A Great Iceland Adventure – OpFocus’ 2015 Company Retreat

[fullwidth backgroundcolor=”” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”0px” paddingright=”0px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]Each year at OpFocus we pull our entire team together for a few days of learning, fun and adventure.  At our core we value continued education as well as the importance of strong personal bonds between team members.  Past retreats have included time spent at Fenway Park, Massachusetts seacoast, Bermuda, Phillips Academy in Andover, and the White Mountains of NH.  In setting a significant growth goal for 2014, we announced to the team that its achievement would send the team to Reykjavik in 2015.  After considerable planning we mobilized and flew the team in on Saturday September 26, 2015.

Photos from Our Iceland Adventure (click to see full size):[/fusion_text][/fullwidth][images picture_size=”auto” lightbox=”yes” class=”” id=””][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/team-photo-at-blue-lagoon-better-1024×683.jpeg” alt=”OpFocus Team at Blue Lagoon, Iceland”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/hotdogstand-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Bæjarins Bestu Hot Dog Stand, Reykjavik”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/hotdogs-1024×683.jpg” alt=”World Famous Bæjarins Bestu Hot Dogs”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/rift-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Thingvellir National Park”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/Thingvellir-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Thingvellir National Park – In Between Tectonic Plates”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/rainbow-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Icelandic Rainbow”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/megan-at-geysir1-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Megan at Geysir 1″][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/megan-at-geysir2-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Megan at Geysir 2″][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/awaitinggeysir-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Awaiting Geysir”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/roadhouse-lunch-683×1024.jpg” alt=”Skjòl Cafe Lunch”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/Buggy-Gear-768×1024.jpg” alt=”Preparing for our 4WD Buggy Offroading”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/shane-dressed-for-buggy-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Ready for Buggy Ride”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/lunar-buggy-landscape-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Amazing Icelandic Landscape during 4WD Buggy Ride”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/group-shot-at-waterfall-1024×683.jpg” alt=”OpFocus Team at Gulfoss Waterfall, Iceland”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/eating-out-in-reykjavik-group-Sun-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Eating out in Reykjavik”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/dinner-in-reykjavik-sun-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Eating out in Reykjavik”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/dinner-in-reykjavik2-Sun-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Eating out in Reykjavik”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/harpa-from-outside-1024×683.jpeg” alt=”Day 1 of Training, at Harpa Concert Hall”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/david-presenting-at-harpa-1024×683.jpg” alt=”David Presenting at Harpa, Reykjavik”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/laughing-in-iceland-1024×683.jpg” alt=”OpFocus in Training at Harpa”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/lunch-at-harpa-1024×683.jpg” alt=”Lunch at Harpa”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/Touring-Harpa-768×1024.jpg” alt=”Touring Harpa”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/tour-of-harpa-683×1024.jpeg” alt=”Harpa’s Incredible Architecture”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/dinner-in-reykjavik-Mon-1024×683.jpeg” alt=”Dinner in Reykjavik”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/dinner-in-reykjavik-2-Mon-1024×683.jpeg” alt=”Dinner in Reykjavik”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/exiting-bus-at-blue-lagoon-1024×683.jpeg” alt=”Exiting Bus at Blue Lagoon”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/walking-lava-field-to-blue-lagoon-1024×683.jpeg” alt=”Walking Lava Field to Blue Lagoon”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/jarin-presenting-at-blue-lagoon-1024×683.jpeg” alt=”Jarin Presenting at Blue Lagoon”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/claudia-speaking-at-blue-lagoon-683×1024.jpeg” alt=”Claudia Speaking at Blue Lagoon”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/group-at-blue-lagoon-conference-room-1024×683.jpeg” alt=”OpFocus at Blue Lagoon Conference Room”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/view-from-blue-lagoon-conference-room-balcony-1024×683.jpeg” alt=”View from Blue Lagoon Conference Room Balcony”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/toast-at-Blue-Lagoon-Lava-restaurant-1024×683.jpeg” alt=”Final Toast at Blue Lagoon Lava Restaurant”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/OpFocus-Iceland-2015-Fleece.jpg” alt=”OpFocus Iceland 2015 Fleece”][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://opfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/Greenland-From-the-Air-1024×768.jpg” alt=”Greenland from the Air”][/images][fusion_text]OpFocus 2015 Team Retreat Itinerary:

Day 1 – Saturday

The team arrived at Keflavik Airport late in the evening, and immediately boarded a bus to Reykjavik.  After checking in to the classy and central Hotel Borg, we headed out on the town to sample the delights at the Bæjarins Bestu hot dog stand.  Some team members stayed out on the town, while others prepared for an early start to the Golden Circle tour on Sunday.

Day 2 – Sunday

On our private bus we toured Thingvellir National Park, Geysir geothermal area, and the Gulfoss Waterfall.  Mid day we stopped in at Skjòl Cafe for lunch, and headed out on an amazing 4WD buggy tour offroading in the Icelandic highlands.  We wrapped up an incredible day with an even more incredible dinner at Grillmarkaðurinn.

Day 3 – Monday

After breakfast at Hotel Borg, we walked over to a private conference room in the stunning architecture of Harpa Concert Hall for a full day of internal team training.  We toured the incredible building, including quick stops in three of its four performance halls (my favorite is Eldborg, which is sheathed in red maple, resembling the inside of a volcano).  After a great day of learning we headed to an even better dinner at Fish Company a few blocks away.  We had hoped to head out late to see the northern lights, but as often happens in Iceland, the weather had other ideas with a thick evening cloud cover.

Day 4 – Tuesday

Our final day in Iceland started with breakfast and a drive to the stunning Blue Lagoon, or Bláa Lónið, as it is known to the locals.  We had a private room in which to conduct a half day of training, followed by a delicious lunch and final toast in the Lava Restaurant.  We ended our tour in this incredible country with a relaxing swim in the warm waters prior to heading back to Keflavik and home.

Many thanks to Caryn Saitz of Global Corporate Retreats for putting together an amazing itinerary for our adventure! If I were to change one detail, I wish I had thought to meet up with a Reykjavik Salesforce User Group while in town.[/fusion_text]