Doug Arbogast is an adjunct faculty member of Bridgemont Community and Technical College and Principal of Travel Green Appalachia. He promotes authentic and sustainable travel experiences in Appalachia on his blog – www.travelgreenappalachia.com.
I was fortunate to be a participant in a working retreat at Opossum Creek Retreat last week. The retreat brought in faculty and staff from Bridgemont Community and Technical College in Montgomery, WV to refine and refocus their Sustainability Awareness Training curriculum.
In order to practice what we preach, we looked for a locally owned and operated venue suitable for a group of 10-20 to do some brainstorming for a few days. Geoff and Keith graciously offered to host our retreat and provide food for the group at a price comparable to the chain hotel options we considered.
Here’s why you too should consider Opossum Creek Retreat for your next corporate retreat:
- First Class Service
Warm cookies awaiting us on arrival, attention to every detail, logo mugs and stickers, and a guided tour of the property show that they truly care about and appreciate each guest. - Craftsmanship
Hand crafted cabins from locally milled timber where each piece of wood, from the trim to the tables, has a story. - Ownership
I doubt you’d find the owners of any chain hotel awake before you are making your breakfast. - Buy Local
Leakage occurs when the dollars you spend leak out of the community. OCR is locally owned and operated. At OCR the dollars you spend trickle down to other community businesses they support like West Virginia Fruit and Berry Sparkling Cider, Happy Trails Café, Red Roof Farm Jam, and Blue Smoke Salsa. - Farm to Table
Get to know the chickens that laid the eggs you ate for breakfast.
One of Your Personal Chefs
According to the 350 Project:
*When you spend $100 in a national chain only $43 stays in the community. The rest leaks out to the national headquarters or suppliers which are located elsewhere.
*When you spend the same $100 in a locally owned, independent business $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures.
We ventured into downtown Fayetteville, WV and put more of our money into the community by enjoying some handcrafted pizza and local brews at Pies and Pints.
If you consider the impact of your business (or leisure) trips and not only the ability to accomplish the goals of your retreat but also the quality of the experience then I encourage you to seek out venues like OCR for your next retreat.
Check out the OCR Facebook page for testimonials from some of the retreat participants.
Oh, and did I mention what its like to sit in a hot tub in the cool winter air, under a clear night sky, filled with stars and void of light pollution after a full day of meetings?