamond resort set atop the scenic cliffs of Torrey Pines State Beach.
Cultural Exploration
While the great outdoors is always a bountiful source for inspiration—especially in San Diego—exploring new cultures and ways of doing things can also add a new perspective to your brainstorming sessions. Located just outside downtown is Balboa Park, a sprawling urban oasis featuring 17 museums, lush gardens, miles of hiking trails and multiple performance arts centers spread out across its 1,200 beautiful acres. The park’s recently renovated Mingei International Museum is not only a quick drive from the San Diego Convention Center, it’s also a fantastic way to encourage your attendees to find beauty in the everyday-ness of art from people and cultures from all over the world. And maybe even discover a new perspective that sparks their next big idea.
Come see what America’s Finest City can offer you and your attendees. Let the team at San Diego Tourism Authority be your inside guide.
Funded in part with City of San Diego Tourism Marketing District Assessment Funds.