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Why Effective Offsite Meetings are Your Business’s Superpower

Effective offsite meetings are your company’s ticket to a simultaneous productivity boost, morale makeover, and big picture planning extravaganza. It’s an appealing proposition, when there’s only so much excitement the office conference room, Teams or Zoom can provide. The same four walls, the predictable interruptions (“You’re on mute!”), and the Evri delivery guy crashing the party on cue. It’s not exactly the stuff of breakthroughs.


On the other hand, effective offsite meetings are your team’s very own day out to plot world domination or just try and nail Q1 targets.


And here’s how to uplevel your offsite meetings to the events everybody’s raving about.

A mixed group of businesspeople dong a group high five over a desk with open laptops and paper work.

What’s the Big Deal About Offsite Meetings?


How long’s a piece of string? Let’s talk about why effective offsite meetings are SO worth it:


·       Fresh perspectives - A change of scenery sparks new ideas (and means no one’s tempted to “just check my emails”).

 

·       Undivided attention - No phones buzzing. No colleagues popping in. Just the team and the topics under discussion.

 

·       Community spirit - Sharing goals (and good times) helps the crew bond.

 

·       Efficiency overload - Condense multiple meetings into one productive day.

 

·       Morale Magic - Who doesn’t love a bit of quality time away from the grind?

 

But you need the ideal backdrop to achieve these noble objectives.


Find the Right Venue to Host Effective Offsite Meetings


The venue is your stage. Get it wrong, and your offsite meeting might fizzle out faster than a dodgy karaoke. But that needn’t happen when you stick to a few simple, common-sense rules:


·        Location, Location, Location - Somewhere convenient but not too close to the office. You’re escaping, not just moving next door.

 

·        Room to breathe - Ensure there’s space for mingling, brainstorming and the occasional stretch.

 

·        Fuel their fervour - Nobody wants a hangry team. And anyway, food and drinks are a vibe rather than just fuel when it comes to effective offsite meetings.

 

·        Reliable tech - Your venue needs to be plug-and-play ready, from reliable WiFi to HD screens.

 

·        Accessibility and inclusion - Easy parking, clear signage, and facilities that accommodate everyone’s specific needs are non-negotiable.

Two young businesswomen and a young businessman chatting and lauging at the coffee station at an offsite meeting.

Plan with Purpose (and a Pinch of Fun)


Think of great offsite meetings as part strategy, part bonding session. So, it’s vital to strike the right balance:


·       Set clear goals - Knowing what you want to achieve gives the meeting structure and purpose.

 

·       Break the ice - Trivia, team challenges, or even company Pointless can work wonders.

 

·       Design a flexible agenda - Chase Warrington, Head of Remote at Doist stated in his Nine Steps For Creating Successful Remote Team Offsite Meetings for Forbes: “The real magic happens where organic conversation can lead to incredible breakthroughs and long-term relationships are built. We actually struggle to find work activities that we couldn’t do better in a virtual and asynchronous environment, so I recommend avoiding the inclination to overplan.”


Make a Lasting Impression


Remember, offsite meetings should blend work and play. So, don’t forget the play bit. You can successfully incorporate it with elements like:


·        Themes and souvenirs - Inject personality with a theme and some meaningful company-branded goodies. For example, how about gloves and scarves if it’s the middle of winter?

 

·        Team building activities - Think escape rooms, bowling, or bandeoke. The winner gets bragging rights (and maybe a cheeky prize).

 

·        Downtime = gold - Build in moments to relax, chat, and let ideas flow naturally.


Keep Momentum Alive


Truly effective offsite meetings don’t end when the last PowerPoint slide closes. On the contrary, they’re just the beginning. This means pre-planning how you’re going to:


·        Document the genius - Capture ideas, decisions, and next steps so nothing gets lost.

 

·        Follow up wins - Schedule a quick regroups to share results and feedback.

 

·        Celebrate progress - Acknowledge milestones achieved to keep energy levels up.

A team of young businesspeople clapping with raised arms at effective offsite meetings.

Make the Meeting Magic Happen


Ultimately, effective offsite meetings are your opportunity to reset, recharge, and reignite the team’s passion. But what if sourcing the perfect venue and suppliers feels like one spreadsheet too many?


The Venue Hunters have your back, whether you’re after countryside idyll or a cool city hotspot. Our FREE venue finding service will find you a venue so ideal it’ll feel like destiny (or at least really good planning).


Are we doing this? Contact us today.

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