Team Building & Giving Back

A vibrant and fun city, Milwaukee is home to a variety of team-building opportunities to keep event attendees active and engaged. Visit Milwaukee's convention services team is happy to help coordinate on-site events, off-site activities, or a group volunteer project that your attendees will always remember. And if you're looking to make further impact, Milwaukee has many charitable causes to help your event leave a lasting impression.

Explore on Land

Discovery World, Milwaukee’s interactive science and technology museum, offers a variety of engaging experiences geared to adults, including molecular gastronomy, custom screenprinting, and architectural model making. The S/V Denis Sullivan, a replica of a 3-masted tall ship, docks at Discovery World and offers sails for groups throughout the summer where it’s “all hands on deck.” The group can help raise the sails and climb the rigging in this adventuresome expedition on Lake Michigan.

There are plenty of great options for groups who’d like to explore Milwaukee’s famous brewing culture while in town. A brewery tour is always fun, whether it’s the hilarious tour at Lakefront Brewery, a “beer-in-hand” tour at Milwaukee Brewing Company, or the Sprecher Brewery tour that features both German-style beers and gourmet sodas. Or get active on board the Pedal Tavern, a pedaling pub crawl that travels through the Walker’s Point and Historic Third Ward neighborhoods, while of course stopping for drink specials at popular local watering holes.

Your team can get a taste of Milwaukee with a bus or walking tour by Milwaukee Food & City Tours. From Churches & Chocolate to Tacos & Tequila, there's a delicious (and educational!) option for every group. Or hop in one of City Tours MKE's electric cruisers for a tour of iconic Milwaukee, popular dive bars, and even karaoke in the streets.

Bay View Printing Co

Create

To add a tasty spin to a team-building activity, try a cooking class with a local chef. The popular Milwaukee Public Market, named one of America’s Best Public Markets, offers the chance for groups to learn and eat at team-building cooking classes. You’ll also find custom cooking classes and events in the state-of-the-art event kitchen at Superior Culinary Center. The Boelter Cooking School offers everything from live demos to hands-on classes with Milwaukee's top chefs. Glorioso's Italian Market has been a Milwaukee staple for decades, and their newly renovated Appetito kitchen and event space is the perfect place for your team to gather.

Make your own art at Bay View Printing Company, a historic letterpress print shop and home to popular "Drink & Ink" printing workshops. Comb through antique wooden letterpress pieces to create a one-of-a-kind poster. Or wield a paintbrush at Splash Studio, where your group can follow an expert artist to create a beautiful piece of art.

Make an "only in Milwaukee" souvenir at The Original Cheesehead Factory. A tour of this working factory will show you how the iconic Cheesehead hat (and all its brethren) are made, and your team will have the chance to make their own "cheese" masterpiece!

Get on the Water

If your group is more active, give them a chance to see Milwaukee from a whole new perspective: the river! Milwaukee Kayak Company provides a great way for small groups to have fun exploring the city. Rent single or tandem kayaks and receive a map to Milwaukee’s diverse waterways.

Milwaukee is also home to the nation’s only “pub crawl by boat,” presented by Riverwalk Boat Tours and Rentals, so you can get on the water and explore local microbreweries. And the Pedal Tavern's sister, the Paddle Tavern, will get your attendees out pedaling up and down the river, making pit stops at riverfront bars.

group of friends playing shuffleboard

Play

Rent out your own throwing lane and let off some steam as the axes fly at Axe MKE, or visit NorthSouth Club for a combination of axe throwing and shuffleboard. Bounce Milwaukee is an all-ages playzone that easily transforms into your own personal playland. From laser tag to rock climbing to inflatable Sumo suit battles, your attendees will love the opportunity to cut loose.

CMP Tactical Lazer Tag turns laser tag into a real-life video game. Get your team communicating and working together with missions like defusing bombs, capturing enemy zones, and more.

Looking for mini golf? It's golfing weather all year at Nine Below, where your group can create your own custom holes for a one-of-a-kind round. Or check out the world's only mechanized team sport - WhirlyBall!

Let WCF Corporate Events create an exciting custom teambuilding program for your event. From their award-winning Team Challenge program to scavenger hunts, summer picnics, tournaments and more, these events will have your team energized and interacting.

performers on stage looking energetic in scene

Giving Back

Community service projects give you a chance to bring a team together and help the local community at the same time. Recently, groups in Milwaukee have built bikes to donate to the Boys and Girls Club, participated in park clean-ups, and helped build houses for Habitat for Humanity.

There are so many ways to get involved in the Milwaukee community during your visit. If you are interested in pursuing a community service project during your event, our convention services team would be happy to help coordinate the project for your group.

Below are some additional charitable organizations to consider partnering with while you're in Milwaukee:

  • The Salvation Army helps to reduce homelessness through programs like emergency lodging and housing, children's development, medical clinics and community outreach programs.
  • Hunger Task Force is Milwaukee's free and local food bank and anti-hunger advocate.
  • United Performing Arts Fund, Inc. is an umbrella nonprofit organization that raises funds to support 15 of Southeastern Wisconsin’s most prominent performing arts groups including First Stage, Florentine Opera Company, Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and Skylight Music Theatre.
  • The Urban Ecology Center fosters ecological understanding as inspiration for change, neighborhood by neighborhood.