Your next business trip is the perfect excuse to test the boundaries of your remote office

If you’re traveling on business and only seeing the inside of a conference room, you’re just not doing it right. In cities across the country, there are plenty of ways professionals can get the job done while getting a look (or taste) of the destination they’re visiting. To show you how it’s done, we’ve picked five meetings and events that are likely to fill your calendar during a work trip, and matched them with inspired, out-of-the-office locations where your team can stay focused on the mission and see someplace new.

The meeting invite: Brainstorm session

Location: Nashville
Duration: 1.5 hours
Your team is getting together with one mission: Come up with the next big idea. But nothing can stifle creativity faster than a ticking clock inside a stale conference room. So venture out and try a hands-on activity to get your team’s creative juices flowing.

Pro tip: If your business is in Nashville, find inspiration at the iconic Hatch Show Print workshop, where you can take an in-depth look at the poster-printing process. Then use tools of the trade to press and customize your own keepsake poster in the design studio. (Office flair, anyone?)

Let your taste buds run wild at Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market, a great spot for a working lunch. Credit: Reading Terminal Market

The meeting invite: Working lunch

Location: Philadelphia
Duration: 1-2 hours
For a fresh take on where to meet for a mid-business-trip team lunch, opt for foodie central—Reading Terminal Market. One of the oldest and biggest open-air markets in the country offers a variety of sandwiches, local and ethnic fare and baked goods.

Pro tip: Grab a table in the center for a communal Philly feast, or head down Arch Street to Love Park to eat al fresco. You’ll want to Instagram the park’s famed Love sculpture before getting back to work.

The meeting invite: Run-through

Location: Dallas
Duration: 1-2 hours
Everything is bigger in Texas, and AT&T Stadium is no exception. The home field for the Dallas Cowboys boasts numerous bona fides (the world’s largest domed structure, for one). It also hosts a world-class collection of contemporary art. The fusion of energy and art here make the venue an inspired backdrop for a remote meeting, especially a hype session with your team before a major pitch or presentation.

Pro tip: Run through your game plan while taking in bold, provocative works by such artists as Jenny Holzer, Wolfgang Tillmans and Ellsworth Kelly. Make sure to pause at Anish Kapoor’s massive “Sky Mirror” installation, and contemplate all the unlimited possibilities the piece evokes.

When on business in the Big Easy, why grab a cup of stale, break room brew when you can revel in the sugary goodness of beignets and bold N’awlins-style coffee at Cafe du Monde? Credit: New Orleans Covention & Visitors Bureau

The meeting invite: Coffee chat

Location: New Orleans
Duration: 30 minutes
When your colleagues need a midmorning pick-me-up or an afternoon energizer, take a NOLA-style coffee break at Cafe du Monde. The legendary French Quarter coffee stand is known for its chicory-enhanced coffee and deep-fried, sugar-dusted beignets.

Pro tip: Perk up with a cup on the patio and take in the lively atmosphere and local flavor, with street musicians playing jazz and the bustle of nearby Jackson Square and the French Market.

The meeting invite: Post-presentation debrief

Location: Phoenix
Duration: 1 hour
You’ve just taken care of some important business. Sure, you could map out next steps sitting around a table in the conference room, but why not make it a walk-and-talk remote meeting amidst the stunning, inspiring backdrop of the Sonoran Desert? The South Mountain Park and Preserve is one of the largest urban parks in the U.S., encompassing three mountain ranges and dozens of trails.

Pro tip: Discuss the path forward while walking the Judith Tunell Trail, an accessible one-mile paved loop with benches, shaded lookouts and loads of flora and fauna.