Top 10 Creative Ideas for Offsite Meetings
Let’s discuss offsite meetings. Whether you are a small business owner or corporation CEO, you must know the great value of organising regular offsite meetings for your company. Offsite meetings take place outside the office for a day or longer and are great for sharing new ideas, troubleshooting, or bouncing around creative suggestions. According to Harvard Business Review, offsite meetings are the best time to look into the company’s future, discuss goals, make headway on larger projects, or make quarterly plans.
Do you think this is easier said than done? Don’t worry, whether you’re looking for an in-person event or want to organise something for the remote team, we are here to help with the top 10 creative ideas for offsite meetings. Read on to find how you can organise the best offsite meeting for your team.
Are offsite meetings only for work?
Offsite meetings are more than just regular meetings in a different environment. The purpose of an offsite meeting is to get your team energised and excited about their work. It’s time to build a stronger team through bonding activities and team-building games.
And as Martin Reeves, an imagination advocate and CEO of BCG Henderson Institute (BHI), states in his TED talk, play and games are essential in doing business. Playing can get the team’s creative juices flowing and foster new ideas. It’s especially important when trying to drive change within your organisation.
So, if you’re looking for an opportunity to have the best brainstorming session your company has ever seen, and build a stronger team through the process, plan your offsite meeting carefully and incorporate some exciting events. And if you’re looking for the best place to host your team, Tagvenue has the perfect meeting spaces to energise your team.
📖 Wondering how much does it cost to host a meeting in 2023? Check out this guide!
Out-of-the-box ideas for Offsite Meetings
1. Escape the Boring Meeting
An escape room is a great idea if you’re looking for a team building game for your offsite meeting. They are a unique team bonding activity, as team members must work together to solve puzzles and riddles to escape from a closed room. An escape room requires communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills from everyone involved — all while having fun!
This sort of activity encourages participants to work together. Escape rooms feature different themes, but they can be customised if you would like to involve your company’s brand in the experience. They are suitable for small groups or teams of up to 10 people at a time, so they are great for companies of all sizes.
2. Winner Takes it All
A sports tournament is a great way to build team spirit through the power of play. It’s a great way to get your colleagues away from their desks, enjoy an active afternoon together in the fresh air, and inspire friendly competition.
Playing sports together can make team members feel closer with one another as well as improve team rapport. It’s an easy way for people from different departments to interact and get acquainted with one another. Games are also a great way to introduce new people to the team.
With well-selected activities, sports tournaments can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. Competition is an excellent motivator, so make sure you prepare prizes for the winners. Games you can play during a sports tournament include tug-of-war, a three-legged race, badminton, ultimate frisbee (check out the official rules!), beach volleyball, and many more!
The real winner at the end of the day is your team, who will be working together as they never have before!
3. Sing Your Heart Out
Don’t be too quick to dismiss the idea of singing together. When you read about this Oxford study you’ll find out that karaoke is not just a fun activity. It can actually reduce stress and nurture a sense of trust among colleagues. Karaoke allows people from different departments and teams to interact naturally in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.
When immersed in an enjoyable atmosphere, employees can step out of their comfort zone and lose the fear of being judged by others. This sense of freedom can be helpful when conducting work-related tasks. It can be an especially useful activity if you have new team members and are looking for fun icebreaker activities. If the karaoke is accompanied by good drinks (both non- and alcoholic ones) and some tasty snacks, this offsite event is bound to be a blast!
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4. Who’s Game for Some Competition?
Why is a board game tournament a great idea for team bonding? Because it’s super simple to set up and takes just a few minutes to explain the rules. Plus, you get all the benefits of team building. And since there are so many different games you can choose from, each team member will find something that they can enjoy. By building in this element of choice, you are also sure of increasing participation by your team.
Depending on the type of game the team decides to play, team members can build a healthy sense of competition and cooperation as they work together to find the best way to win the game. These activities are also a great way to build your team’s communication skills. This type of activity can be organised any time of the year and requires only tables and chairs, so it’s a great choice for an offsite meeting.
If you’re not sure about what games to play, check out this list of best cooperative board games.
5. Go Out and Do Good
Volunteering for a cause is an amazing way to bond with coworkers. As a team, you can take part in an event that benefits the local community or a charitable organisation your company supports. Volunteering nurtures a sense of giving back to the community and making it a better place. This type of service also strengthens your company’s reputation in the community, helping create a positive image for your brand among potential customers or clients.
Volunteering together as a team helps build trust among coworkers as they learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It also offers them the opportunity to encourage each other to take on challenges they wouldn’t normally do alone. This leads to more open communication within the group and helps build stronger relationships between them.
If you’re unsure where you can get engaged with community service, this website can help you find opportunities to volunteer (US based).
6. The Hidden Gem of Team Bonding
A scavenger hunt is one of the best team building games, as it’s an entertaining way to get your team working together while having fun in the process. To play this game, team members must work together to solve puzzles and find hidden objects.
The best way to play a scavenger hunt is to have at least two groups compete against each other, or, if your team isn’t big enough to be divided into smaller teams, set up a timer so they compete against the clock. There should be a prize at the end to encourage competitiveness.
The fantastic thing about scavenger hunts is that they’re inclusive. Remote team members or those with mobility issues can participate, just make sure to design a game that works for everyone.
