Talking at a Wall Street Journal conference in 2021, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff shared his desire to buy a private ranch for his employees. The ranch would work as a permanent retreat for his employees. According to Marc, he wanted this practice to become a part of the company culture.
Some reports estimate that Molly Yeh’s net worth could be as high as $10 million, making her one of the most successful food bloggers in the world.
Mind Share Partners’ 2021 Mental Health at Work Report, three-quarters of U.S. full-time workers reported at least one mental health condition symptom in 2020. On top of that, many workers suffer physical exhaustion too. Thus comes the need to allow your employees to relax and refresh themselves once in a while, which you can achieve through a simple corporate retreat.
Having said all that, let’s dive into some of the things you must do when planning a corporate retreat for your employees.
#1 Start by Deciding on a Time and Venue
When you’re planning a corporate retreat for your employees, the first step is deciding on the time and location.
Many companies choose to hold their retreats during the summer months when everyone is free of school or work obligations, but this isn’t always possible. If you can’t find a date that works for everyone, you may have to consider holding your retreat at an off-site location.
You’ll also want to decide whether or not you want to rent out an entire hotel or resort or just use a few meeting rooms. This will depend on how many employees are coming and how big of a space you need.
#2 Get a Head Count on Everyone Who’s Going
When planning a corporate retreat, one of the first things you should do is get a head count on everyone who will be attending. You should also include spouses and family members of employees who are attending the retreat. This will help you plan for appropriate transportation and lodging, as well as meals.
You’ll also want to make sure that your employees know about the date, time, and location of your retreat so they can book off work in advance if necessary.
#3 Order Custom-Designed T-Shirts for Everyone Going
In addition to the fun activities you’ll have planned for your corporate retreat, another great way to get your employees excited about the trip is by ordering custom-designed T-shirts for everyone going. It’s a great way to personalize the experience and show them how much you care about helping them grow as individuals.
The best part? You can order these unique shirts online, which makes it easy for the employees to get them shipped directly to their houses.
Just make sure the t-shirts are of high quality. That means you have to ensure a good quality that offers vibrant colors and graphics. For that, ensure that the manufacturer uses a heat transfer printer for printing the t-shirt graphics. A heat transfer laser printer offers a heat press that can guarantee good quality and durability. Your employees can wear these printed t-shirts for a long time without worrying about the print getting ruined.
#4 Put Someone In-Charge of Food and Drinks
Food and drinks play a huge role in any corporate retreat. You don’t want to have your employees leave feeling hungry or thirsty. You want them to leave feeling satisfied, refreshed, and ready to get back to work. If you’re planning a company retreat, you’ll want to put someone in charge of food and drinks so that they can take care of all the planning.
This person should be responsible for making sure that everyone is fed and hydrated throughout the day. Their job should also be to make sure that sufficient food and drinks are available for everyone during the trip.
#5 Book Your Transportation and Accommodation
When planning a corporate retreat, you’ll want to ensure that your employees have the best possible experience. Booking transportation and accommodation is an important part of that.
Choosing the right transportation means ensuring that your employees will be able to get where they need to go with ease. You may want to consider booking buses or vans for your employees if you’re planning on traveling long distances or if it’s going to be a group trip for all of your employees.
Accommodation is another important aspect of planning a corporate retreat. If possible, try booking hotels or resorts that offer meeting space so that when it comes time for meetings and training sessions during the retreat, everything will be ready for you when you arrive.
Accommodation costs for various hotels, resorts, and theme parks in the U.S. are increasing. USA Today recently reported that Disney World ticket prices have increased.
Price hikes are also being seen across many other locations where you can plan retreats and employee get-togethers. Therefore, never wait to book your accommodation or retreat spot. The longer you wait, chances are high the prices will go up.
#6 Prepare a List of Games and Activities for Employees to Stay Engaged in
When planning a corporate retreat, one of the most important things you can do is make sure your employees are engaged and having fun. There are many ways to accomplish this, but the most effective way is by providing a wide range of activities for them to participate in.
You may think that it’s easier to just let them choose what they want to do, but you’ll find that this approach can lead to a lot of downtime for your employees as they wait for others to join them.
Instead, make sure you’ve prepared a list of games and activities that will keep everyone busy throughout the day.
By the time you reach the end of this list, you will have planned the perfect corporate retreat for your employees.
