Bleisure, Combining Business & Leisure in 2020

Business travel doesn’t need to be all business. New in 2020 is an increase in bleisure travel! 

Bleisure: (adj.) The perfect blend of Business and Leisure travel. Meetings and events can be “mini-vacations” for employees, not just work. 

Fair Hills Resort is the perfect location for bleisure travel offering all-inclusive meetings and retreats on the shores of Pelican Lake. Fair Hills offers lakeside meeting spaces for up to 200 people. Companies incorporate leisure into business trips by offering recreation and relaxation activities following business meetings.

Some companies, such as Sandman Consulting, retreat with their employees and their employees’ families for a long weekend with meetings in the mornings, while offering a full day’s worth of programming for the children and spouses. Sandman Structural Engineers is a structural engineering consulting firm based out of Moorhead, MN, has been coming to Fair Hills Resort since 2015 for what started as a conveniently located corporate retreat for employees to celebrate their 10-year anniversary. Originally a staff of 15 people, Sandman Structural Engineers has tripled that number and group attendance to their Fair Hills retreat is approximately 90 people, when including their families.

Sandman guests now range in age from newborns to late sixties and they continue to come back because they feel Fair Hills has something to offer to everyone. Kent Heimark, Business Manager at Sandman Structural Engineers, says the “intrinsic value” of what employees gain from the retreat keeps people motivated and inspired at work. “It has definitely increased morale,” Heimark said. “People look forward to going back.” 

Top 10 Ways to Add Leisure to Business 

1. Golf (either 9 holes at Fair Hills Resort, or 18 holes at Wildflower Golf Course
2. Cruise on the 55’ Big Pelican Pontoon boat
3. Bonfire on the beach complete with s’mores
4. Cocktails and Karaoke in The Perch on Pelican 
5. Yard games such as horseshoes, bean bags and Norwegian golf 
6. Friendly match of tennis or pickleball 
7. Team building events, such as Minute to Win It, one of Sandman Consulting’s favorites 
8. Get on the water with complimentary kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, paddle boats, rowboats and sailboats 
9. Relax by finding a spot in the sunshine on the deck or in the shade on one of the many hammocks, benches and swings 
10. Let our staff entertain you with a performance of the famous Hootenanny musical 

If your company is interested in bleisure travel, please contact Laura McMartin, Conference & Event Director, for more information. laura@fairhillsresort.com (218)-847-7638