With scavenger hunts gaining in popularity, you can use one of the many apps that have been created to help you organise them on your own.
📖 You may also find interesting: How to Hold Effective In-Person Meetings (And Do We Still Need Them?!)
7. Spice Up the Offsite
Preparing food and sharing meals together is an important part of human culture. So why not offer your team a cooking workshop? This is a great way to bring team members together as they sit down to share a meal that they have all prepared. And although the famous phrase says that too many cooks spoil the broth, that’s not the case this time.
Cooking is an incredibly social activity. It’s hard not to talk while you’re working together on something, which means that your team gets a chance to build strong relationships during the process (which is precisely what we want!). And even if some problems arise, it will be a great opportunity to practice conflict resolution and team communication.
Other skills that can be practised while cooking together as a group include setting goals, appointing roles, and allocating tasks, all of which can be applied in the workplace. When you work together in a kitchen, you learn to cooperate and respect one another.
The cool thing about cooking workshops is that you can organise them either in person, hybrid or virtually, which is excellent news for your virtual team.
8. Get Inspired with an Art Day
To boost your team’s creativity and build stronger relationships between team members, a good idea might be to organise the company offsite meeting around art activities. Some ideas for art-focused team building activities include art workshops, such as painting, sculpting, drawing, photography, pottery and many more. These kinds of classes help your employees become more creative individuals and improve their ability to solve problems.
If you’re looking for your team to just have fun and get to know each other better outside the office, you can have them go to a concert or a theatre performance. Now, you don’t have to go all out as Google did, but being a part of even a small local performance can bring people together and allow them to connect on a deeper level through shared experiences and emotions.
9. A Sound Mind in a Sound Body
Wellness workshops are a great way to bring team members together to talk about wellness, health and safety. Wellness programs don’t just help people feel better; they also increase productivity by encouraging workers to take better care of themselves both physically and mentally. They can also help develop a culture of well-being at your company as well.
Wellness workshops can be tailored to various groups within your company, such as specific departments or teams. For example, for a group of young professionals, you might focus on nutrition, exercise and sleep. For senior executives, you might talk about stress management and how to deal with it when managing employees who have high-stress levels.
It is important to learn how to improve your employees’ mental health during regular work hours, and not only during offsite meetings.
10. Make Your Way to a Retreat
Company retreats are a great way for a company to come together and bond. Often, people work together without ever really learning anything about each other. This can lead to some serious issues down the road when team members haven’t built a sense of trust in each other, so their work isn’t as seamless as it could be.
While on the retreat, you can still organise meetings and brainstorming sessions. The new environment and lack of usual distractions can help the team to focus better and encourage brainstorming. Team members will come back from the retreat refreshed and ready to tackle daily challenges with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. A retreat may be an especially good idea if your company hires remote workers, as it allows all the team members to meet in person.
If you’re still not convinced whether the retreat is a good call, read this article to see how many benefits there are to an offsite company retreat.
📖 Struggling with meeting planning? Check out The Ultimate Meeting Planning Checklist for a Productive Event!
Key Takeaways
Now you see that creative offsite meetings can bring real value to your company. They are a great way to spend time with your team, foster team spirit, build up the company culture, and boost team morale.
Offsite meetings allow teams to be productive and creative while fostering a positive work environment. Fun and creative offsite meetings allow for team members to bond in more organic ways and also feel more connected to your organisation.
If your head is already buzzing with ideas for your company’s next offsite meeting, let Tagvenue help find the best venue for it!
FAQ
How do you plan a successful offsite meeting?
A successful offsite meeting has a clear goal, a well-planned agenda, and the right people attending. Setting an objective for the offsite meeting will help you set goals for each discussion. It will also help you in setting an overall plan, as you will see what kind of activities are needed to fulfil those goals. You will also know who must attend to ensure the best results for your company.
How do you make offsite meetings engaging?
To make sure the offsite meeting will not be a waste of time for the attendees, and they will be happy to attend every event you’re organising, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, have a goal for your meeting, so everyone participating knows why they are there. Make the agenda of the offsite meeting available prior to the event so only people truly interested attend it. Lastly, don’t focus just on the work. Incorporate interesting activities so employees are happy to attend them.
What should I discuss in the offsite meeting?
Offsite meetings provide a great opportunity for team members to develop ideas and strategies. That’s why it’s the best moment to look into your company’s future or dedicate the time to work on big projects. You can ask broad-perspective questions like which direction the company should go. You can also focus on more specific or short-term topics, like ideas for your next product launch. If your offsite meeting is directed at team building, it’s still a good chance to talk about company values and topics that strengthen the company culture.
How long should the offsite meeting last?
The length of your offsite depends on your team’s goals and needs. It can take from one day to even a week, depending on what your agenda is. The best offsites last at least two days, as it gives enough time for discussions and brainstorming, as well as team bonding and some break time.
What are the best offsite team building events for introverts?
The key to organising a team building event that introverts will enjoy is to let them know about it beforehand. Prior to the offsite meeting, send out an email with the agenda to let everyone know what you’re planning. The best offsite event ideas for introverts include volunteering, a board game tournament, cooking workshops and escape rooms. If you want to go the extra mile, you can always ask the introverts on your team which one of your ideas would they enjoy doing.
