Natural Alignment
North of Boston in coastal Ipswich, Massachusetts, Castle Hill on the Crane Estate is a meetings destination for the ages. Commanding a hill overlooking sandy Crane Beach and the Atlantic Ocean, the property’s origins date back to 1637. It features the 59-room Stuart-style Great House (1928) and, for overnight stays and meetings, the historic 10-room Inn at Castle Hill, a luxurious conversion of a mid-1800s farmhouse-turned cottage.
Natural features of the estate include hiking trails and private beach access, and it is classified as one of 116 “reservations” across Massachusetts managed by the Boston-based Trustees of Reservations, the state’s largest conservation and preservation organization. “The Trustees was founded in 1891 by landscape architect and land preservation pioneer Charles Eliot to save and share places of exceptional scenic, natural, and cultural significance for the benefit of the public,” explains CEO Barbara Erickson.
That charter is one influential factor among several that brings New England Biolabs back to the property again and again for gatherings that include focused executive retreats, small corporate outings, and seasonal parties. “The Trustees’ mission is consistent with our core value of environmental stewardship,” says James V. Ellard, CEO of the leading biotech firm, founded in the mid-1970s. “We continuously strive for improvement in our business processes in order to minimize and, where possible, mitigate our impact on the environment. It feels good to hold events at a venue run by an organization that appreciates and shares our passion to tread lightly on our planet.”
Accessibility and convenience are also natural draws—the company, also in Ipswich, is headquartered some six miles away—along with an environment conducive to results.
“We have held corporate retreats for 12 or fewer people in the Tavern meeting room at the Inn,” Ellard says. “This venue offers both a quiet space for focused conversation and creative collaboration, as well as access to the entire Castle Hill property, where the beach, surrounding natural landscapes and salt marsh offer miles of conservation land to explore and enjoy during downtime. Meetings here are always productive and the relaxed setting certainly helps people bond over shared experiences and mutual admiration for nature.”
The “Gatsby-esque” Great House, with its half-mile-long, tree-lined lawn, “offers an ideal setting for corporate functions and events such as our annual holiday party,” Ellard adds. “We have yet to find any venue that compares to Castle Hill on the Crane Estate.”
For executive meetings, as for real estate, location is everything.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
