Build team camaraderie in the Poconos

Resorts in the Poconos are hosting more corporate meetings – attracting businesses by their location, natural beauty and rural lower costs, according to people involved in marketing and selling the region.

But the big attraction seems to be the opportunities for employee team-building.

Woodloch, a resort in Hawley, Wayne County, has been hosting corporate events for at least 15 years, and the number has grown from a handful to more than 100 a year, said Lisa Hugaboom, director of corporate sales.

Skytop Lodge, in Skytop, Monroe County, has exceeded pre-recession 2008 benchmarks this year, said Cara Federici, director of sales and marketing at Skytop Lodge.

Corporate bookings at Split Rock resort, in Lake Harmony, Carbon County, are $164,000 ahead of this time last year, said LauraLee Wren, director of sales and marketing.

The Inn at Pocono Manor, in Pocono Manor, Monroe County, has seen a remarkable increase in corporate meetings, said Susan Corrigan, assistant director of sales.

In part, the growth reflects new managerial thinking about motivating employees, Woodloch’s Hugaboom said.

“Companies are finding value in taking teams off-site, taking them away from the day-to-day grind,” she said.

Corporations are spending more time on their employees by team-building and developing internal relationships, Federici said.

“They come to the Pocono Mountains because of the serene setting, away from the hustle and bustle, and in the natural, back-to-basics type of setting that allows for a more focused and uninterrupted experience,” she said.