Corporate away days and retreats offer a unique opportunity for teams to break away from their usual work environment and foster stronger relationships. In a 2021 survey, 82% of workers said they wanted their workplace to provide more frequent team-building events.
As experts in event management and venue finding, we understand the importance of selecting the perfect setting to create a friendly atmosphere that inspires creativity and conversations:
Escaping monotony
One of the main advantages of corporate away days and retreats is the chance to escape day-to-day, monotonous work. By putting team members in a new and exciting environment, away from their normal office, participants can relax. This can lead them to develop an open mindset encouraging them to build and work on relationships.
Inspiring collaboration
Also, it’s not just individual connections they help. Corporate away days and retreats provide the ideal platform for teams to come together and collaborate. Through team-building activities, workshops, and shared experiences, individuals can get to know each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and communication styles. This understanding promotes trust, improves cooperation, and strengthen the team dynamic.
Usually in an office setting, interactions between team members are often limited to work-related discussions or their weekend plans. However, away days and retreats offer a more informal environment encouraging in-depth conversations and social interactions.
Whether it’s during team meals, fun team building activities, or downtime, these relaxed interactions allow team members to connect on a personal level and build stronger relationships beyond the day-to-day work chat.
Creativity
This extra experience to travel can be seen as a perk to many team members. So much so, that in a Hilton Hotels survey, it was reported that 65% of millennial participants consider work travel to be a benefit and a signifier of importance in their company. This can play a large part in attracting candidates in recruitment and retaining employees.
So, corporate away days and retreats have longer lasting benefits than just getting people out of the office. If that’s not enough to warrant a retreat, look at the facts. We also hear clients say they feel more creative during corporate trips – people have the opportunity to build strong relationships, while becoming more creative, too.
How we can help
Here at Bien Venue, we match the right venue to the specific objectives and requirements of each corporate away day or retreat. By carefully considering aspects such as location, facilities, and atmosphere, we ensure that the chosen venue is the perfect set-up for successful team building.
From secluded countryside retreats to modern conference centres, the venue choice is integral in creating an atmosphere that encourages connections and cooperation.
Activities to suit your away day
Away days with a twist
Why not organise meetings and conferences for the mornings and an exciting activity in the afternoon? To keep attendees motivated and excited for the rest of their day, consider planning a BBQ, party, themed evening, or a mini festival. These are all perfect for late-summer afternoons.
Something a bit different
To wow guests, plan something out-of-the-ordinary. Activities include indoor sky-diving, flash mob dances, or even duck herding. This will keep guests talking about the retreat long after it’s over.
An example of this is zorbing. Zorbing is a fun recreational team building activity that takes place outdoors in most weather conditions. Individuals in their zorb ball challenge themselves to roll down the hill or on water.
During winter, team members can ski on snow inside the inflatable ball. This activity is simple but engaging. The inflated balls air-cushion the riders from impact. However, for safety against suffocation, this activity can’t last too long. The recommended length of time is between 10-30 minutes.
Putting mental health first
As mental health is becoming more important, host a wellness retreat where individuals can relax and rejuvenate. Consider activities like group meditation or yoga that will create stronger relationships between the group and leave everyone feeling at ease.
An example of a slightly different activity to benefit mental health is tea tasting. Tea tastings aim to bring teams together to sample a variety of calming teas, while learning interesting facts about their histories and preparation. This activity places a lot of emphasis on relaxation and mindfulness and manages to be memorable and unique without straying into expensive or inconvenient territory.
It has been found that the tea plant’s interaction with humans’ brains leads to a feeling of relaxation without drowsiness making it perfect for a mental health retreat.
So, if you’re planning your next corporate away day or retreat, don’t underestimate the power of a well-chosen venue. Get in touch with us if you’d like to book any away days or retreats and we will find the perfect venue for you.