A productive company retreat can have long-lasting benefits for everyone involved. A great corporate retreat fosters connections between employees, inspires brainstorming, strengthens company culture, and gives morale a healthy boost.
As you plan your next company retreat, try these tips for making the event as effective and engaging as possible.
Include Fun Activities
Creativity is essential when planning a great corporate retreat. Think outside of the box and include fun activities that your employees will actually enjoy. When your team is having fun, the retreat is much more likely to be successful. For example:
Begin with a welcome party
Visit an escape room
Schedule a city walking tour
Go hiking or kayaking
Plan a night of karaoke or board games
Hire Catering
When planning a company retreat, don’t forget to consider meals. Rather than leaving employees to find their own food during the trip, consider hiring catering. Your employees will appreciate the convenience—plus, good food puts most everyone in a great mood, setting the tone for the rest of your event. Reach out to invitees early in the planning process to find out about allergies or dietary restrictions so you can coordinate with the caterer ahead of time.
Customize the Venue
As you’re planning a staff retreat, engage your employees by customizing the venue. Reach out to the venue early to have them incorporate your company’s logo and colors into your event setup. If you start your company retreat with a welcome party, use streamers, tablecloths, and decor in your company colors to build excitement.
It's also a great idea to order branded favor bags for your employees to take home after the event. Include items inside that are actually useful—not junk that add to desk clutter.
Add Company-Specific Activities
As you plan your event’s agenda, add company-specific activities to the schedule. Create custom presentations and videos to inspire your employees. Consider recording a kickoff video from the CEO explaining your projected goals for the retreat, or ask senior staff members or guest experts in your company’s field to serve as speakers.
Talks on leadership skills, advancement opportunities, and developments in the field all make great presentation topics. You can also add excitement when planning a staff retreat by scheduling fun company-related activities, like a trivia night based on facts about the company or an awards night for your employees.
Plan Pre- and Post-Event Check-Ins
When planning a corporate retreat, don’t just think about the event itself. You should also plan to check in with your employees before and after the event. Give plenty of notice to invitees prior to the retreat with information, including travel accommodations, an itinerary, and an easy way to RSVP. After the retreat, solicit feedback from employees about what they enjoyed and what could be improved to make future retreats even better.
Choose a Great Location
One of the most important parts of planning a staff retreat is choosing a venue. It’s essential to find a convenient location with all of the amenities you need to make your corporate retreat a success. Located in downtown St. Cloud, The Regency has a variety of amenities that make it a great choice for planning your corporate retreat. We have a sleek, industrial aesthetic that’s perfect for executive events. Whether you have a select guest list or are a large company looking to host multiple teams, we can accommodate small get-togethers in our bar area and meetings for up to 350 team members.
We are fully set up with presentation equipment, can accommodate live entertainment, and are dedicated to meeting your specific layout and catering needs. Reach out today to find out how we can make your staff retreat as engaging and memorable as possible.