Meeting getaways: some suggestions for off-the-beaten-path corporate retreats.

• Author: Kaelble, Steve
• Position: MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS

MUCH OF THE TIME, A conference in the company boardroom or even an online meeting will get the job done. But for strategic planning, team building and other purposes, it's critical to leave distractions behind and focus on the matter at hand.

There are numerous places across Indiana to hold such retreats, whether they're breakfast meetings, all-day confabs or sequestered overnight gatherings. Following are just a few examples.

Inn at Aberdeen

"Just about any type of business meeting of 50 or fewer people fits comfortably here," says innkeeper and chef Bill Simon. "We do everything from breakfast meetings to all-day meetings to overnight meetings where a company rents the entire inn."

Aberdeen in Valparaiso offers a variety of meeting settings, such as a conference room and suites that include meeting rooms and can be used for smaller gatherings or breakouts. One recent business use involved management representatives in one suite, labor in another, with facilities in between for joint discussions. Banks, universities, utility companies and networking groups are among the regular users of Aberdeen's meeting services.

The inn has 11 guest rooms, all of which include breakfast in the rate. Simon can cater from an existing menu or offer customized food service for meetings. "We have full audio-visual equipment," he says, adding that wireless DSL service is available throughout the inn and grounds. "Sometimes they'll do something special, like a murder-mystery dinner or day-spa massages."

Business meetings at Aberdeen often include time for a round of golf. The inn boasts proximity to The Course at Aberdeen, a championship, upscale and environmentally sensitive golf course designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan.

Creekwood Inn

Amid 33 acres of Michigan City walnut, oak and pine trees sits a 13-unit inn that makes a fine corporate retreat. The Creekwood Inn resembles an English country manor and welcomes meetings in its Willow Creek Suite, which can accommodate up to 10 people, and its conservatory, in which up to 40 people can gather in an attractive setting overlooking wooded gardens.

The Creekwood Inn offers the full range of meeting services, including audio-visual equipment, breakout areas and conference-calling facilities. Overnight lodging rates include breakfast as well as use of the conservatory's exercise loft and an outdoor whirlpool. Food service is available, with fine dining offered at the Kelly's Table restaurant onsite.

"It's an ideal...