Treat your employees to a successful off-site retreat with these tips

 
Many executives would like to host an off-site retreat or meeting — the biggest hurdle can be getting it booked and on the calendar — but they want to be able to maximize the opportunity.
The meeting can’t just be about going to a nice resort and playing some golf. It needs to have an ROI once you get back to the office.
“What we’ve found a lot of times was that, whether it’s a sales meeting or anything like that, when folks are booking events with us, what they’re thinking about in their minds is that they want their team to come back refreshed, with a renewed spirit, and for associates to feel thanked,” says Eric McElhone, director of group sales at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.
That ultimately results in retaining your employees and increasing revenue, he says.
McElhone has seen all kinds of meetings, from a board of director’s retreat to an association’s annual meeting, come through Nemacolin, which just finished a $30 million renovation of its accommodations, meeting and public spaces.
“Corporate events make up 52 percent of our business,” says Chris Plummer, Nemacolin’s general manager. “Therefore, improving our meeting space options and event amenities for our guests were important factors during the renovation project.”
McElhone says the biggest change at Nemacolin — beyond new carpeting and paint — is to the audio-visual equipment and Wi-Fi, because an off-site meeting needs to have technology that’s in line with what you’re used to using at the office.
“People know when things are out of date. You don’t have to be an IT expert,” he says.
Updated technology capabilities can be a significant part of the meeting itself and need to be considered in your site choice, he says. Here are some other tips for making your corporate event a success:
Take everybody out of his or her comfort zone. Have fun with it and consider something like a themed rewards dinner with an “Alice in Wonderland,” western or “Star Wars” theme. If it’s done right, it won’t be tacky and it makes the event special. When people see their CEO right in the middle of it, they’ll start participating and having fun.
Don’t just do the same thing you would do in the office. It needs to be different enough so that when people return to the office there is a change.
Allow employees to do something out of the norm. Team-building activities need to be fresh every year. Also allow for some free time or group activity time so everyone isn’t always sitting in a meeting room. For example, a group might try off-road driving with Jeeps in order to break that work mode down and get them away from their daily habitat.
Consider a site that can include family. If the employees are going to be in meetings all day, pick a location where their spouses and kids can take advantage of outside amenities. This is especially useful for people who are away from their family because they travel a lot in the course of their job.

Have a clear purpose and direction for what you want to accomplish. Determine your vision and goals beforehand, so you can work with the event planners to ensure you get the results you want. If you’re having trouble putting something together, remember to take advantage of a professional guide who can steer you toward success.