How to organise a corporate away day

Corporate away days are valuable in many ways. It’s an opportunity for your team to break away from the daily grind to bond and rejuvenate. However, planning an event like this requires a lot of attention to detail. From setting objectives to selecting the activities and planning logistics, every aspect plays a crucial role in ensuring a successful and memorable experience. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to organise your next company away day that will leave a lasting impression on your team.

Set the Objectives

First of all, before diving into the planning process, it’s important to take a step back and identify the objectives of your corporate away day. Are you wanting to strengthen team bonds, encourage creative thinking, or improve communication? Clearly defined objectives can help guide the planning process and help tailor the activities and experiences to meet your goals. For example, to improve collaboration among team members, you might focus on team-building exercises.

Choose the Right Location

Selecting the right location is super important. It needs to be a place where everyone can easily get to – although this can be difficult,especially with remote workers who live at opposite ends of the country!

When choosing the location, consider factors such as accessibility, facilities, and the overall ambience of the location. Whether you’re looking for an outdoor activity centre to pump the adrenaline or a serene countryside retreat to help relax and rejuvenate, it’s important to choose a location that aligns with your goals and your team’s needs. If team bonding is a priority, opt for a venue that offers communal spaces where everyone can interact and connect outside of the activities.

Outdoor Adventures and Team-Building Activities

Outdoor activities are the perfect way to infuse excitement and energy into your away day. Not only do you get to experience the great outdoors, but you also get to burn off energy and let your hair down. From thrilling team challenges to adrenaline-pumping sports, there’s no shortage of activities to choose from. However, it’s important to ensure activities are inclusive and cater to diverse skill levels.

Team-building exercises are also a must during outdoor adventures to help you meet your objectives. Consider activities that require problem-solving, communication, and teamwork such as rope courses, scavenger hunts, or trust falls. These activities help colleagues bond whilst helping them develop essential skills that can benefit the business.

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Choose Expert Facilitators

For specialised activities like leadership and workshops or wilderness activities, consider choosing a facilitator or instructor to help your day go smoothly and provide valuable insight and guidance. Their expertise can elevate the impact of the activities and ensure that key learnings are effectively communicated.

When selecting your facilitator, look for individuals or companies with relevant experience and a track record of engaging and inspiring teams. Try reaching out to training organisations that specialise in teambuilding to develop a plan for your team.

Create a Detailed Schedule

A well-crafted itinerary is the backbone of any successful away day. When creating it, map out the day’s activities, including time for team-building exercises, meals, breaks, and any presentations or discussions to tie into your objectives.

However, whilst it’s important to stick to a schedule, it’s also important to be flexible enough to adapt the itinerary to unforeseen circumstances or spontaneous moments. Build in buffer times between activities to allow for transitions and make sure everyone in the team has time to rest and recharge. Although you want your away day to be jam-packed full of activities and training opportunities, it’s important that your employees get to unwind too. Clearly communicate the schedule to your team and provide detailed information about all the activities and objectives.

Accommodation and Catering

For overnight away days, offering employees something different like an adventure lodge and camp fire makes a memorable stay. Choosing a venue with different options especially in the great outdoors improves well being and creates creativity.

You also can’t forget about catering. Delicious meals and refreshments throughout the day are important for keeping your team’s energy levels high throughout the day. Work with your venue to plan the menus for the day and ensure they cater to any dietary needs. Mealtimes are also a fantastic opportunity for your team to connect to strengthen their bond and reminisce about the activities.

Transportation

Consider the logistics of getting participants to and from the venue. If necessary arrange transportation with clear instructions and schedules to ensure smooth arrivals and departures. Whether it’s a coach, carpooling, or public transportation, ensure this part of the trip is hassle-free to prevent any stress.

Provide your team with detailed travel information, such as meeting points, times, and any specific instructions for those who are coming. The travel part of the away day is also a great way to start the excitement, so consider prioritising group transportation if possible.

Effective Communication

Keep your team informed and engaged during the lead-up to the event. Provide regular updates, reminders, and information about what to expect. Ensuring you have clear communication is great for building excitement and making sure everyone is on the same page.

If necessary, use multiple communication channels like social media, internal messaging platforms, and emails to outline a clear plan. Encourage your employees to ask any questions or share any thoughts on the lead-up to the trip so everyone feels involved.

Get Feedback

After the away day is over, it’s important for your team to reflect on what went well, what could be improved, and if they met the objectives. Use this feedback to create even better away days in the future by identifying areas of improvement. It’s important that away days are memorable experiences and are valuable for the growth of the team and the business.

Get feedback through online surveys, meetings, or one-to-one interviews to gather feedback. Be open to constructive criticism and feedback and take action where improvement is needed.

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