How to Plan a Business Retreat
A business retreat is an event where colleagues in a company, often management team members, convene at a location away from the company's office to accomplish objectives such as planning, team building, or to reward employees for their dedicated work. Getting away from the office allows team members to develop a fresh perspective on the challenges the company faces, and focus on solutions, without the distractions they face in their day-to-day work routine.
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Instructions
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Decide on the goal. If the retreat is intended to be a kickoff meeting for the annual strategic planning process, the schedule, activities and even the venue may be different from an outing that is intended to be a team building exercise, or one with a primary goal of letting everyone have a good time.
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Determine the budget. Travel cost can be a significant portion of the total budget. Decide whether you want to hold the meeting out of town or book the meeting into a local hotel. Having the retreat at an upscale local hotel can be just as big a treat as booking the meeting in another city.
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Start planning early. Ideally start planning the retreat six months in advance, to minimize the chance of scheduling conflicts among the team members being invited to the retreat. Send a memo to each individual asking them to submit their ideas for activities during the social part of the retreat.
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Select the venue. Make a short list of three to four hotels or resorts that have a combination of meeting facilities, nice accommodations and interesting local attractions or activities. Ask the meetings or events manager at each property to provide a cost estimate. Try to make your decision based on the overall quality of the experience offered, not just the lowest cost.
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Plan the agenda. Provide attendees with an agenda for each day, the mix of business and fun you have planned. If you want them to begin thinking about the topics to be discussed in the meetings, give them a list of specific agenda items to be covered so they will be prepared to contribute.
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Provide activity choices. Some team members might enjoy sightseeing, others might enjoy sports. Providing a range of activities ensures each person has an activity to look forward to. Be creative with your selections. Make sure they are memorable and different from what the team members normally experience.
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Start with a mixer. Plan a cocktail party the night before the actual start of the meetings, or have an informal buffet breakfast by the pool. Use these as a way to minimize tension among the team members and get them in the right frame of mind to contribute ideas and positive energy to the meetings.
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Tips & Warnings
Plan activities that everyone can enjoy and do not require special skills or training. A golf outing can be fun, but management team members who are really poor golfers can be embarrassed by their more skilled peers.
Provide suggested attire for the retreat, so you avoid half of the participants packing office clothes and the other half bringing shorts and bathing suits.
Try not to cut lodging costs by having everyone commute to the meeting rather than staying overnight in the hotel. Part of the reason for the retreat is to allow everyone to escape the confines of their normal routine. This stimulates creativity and new ideas that will be far more valuable than any cost savings you might achieve.
References
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