Getting away: some ideas for your executive retreat.

• Author: Kapp, Jennifer
• Position: Meetings & Conventions - Indiana state park system

Indiana offers countless ways for working groups to get away from it all: rustic resorts, restored inns, simple cabins tucked away in scenic places or near attractions around the state. Small groups from corporations and organizations flock to these out-of-the-way venues for a chance to shift their focus, get a change of pace and have some fun.

Retreating to a rural setting helps to screen out distractions. "People really are getting away from the hectic everyday and constant interruptions," says Jeanne Bennett, sales director for the Artists Colony Inn in Nashville. She describes what meeting planners at many rural venues observe: "We see a lot of repeat corporate business, so I'm guessing their work here is very focused and productive. Best of all, when they're not working, they can socialize together in a more intimate setting."

Following are just a few of the many prime places for out-of-the-way meetings in Indiana.

INDIANA STATE PARK INNS

The Indiana state park system offers many different inns and other venues such as cabins, dormitories and enclosed shelters for day-long meetings at locations around the state. The accommodations range from simple to sophisticated. When planning a meeting to be held within the state park system, meeting planners need to visit the site to find out where accommodations are located on the property--are they deep or public? When were they built, and for what purpose? "Find out everything you can about the site," advises Becky Weber, spokesperson for the Indiana state Park inns.

Meeting planners also need to find out what there is to do on-site, because the activities offered at different state parks vary widely. The Potawatomi Inn and Restaurant at Pokagon, State Park near Angola, for example, rests on a 1,203-acre wooded site. Nine years ago, the inn was expanded to hold 142 overnight rooms and a full-service conference center. Recreational activities at the park include a nature center, hiking trails, paved bike trails, boat rentals and a saddle barn for guided horseback rides. In winter, the park operates one of three refrigerated toboggan slides in the nation. The park also maintains cross-country skiing trails. Pokagon State Park is located on the shores of Lake James and Snow Lake.

Within the state park system, there are six other inns, including the Abe Martin Lodge in Nashville, Canyon Inn in Spencer, Clifty Inn in Madison, Spring Mill Inn in Mitchell, Turkey Run Inn in Marshall, and The Fort Golf...