Island time

4/2/2014

Island Time

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Steve Dunkelberger Issue: Summer 2006 For Peaceful, Ponderous Meetings, There's No Place Like a Northwest Island.

A rising number of business leaders are making their way to islands throughout the Pacific Northwest in search of places to gather their thoughts, gain insight and concentrate on the big picture. Good thing that the Northwest coast is dotted with accessible island resorts that still maintain a feeling of remoteness. As a bonus, these islands offer unparalleled natural beauty sure to soothe even the most frazzled nerves.

San Juan Islands Retreats in Washington's San Juan Islands (Orcas, Lopez and San Juan) are accessible by a memorably scenic ferry ride or daily flights from Seattle and British Columbia.

"A lot of the stars come out here to the islands because they get left alone," says Robin Jacobson, public relations manager for the San Juan Islands Visitor's Bureau. "That's our motto.

And a lot of the people up here might not even know them anyway." The 3-year-old bureau was formed specifically to market the islands as a destination spot when industry watchers began seeing a rise in corporate retreat business. Business travelers gather in the San Juans to find clarity in nature and build a sense of camaraderie among the executive staff away from the distractions of the city.

A popular activity is two-person kayaking in the ocean waters that surround the island."That is a perfect team-building exercise,"Jacobson says. "You've got to cooperate.You have to row together or you don't go anywhere."

While many lodging and meeting facilities are filled with tourists during the summer months, business leaders are finding that fall and spring retreats are economical and add to the sense of isolation once the crowds have gone. Plus, the weather is cooperative. The San Juans receive half as much rainfall as the mainland just a few miles away. "The winters here are just fabulous," Jacobson says. "A lot of people don't know that." http://nw.meetingsmags.com/print/3582

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Adam Farish knows it. He runs THE OUTLOOK INN on Orcas Island, and he's seeing a lot more people taking off-season island retreats. The hotel consists of 45 guest rooms, as well as The Victorian Room, which accommodates up to 70 people.

"We are the choice for a handful of high-profile retreats annually, due to our prime location on a remote island, still only a few hours from Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia," he says.

"Our business clients enjoy the ferry ride through the picturesque island landscape that truly offers a sense that you are leaving the old world behind and going somewhere to get a fresh perspective. Because of the privacy and confidentiality we can offer, we have hosted several high-profile retreats for national and international organizations searching for a remote location to conduct small meetings."

Some notable groups have included the Allied Pilots Association, which chose this location to resolve a strike several years back; research conferences led by noted psychotherapist Tom Kenyon; George Fox Seminary University doctorate retreats; and marine research ventures for the University of California at Davis and the National Science Foundation. "The culture of Orcas Island is very diverse-from bohemian to executive," Farish says. "There are loads of top-tier Hollywood stars here, big business CEOs, political figures, hippies, witches, artists, healers and massage therapists."

Farish has seen his guest list grow by up to 10 percent annually in recent years, fueled largely by repeat business. He advises meeting planners to plan early because most places fill quickly, especially during the summer season.

"We get a fair amount of business retreat traffic-usually smaller groups looking for a quiet getaway for focus groups and upper-management gatherings," he says. "I get quite a few requests for larger corporate meetings and gatherings."

Farish adds, "There are lots of businesses seeking us out who have progressive management, who want to treat their employees to a quality experience that is intimate and comfortable, but not necessarily glitzy or extravagant."

Another Orcas Island property, FRIDAY HARBOR HOUSE, a 20-room inn on a bluff overlooking the water, recently expanded its facilities to appeal to the retreat market. The $1.3 million expansion, completed this summer, added a new two-story building housing 1,070 square feet of meeting space that seats up to 100, plus three new guest suites. The dining room overlooking the harbor accommodates 20-person meetings and 50-person receptions. A smaller room accommodates 10-person board meetings.

The addition was designed specifically to target business groups, which often avoid holding meetings during the summer since executive vacations get in the way during those months.

"Business groups aren't necessarily as seasonal as our tourism guests," says Linda Hersey, Friday Harbor House general manager. The facility is operated by Columbia Hospitality, which just added a specialist to concentrate on the business traffic at its island properties: Friday Harbor House, Lakedale Resort at Three Lakes on San Juan Island, and the Inn at Langley on Whidbey Island.

"We have some of the most beautiful places to go in the islands," says Adrienne Miller, group http://nw.meetingsmags.com/print/3582

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sales manager, noting that the San Juans' average tally of 270 to 290 sunny days a year makes the area particularly attractive during the off-season. "It can be absolutely fabulous in February any place in the islands," she notes.

Whidbey and Camano Islands "Our motto is: the shortest distance to far away," says RoseAnn Alspektor, tourism marketing coordinator for Whidbey and Camano islands, noting that the islands she represents are less than an hour from downtown Seattle. "We have seen a lot more visitors on business meetings lately," she adds.

Alspektor sees executive teams looking for getaway places to reflect and plan moves after regional or national trade conferences in the Emerald City. Corporate teams find island activities-such as shopping or sightseeing through historic towns, whale watching, wine tasting or just walking along the beach-helpful before sitting down for business discussions, to plot strategy and build esprit de corps among the senior staff.

