Organizing a corporate retreat means more than just finding a suitable location. You also have the responsibility of ensuring your teams have enough to keep them occupied and entertained.
A strong package of activities can lead to effective team-building sessions, stronger bonds, and time for employers to relax on their own. Here are some examples of activities to talk about with corporate retreat planners for your next trip.
1. A Welcome Party
This is a great place to start when organizing a corporate retreat for your team. Even if the majority of people end up doing their own thing for most of the week, this opening event can bring you all together. The party can be a chance to celebrate successes or drown your sorrows if projects didn’t go to plan. The point is that you can do it as a team.
When you choose your corporate retreat location, you can check the fine print to see what’s on offer regarding catering, drinks packages, and entertainment. How much is provided with the booking and how much do you need to provide yourself? This includes any sort of sound system for karaoke.
2. Team Building Exercises
With the welcome event out the way and the whole team a lot more relaxed about the week ahead, you can start on some activities. The word team-building does leave some employees with shivers down their spines. It’s a bit like the word ice-breaker.
However, the right activity in the right location can make all the difference – especially with this corporate retreat planner. Sports days are popular because it lets departments get competitive with each other.
This is even more fun when there’s volleyball on the beach. City breaks could mean some time together trying not to kill each other in an escape room. Also, scavenger hunts are easy to adapt to different locations, especially large grounds in rural areas.
3. Talks and Guest Speakers
If you want to make the most of having everyone from the office in one location, you can use this for some motivational talks. The best corporate retreats will have conference rooms and other business facilities where you can bring everyone together.
This is great if you have someone special in mind to congratulate the team on their work, or if there is a big announcement about future projects. Still, you need to get the balance right between work, rest, and play.
4. Awards Ceremonies
Another business-themed activity that should be a lot more fun for everyone is an awards ceremony. At the end of the financial year, or during a yearly summer vacation, you can have annual awards. Again, those conference facilities are perfect for this, especially if they have a good AV system for presentations.
Everyone can get an award for something. It could be a big prize for employee of the year, a certificate for special recognition of someone’s work, or a fun trophy for a moment that made people smile. These prizes give participants even more incentive to come to the retreats and a greater sense of satisfaction at the end.
5. Competitive Sports
Aside from the corporate and team-building exercises, there are other ways that sports can bring employees together. A competitive game between friends is a great way to settle debates and get to know people on another level. The type of sports on offer will depend on the facilities and local areas.
Retreats near the water are perfect for swimming and watersports. Some of the rural areas and more high-end resorts may have golf courses attached or close by. There may also be options for a range of ball games, such as tennis courts, softball areas, or just somewhere to throw around a football.
There are plenty of great sports to enjoy on these retreats and if you’ve seen the classic golf course photography, you’ll likely find these golf courses at one of the many hotels that offer corporate stays.
6. Nature Hikes
Another joy of being in these new locations is the chance to get back to nature. It isn’t always easy to make time in green spaces when you work 9-5 in a city. So, a rural or mountain retreat could offer a literal breath of fresh air. Each location is sure to have popular trails nearby that employees can explore at their own pace.
There may also be opportunities to venture out on other modes of transport, such as by bike or on horseback. Look out for retreats with links to local riding schools for group activities.
7. Guided Workshops and Classes
Some of the best corporate retreats also offer the chance to take classes on-site. These valuable workshops can teach employees new skills and help them bond over their achievements. This could be anything from cookery class to creative crafts like art and pottery.
Take the time to go through the brochures of different venues to see what is on offer and how much it costs. An alternative option is to find a retreat in a city with a lot of culture where employees can find these workshops for themselves.
8. Casual Relaxation
Finally, there is the chance to just relax and unwind. These corporate retreats are great social experiences but sometimes guests just want to stop and do nothing. They need that time to step back from all their hard work over the year and recharge. The means of doing so will vary depending on their personalities.
So, it helps to find retreats with plenty on offer. Those with spas and pool facilities are a good starting point. However, many places also offer classes and dedicated spaces for yoga and meditation. This could be just what your team needs to get them in the right frame of mind for the months ahead.
Keep Everyone Happy With A Solid Activities Plan
The important thing to remember here is these retreats need a strong balance of work, rest, and play. There is time to come together as a team and discuss the year and all your achievements. Still, this has to balance out with enough social time enjoying all the fun games and workshops, and enough time recharging in nature and relaxing on the grounds.
The right plan in the right location can make this a reality. So, work carefully with corporate retreat planners and give your team something amazing.
