KEY POINTS:
When choosing where to hold the company's annual conference, a smaller town can work better than a large, bustling one. In big cities, "in" groups tend to go off to far-flung places and the feeling of togetherness you want to emerge at the end often gets lost.
A small town doesn't have to mean that there's nothing to do. The ski town of Ohakune is a popular conference destination year-round. If the conference is in winter, it would be cruel not to let people go skiing for one day but quality time can still be devoted to work and brainstorming. As long as there's balance, everyone's happy.
Non-skiers can take long bush walks in the Tongariro National Park, play golf or go mountain biking.
The Powderhorn Chateau, in Ruapehu, can cater for conference groups of between 25 and 80, and the chosen venue for international recruitment consultancy Robert Walters' conference this year.
"Our New Zealand offices are in Auckland and Wellington. We chose to stay at the Powderhorn as it was ideally located," says company spokeswoman, Lucy Nichols. "We're a fairly discerning lot and the standard of accommodation and restaurant options could not be faulted. The famous Powderkeg restaurant and bar provided an ideal venue to relax in."
If you take the train, Tranz Scenic will cordon off a carriage (if you buy all 50 seats) and you can start the conference from the minute you get on.
If you choose to stay at the Powderhorn Chateau, it might interest you to know that Peter Jackson used the conference room to watch rushes of the days' shooting at "Middle Earth".
And if sending staff out onto the skifield is going to be too much of a distraction, the mountainous location can be equally appealing at other times of the year, says Tracey Dean, marketing co-ordinator at the Powderhorn Chateau. She recommends May - it's less crowded and the autumn season boasts some spectacular scenery. The Jet River Boat experience is more palatable then and you can canoe the Whanganui River.
The Powderhorn can theme your conference, says Dean. She remembers a group arriving by train and delegates were held up near its destination, surrounded by bandits on horses and barking dogs and escorted to the hotel - whatever it takes to start the conference off with a roar.
- Detours, HoS