"It's really like stepping back in time, but still having the modern amenities," she says. Alspektor sees a growing trend of booking island time after a big conference on the mainland. "I've been to too many of those conferences where you come back with a folder full of ideas, and the binder sits on the shelf," she says. Tacking a day or two onto a business trip to distill all the information gathered during the sessions gives a conference experience much more impact.

Whidbey and Camano islands offer plenty of bed and breakfast lodgings and small inns. For meeting venues, there's the CHINOOK CENTER, a conference and retreat facility with overnight accommodations for 30 people and meeting space for groups of up to 100. Part of the Whidbey Institute, the site is among 75 acres of old-growth forest. Another Whidbey Island venue is the historic FORT CASEY INN, a row of cottages built as officers' housing just before World War I, and FORT CASEY CONFERENCE CENTER, which accommodates up to 300 people.

Campbell River In the Campbell River area, a popular stopover for cruises through British Columbia's Inside Passage, you have the advantages of two fishing lodges in one. Painter's Lodge on Vancouver Island and April Point Resort and Spa on Quadra Island, although separate resorts, are sister properties operated under the same management. Water shuttles across Discovery Passage run between the resorts approximately every 10 minutes.

"Guests staying at one facility can use the facilities and dining options at the other at no additional charge," says Jill Smillie, Oak Bay Marine Group director of marketing. "It really opens up the possibilities."

Painter's Lodge has 94 rooms in various configurations. Meeting facilities range from boardrooms to meeting halls that accommodate up to 150 people. April Point offers 49 guest rooms and eight houses for group stays, plus meeting spaces that accommodate up to 100 people. After-conference activities include fishing, whale watching and exploring nature, with sightings of eagles, bears, seals and sea lions.

Gulf Islands Between southern Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia lie the Gulf Islands, a cluster of more than 200 islands southwest of the Strait of Georgia and nicknamed the http://nw.meetingsmags.com/print/3582

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"Canadian Mediterranean" for their mild weather. The Gulf Islands receive only about 30 inches of rainfall a year.

There are no big hotel chains here, but business groups have discovered the small resorts nestled throughout the islands-remote enough to change a busy person's mindset, but close enough to be easily reached. Daily ferries from Vancouver Island and the mainland take visitors through breathtaking scenery to the five main islands: Salt Spring, Pender, Mayne, Galiano and Saturna.

"I'm definitely seeing increased interest in that part of Canada," says Michele A. Saran, Canadian Tourism Commission's director of incentive sales. "Many incentive planners are looking for very high-quality resorts that combine great fishing, cuisine and spa experiences.

Fishing and spa [treatments] have actually surpassed golf as the most requested activities.

British Columbia has this type of product in abundance." Saran has been marketing these smaller resorts to the major incentive players in the U.S.Midwest.

The largest gem in the necklace that makes up the Gulf Islands is Salt Spring, known for its laidback, bohemian atmosphere. The island is home to three artist communities and even offers tours of studios where visitors can watch potters, weavers and painters create works of art.

Visiting groups are accommodated at a host of hotels and boutique lodges, including CUSHEON LAKE RESORT, which offers 14 modernized cabins and two cedar chalets. The lake offers swimming and boating activities, as well as trout and bass fishing. Team-building exercises include sailing lessons, horseback riding, hiking and ocean kayaking.

POETS COVE RESORT & SPA on nearby Pender Island, with its lodge, cottages and villas overlooking Bedwell Harbour, draws groups looking for natural splendor and big-city amenities.

Guests have access to a personal chef and fireside massage. Groups as large as 120 people can use the Seaglass Ballroom, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, as well as French doors that open onto a terraced garden.

File Notes (In Touch): WHIDBEY AND CAMANO ISLANDS TOURISM // www.whidbeycamanoislands.com CHINOOK CENTER (WHIDBEY INSTITUTE) // Whidbey Island, Wash. / 360.341.3404 / www.whidbeyinstitute.org FORT CASEY INN & CONFERENCE CENTER // Whidbey Island, Wash. / 866.661.6604 / www.spu.edu/casey SAN JUAN ISLAND VISITOR'S BUREAU // www.guidetosanjuans.com THE OUTLOOK INN // Orcas Island, Wash. / 888.688.5665 / www.outlookinn.com FRIDAY HARBOR HOUSE // Orcas Island, Wash. / 866.722.7356 / www.fridayharborhouse.com CAMPBELL RIVER TOURISM // www.campbellrivertourism.com PAINTER'S LODGE // Vancouver Island, B.C. / 800.663.7090 / www.painterslodge.com http://nw.meetingsmags.com/print/3582

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APRIL POINT RESORT & SPA // Quadra Island, B.C. / 800.663.7090 www.aprilpoint.com GULF ISLANDS // www.gulfislands.ca / www.gulfislandsguide.com CUSHEON LAKE RESORT // Salt Spring Island, B.C. / 866.899.0017 / www.cusheonlake.com POETS COVE RESORT & SPA // Pender Island, B.C. / 888.512.7638 / www.poetscove.com

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