The job just keeps getting better. Bright and early Tuesday morning I headed north for our annual corporate leadership retreat. I'd heard a lot about the venue - folks at athena talk about Point Lookout in the way that the Vikings probably referred to Valhalla. It exceeded my expectations. Brief story:
In the 1990s, when it was the biggest credit card company in the world, MBNA purchased a bunch of land on a small mountain overlooking Penobscot Bay in Maine (overlooking North Haven and a bunch of other islands, coincidentally enough). They put roughly $170 million into building a beautiful corporate retreat and conference center on roughly 450 acres of mountain woods, with more than 100 individual cabins, multiple function areas, a huge fitness center, restaurant, complete bowling alley and arcade, and tons of beautiful hiking trails. MBNA used the facility to woo potential clients and business partners. They did it up right.
Then came the crash, and suddenly MBNA was no more. MBNA sold the property at a bargain basement price to a retirement community company, which tried to run it as a commercial concern and failed quickly. One of its few customers was athenahealth, who saw an opportunity to grab a really unique asset and turn it into something really special. Bargain basement turned to fire sale, and long story short athena owns its own resort in Maine.
Check it out here. The company subcontracts operation of the property, which is still available to other companies and to individual guests. But we also use it at every opportunity.
The place is just spectacular, and so much fun. Really great two and a half days. A few iphone photos:
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| View from the summit facility |
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| My cabin |
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| Reception hall |
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| As a "leadership exercise," we build a frisbee golf course |
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| Astroturfed, heated field |
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| Bowling alley |
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| Morning trail run |
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| Payoff to the morning trail run - mountain pond |
Best time I've ever had at a work function, without a doubt... but it was still good to get home to my girls.
