Company retreats are excellent for bringing team members together and showing appreciation to your hard-working employees. With so many people working remotely these days, it is especially important to build professional relationships among employees.
Planning a company retreat takes a lot of logistical work, but that’s why we’re here! No matter the size of your company, our agents make the process simple for you so the entire team has a good time and can bond and get to know one another.
We’ve outlined five things to consider when planning a company retreat.
Things to Consider When Planning a Company Retreat
1. Keeping a realistic budget in mind
Budgeting for a retreat is important, especially when considering all factors that go into it including flights, accommodation, transportation, team-building activities, venue rental, food and beverage, and more.
Setting a budget from the beginning allows us, your group travel agency, to find a destination that will work for you. Many companies opt for the all-inclusive experience to keep it simple, but for those that want to stay domestic, this may require many moving parts.
But we will let you in on a little secret, we love moving parts! All of our agents are extremely organized and can work to stay within your target budget.
2. Selecting the perfect destination for your team
The point of a company retreat is partly to get your employees excited to come together in one exciting destination. This means you need to choose an exciting destination! We know it’s not quite that easy and you have to keep the needs of your employees in mind, but you want to treat them to something special and we are here to find that special place.
You will also want a destination that combines work with leisure. Company retreats usually include itineraries full of fun team activities such as grape stomping in Napa, California, or a group dinner on board a luxury catamaran sailing the Caribbean.
Therefore, selecting a destination with ample activities available is also an important point to consider. All employees will need passports to host an international company retreat, but if this isn’t feasible, domestic retreats can be just as rewarding.
3. Creating an agenda for the trip
This is especially important if you are planning a retreat with a lot of people. Creating an agenda will keep everyone organized and prepared for all events that you may have planned.
This is also important when it comes to venue rental, A/V equipment usage, planned activities or tours, workshop schedules, and even leisure time. All of these things need to be planned before travel to ensure the whole trip goes smoothly.
Additionally, travelers will appreciate knowing what they’re signing up for. If you plan to have a completely laid-back company retreat where lounging by the pool with fellow employees is the top priority on the agenda, then your work here is done!
4. Handling food and drink
This is arguably the most important aspect of a trip, behind getting everyone there safely. Everyone will need to eat and drink and they will want to enjoy that experience just as much as they enjoy the destination and activities.
If you’re planning a company retreat to an all-inclusive resort or cruise, you will still need to consider banquet services and/or cocktail reception menus if you are planning private group events. This generally comes at an added cost so, again, proper budgeting is essential. Luckily, all other individual meals and drinks are included in the all-inclusive package, so this will give you a break in planning when team members are off enjoying the destination on their own.
Alternatively, if you are planning for a domestic retreat, every meal will need to be taken into consideration—breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks, etc. Menu/bar selection is vital to a successful retreat and part of this process includes making sure there is enough food and drink. Nothing puts a damper on a trip like running out of food or drinks due to poor planning. Luckily, your group travel agent will be able to help you with this entire process and make sure that everyone is well-fed and hydrated.
5. Planning the team-building activities
The entire point of a corporate retreat is to bring all of your employees together, so planning some fun and engaging team-building activities is essential. Some of these activities could include a scavenger hunt, cooking classes, or wine tastings. It can also include exciting excursions such as a balloon ride or horseback riding adventure. You may also want to consider fun, themed parties or a beach bonfire. The possibilities are endless!
Providing these activities, special events, or tours to your team will create memories together that will be shared for many years to come. But do keep in mind that there is such a thing as too many activities. Give your team space to have some leisure time and get to know their fellow employees at their own pace. Your introverted staff will thank you!
Conclusion
Planning a company retreat doesn’t have to be scary… if you have the right team behind you preparing every detail (that’s us!).
A fun company retreat will not only show employees that you value them and the work that they do but creating an opportunity to bond together will also cultivate closeness and friendship within the team, which will undoubtedly pay off well into the future.
