Planning corporate events on Catalina Island is easier than you might think. With convenient travel, available services and an exotic ambiance, this destination is ideal for a range of corporate events, from executive retreats to incentive travel and everything in between. Here’s what you need to know about corporate event planning on Catalina.
It’s more convenient than you think: While Catalina Island’s ambiance is evocative of a Mediterranean island, this Southern California destination is closer than you think. Catalina Island ferry ports are located in San Pedro, Long Beach, Newport Beach and Dana Point – and it’s just over an hour by boat to get here. Helicopter departure terminals can be found in San Pedro and Long Beach; flights to the island take just 15 minutes.
Scheduled departures to the island are also convenient, whether you choose the ferry or fly to Catalina Island. Round trips are scheduled several times a day throughout the year. Departures are more frequent in the summer and on weekends; but midweek, off season transportation to Catalina is also widely available.
Transportation is easy in Avalon: Once you are here, Avalon is easily walkable. There’s no need to worry about getting your team from one place to the other when everything is just a short stroll away. Whether it’s getting everyone from a meeting to dinner or from a hotel to a strategy session, there’s no need to arrange transportation. Prefer to keep everyone together? Local taxi services are available – with accessible services for those who need it.
Your team will love you for it. With its charming waterfront and dramatic natural beauty, Catalina Island has been one of California’s most popular tourist destinations for more than 100 years. Visitors flock to the island for weekend getaways, family vacations and romantic retreats. Those vacationers love the island for the same reason your colleagues will: irresistible activities, great dining and a spectacular setting.
You can easily mix business with pleasure. The popularity of “bleisure” trips show no signs of waning and destinations like Catalina Island are a big reason for the boom. Whether your team chooses to stay an extra day or invite their family for a weekend, a corporate event on Santa Catalina will let employees kick up their heels and enjoy themselves after getting down to work.
The team-building opportunities are extraordinary. Team-building on Catalina Island is never mundane. Golf cart scavenger hunts, an arboreal obstacle course and kayak relay races are just a few of the many options for increasing morale, fostering cooperation and forging a cohesive crew. Escape rooms, food tours and parasailing adventures are all Catalina activities that your team will enjoy taking part in.
Catalina event venues are unforgettable. From the Catalina Island Casino – one of California’s most recognizable landmarks – to a boardroom overlooking the beach, you’ll find that corporate event venues on Catalina Island are diverse, well appointed and unforgettable. Venues are available to accommodate everything from small executive retreats to company-wide galas for thousands.
Services are widely available. Corporate event planners should also be aware that there may be some limitations. While it’s widely available in Avalon, cell service is not accessible in some of the more remote locations on the island. Internet service can also be slower than in major metropolitan areas.
You’ll need to plan another. Once you’ve held your first corporate event on Catalina Island, your team is going to want to come for another.
