How to Create a Great Meeting Environment for Offsite

5 Tips to Running a Successful Offsite

Successful company offsites are events that take place outside of your regular office location. They offer a great opportunity to reevaluate high-level goals, strategy, your company’s culture, or your brand identity. They’re popular for businesses of all sizes, including large corporate teams, midsize agencies, and more.

Offsite meetings are incredibly important for giving your team a fresh perspective, boosting employee morale, and opening up opportunities to have meaningful and productive face-to-face interactions. When your team steps outside its usual environment, you get to know one another on a deeper level. Stepping away from your everyday office can also relieve tension and stress.

Prior to COVID, offsites were standard practice for many companies. But during the time of extensive lockdowns, many teams found themselves meeting remotely and craving that in-person interaction. Now that many workplaces have returned to more normal operations, it's an important time for companies to regroup and begin holding special events, including offsite meetings, again.

We’ve gathered some tips to a great offsite to help you with your next strategic event. If you’re ready to host successful corporate offsites in 2024, read on.

1. Ensure that everyone is prepared with their notes and ideas.

Create an agenda and schedule that help you and your team navigate offsite planning, whether it is a one-day or multi-day event. You will need to start planning weeks or months in advance, depending on how in-depth this meeting will be.

Each team member attending should have a copy of the offsite meeting checklist. Ask them to review the agenda and prep for the meeting beforehand, such as compiling notes, ideas, and questions. Now is the time to prepare any department notes, statistics, and similar information you might need.

2. Select a facilitator to run the meeting.

Select a facilitator to help your team stick to the offsite meeting checklist. This point person will have the final say on all major decisions during the event. Having a third-party facilitator is helpful especially when your team needs a morale boost, is undergoing major changes, or is facing challenges involving efficiency, productivity, or effectiveness.

Your facilitator can help guide your team through each stage of offsite planning, providing much-needed clarity and objectivity. They might also be able to help provide insights into issues or circumstances that have been difficult to navigate internally.

3. Have the meeting catered.

If possible, it’s important to keep your entire team on-site and in session for the duration of the event. Leaving for lunch can disrupt the flow you’ve set in motion, and it could throw off your schedule. Provide meals, drinks, plenty of snacks, and breaks to stretch and use the restroom between sessions.

Make sure that coffee, water, and other beverages are also available so that no one loses focus. Well-fed people will be more open-minded and willing to participate for the long haul. Keep 360 degrees of comfort in mind as you set up the event.

4. Plan activities and sessions for the group.

Successful company offsites aren’t all serious, all the time. In fact, planning activities and sessions for the group can alleviate stress and boost morale. While part of offsite planning means focusing on sometimes challenging issues in your company, it also means unwinding together.

Utilize brainstorming tools, such as SCORE or SOAR Analysis, to help you put together the exact plan of action you want your team to follow. But, throw in some fun activities that help loosen up minds and bodies during the day. If your team has been focused on an exceptionally difficult topic, this will be key. The best work teams are well balanced, knowing when to work, when to play, and how to accomplish both well.

Try not to do all the same things you do on a normal day at the office. It’s important to make this a positive, memorable experience that helps you move the needle forward.

5. Ensure that all logistics and materials are covered.

Cover all logistics and materials during your offsite planning process. For example, make sure everyone knows where the offsite is located and that transportation and accommodations are arranged ahead of time, if needed. You’ll also want to check with your team regarding any special dietary requirements they may have so everyone will have plenty to eat during meals and breaks.

Once you’ve arrived at the offsite, ensure your A/V tech works and your meeting site is fully equipped with items such as:

• Food
• Water and Drinks
• Healthy Snacks
• Compostable Plates, Bowls, and Utensils
• Reusable Cups
• Office Supplies (Corporate Notepads, Custom Pens, Sticky Notes, etc.)
• Required Printed Documents

Once you’ve covered your offsite meeting checklist, you should be good to go for a memorable and effective event.

Contact Us at Merchology

Give your successful company offsites a little extra pop by creating custom, logo-branded company swag. A quality custom logo journal, corporate branded pen, or company logo tumbler featuring your logo could add a nice touch to your next corporate event. Call a Merchologist today to get some custom company merch ready for your team’s next offsite!