Planning a Successful, Fun and Productive Company Retreat

Company retreats have changed so much over the last few decades. Instead of the old vacation retreat, companies are taking this chance to be more productive, create morale and meaningful relationships in the workplace.

How do you plan a company retreat? Planning your company retreat alone will probably give you a headache. Retreats take a lot of to research and plan, and we have not even gone into the presentation and final decision making.

Once you set the location, creating the major plan, booking your rooms and curating all the meals, events and activities will take even more time.

The success of your retreat will depend on the time and care you take during the planning because it is the foundation of the event. To get the most out of your retreat, you have to create a detailed retreat plan.

Here are some steps to take when planning your company retreat:

What is the main purpose of the retreat?

One of the most important steps is of planning a successful retreat is knowing the main purpose. From the beginning, you should be very clear about the main reason behind the retreat and the gal and problems you want to address by the end of the event,

You should let everyone know the main purpose of the retreat; whether you are looking to bring the office together to improve relationships in the work environment or looking for a changed environment, a new creative space or just to have a break and some fun away from all the hard work at the office. Ultimately, the goal of the retreat will control and dictate the entire event.

Retreats are not only fun and games – know the purpose and work towards that too

It is not a surprise that many retreats have failed to achieve all the benefits because they do not have a predetermined agenda and set objectives. Having the goals and objectives will help you address all the problems.

This is probably the best time to identify, discuss and eliminate the existing issues in the corporate environment. You should try and set this up before the retreat just so you can exhaust all points and let the retreat members before. This is a great way to curb communication gabs between workmates and boost productivity in the workplace.

Stay Focused

One common mistake people face when planning a retreat is having very unrealistic expectations. Do not try to overcompensate in some areas because it will likely result in a failure. No matter how coordinated you are, there is still a limit to how much you can achieve in o little time.

Communicate the Goals to your Team

Make sure you communicate well all your objectives and goes to the team so they won’t have wrong ideas during the retreat. Include everything you should expect from them and what they should expect to learn at the end of the retreat. If you intend to work during the retreat, make sure you mention that so that your co-workers won’t confuse it for a holiday.

Choosing the Date

Just like most events, once you decide on the date, everything should fall into place. the rules for planning a corporate retreat is to pick out a weekend that will not fall into holiday. Set the date of the event a couple of months before the actual event to give you space and time for any changes.

Select a date that will suit or be in line with the calendars of most other members. The duration of the retreat will depend on the purpose as well as the funding. You cannot book a week long retreat if you cannot afford it.

Choosing the Location

The location of the event is as important as the event itself as well as the agenda. You would want to consider the weather, ease of travel as well as the travel budget. Make sure you set clear guidelines on the mode of travels and if anyone is allowed to bring an extra to the event.

Special Guests

As per your agenda, you should take care of the invitations to the retreat. The people you invite will depend solely on the purpose and main goals of your retreat. Hire skilled facilitators and speakers who specialize in retreats and similar events. They have more expert knowledge when it comes to dealing with large groups of people. Ensure they are both well briefed and have worked in that field multiple times.

This is another big step you can take while planning to get the most out of the retreat. Once you have set the date and a location, it’s time to book the hotel and the flights. This is another stressful part of planning for the retreat. Call different lodging services to enquire if they can handle accommodating large groups of people simultaneously and see how much they will charge you for the event.

Send the formal invitations to all respective guest speakers and facilitators as well as the employees through email. Ask then to reserve a spot for the retreat while you still have time on your hands.

NB; the presence of high-ranking members of the company is highly crucial to the success of the retreat. Their company encourages a better turnout as well as increase the interest of the attendees and guest speakers.

Plan the Activities of the Retreat

If your retreat is geared towards productivity as well as reward, then you should plan out the event keeping these two factors in mind. You want time for serious business as well as fun activities during the retreat.

Create activities that will bring people together such as tours, physical activities, hikes and dinners. Ignite innovation in your team by planning for fun and competitive events during the trip. Structures team building activities will help you break any communication barriers in the workplace.

Final Word

Company retreats provide opportunity for corporations to bring individuals in the workforce together. This miniature company vacation is meant to help you increase productivity in the workplace by reducing the stress, increasing quality communication, identifying hidden talents in the team as well as boosting the morale and setting conflicts. It is a good time to motivate your employees and take some time to learn a thing or two about them.