It’s that time of year again. Everyone’s excited about summer vacation, especially if your company is known for taking everyone to a corporate event that doubles as a retreat or vacation. It’s a time to let loose and have fun with people they don’t normally interact with around the office.
Before everyone can relax, however, someone has to take on the task of planning the retreat. Fortunately, it’s something you don’t have to do by yourself.
Listing the Initial Ideas
There are several ways to have fun, but if you’ve been doing this for years, some of your ideas may have already been done before. You don’t want to be that boring startup that can’t be bothered to come up with something new. This gives the impression that you’re not planning the retreat with fun in mind. Others may even say you just want to get it over and done with. As you come up with the list of ideas, leave room for employees to contribute. Even if they don’t end up getting what they want, it will make a difference that you listened to them.
Following Trends
The good thing about this digital renaissance is you don’t even have to start from scratch when planning. You may already be served ideas as you check your social media accounts. Look at what other companies have planned for their employees and gauge the level of fun their employees had. From there, you can decide on what to change or retain when you get to planning with a destination company management who will handle most of the event planning for you.
Assigning Committees
You have several goals you want to achieve as you plan for the company retreat. You want to give everyone a chance to recharge by taking them away from the stressful office environment. You also want to improve the relationship between and among departments. As part of your team building efforts, you may assign committees to tackle certain areas of the retreat. Each committee may be composed of individuals from different departments, to give them a chance to interact in an informal and fun setting. You may choose to wait for volunteers or ask that everyone participate in at least one committee.
Hiring a Host
Depending on the event planning company you work with, a host may or may not already be included in their services. The host should have a lively disposition that will be infectious enough to get everyone to participate in the events planned. They may also double as the photographer of the company retreat, but this is something you have to confirm beforehand. It wouldn’t be right to assume that they’ll do more than what they are paid to do. Be fair in the pay you are willing to give and in the services you expect them to provide. Remember to include them in the headcount as well, as they will also need food and accommodation if the event lasts several days.
When it comes to corporate event planning, there’s a lot of stress to deal with before you can get to the good bit. Get help if you need it, so you can enjoy the event too.
