Top 10 Incredible Corporate Retreat Ideas
Corporate retreats are a powerful opportunity to build team cohesion, improve communication, attract top talent, and improve company culture.
Well, we should say great corporate retreats are a powerful opportunity.
A bad corporate retreat can end up in the trap of “mandatory fun.” But you don’t have to worry about that, because we’ve assembled 10 incredible corporate retreat ideas to help you get started.
While you’re reading through them, imagine your team and the interests they have. Think about the talents and hobbies they pursue outside of work. The more your corporate retreat can engage your team members as full people, not just as professionals, the more everyone will get out of it.
Connection Building
These suggestions make sure that you and your team get real on your retreat. It’s all too easy for coworkers to come together and fall back into the same tired routines that arise in the office. That’s why you need to be proactive in how you design and plan your retreat.
With a little effort, you can make sure that the retreat becomes a way to make real and lasting connections between people.
Go Internet Free
Work emails force a lot of professionals to be chained to their phone at all hours of the day. Doing a corporate retreat that also doubles as a digital detox is a great way to promote mental health and destress your team.
Include the Family
If team members are allowed and encouraged to bring their family, it turns a corporate retreat into something more like a real vacation. It also gives people an opportunity to connect on a much deeper level with their teammates.
Outdoor Adventure
If your team is made up of avid outdoor people, this is a perfect choice. Going outside and getting physical activity together can really help the group bonds form. There is also a great sense of communion when we take in natural splendor together. Those are the kind of life changing events that make us bond and develop key connections that drive us to perform as a team.
It’s important to remember that outdoor adventures are not always accessible, and so they may not fit every team. But that being said, there are many outdoor experiences that are more accessible than you’d think. So don’t immediately give up on the idea if your team has certain accessibility needs!
Hiking
Hikes, especially difficult ones, can engage a team to work together. There are multiple roles people can take on, from wayfinder to water carrier and so on. That makes them surprisingly effective for bonding. Even hikes on the easy side can reduce stress and get conversations flowing while everyone takes in the wonder of the great outdoors.
Camping
Not everyone is into camping, and it requires really understanding the accessibility of any given site. But when your team makes a fire, cooks a meal, and eats it under the stars together — you’re in memorable corporate retreat territory.
Ziplining
Ziplines are a great way to thread the needle between outdoor adventure and great accommodations. That’s because most zipline courses are either part of or close to resorts. So you can usually add this into a longer retreat. They get the blood flowing and give you a whole new perspective, for sure.
Go on a Tour
A city, a museum, a monument — going on a guided tour with your team is always a great way to build shared memories and enjoy a new place.
Play Sports
Sports work as a great team builder (obviously), and friendly competition can add the perfect edge — breaking up the “I’m at work” feeling.
Play Video Games
Maybe your team is a bit more familiar with a controller than a basketball. Hosting group video game events can be another way to experience excitement and a little competition together.
Eat Together
Regularly scheduling group meals is super important. The better you make these (gourmet, locally sourced, etc.), the bigger the impact these events will have.
Gather Input
If you have a destination set, why not get team members in on the planning? The more people feel part of the process, the more ownership they’ll have over the experience.
Have Conversation Prompts
It’s always a good idea to have a few conversation prompts ready going into the retreat. You don’t need to force these into group talks, but they are good to get the gears turning in your head. These can ensure that you’ll unlock deep conversation that can fuel transformation and growth.
Skydiving
You know, sometimes you just need to go big. And skydiving is going really big. If you don’t have a great option for it in your area, you can also try bungee jumping. This kind of thing isn’t for every team, but it might be the perfect thing for yours.
Destinations
One of the best ways to build a fun corporate retreat is setting it in a destination people would love to travel to. A new locale gives people a broader perspective, and it can be a lot more appealing than something local.
Depending on the scale, these can become much more complicated. But if you are really curious about having your team do a company offsite in the great blue yonder, you can always get help from experienced event planners.
Far Away Places
The fact is, going a little bit away from home is good. But going to an exotic destination is even better. You can’t help but have breakthroughs and superpower your perspective when you are halfway around the world with your team.
Fun and Games
Fun and games are tremendous avenues to bonding, problem solving, relaxation, and creativity. This is why the leading innovators in the world build a ton of play into the workday. Even big, traditional corporations are integrating games and pastimes into their offices.
If you want your team to experience all the benefits of fun and games, be sure to build them into every corporate retreat. They instantly evaporate any anxiety or awkward energy people might be feeling, and they can get your entire retreat off to a fast-paced start.
Improv Classes
Improvisational comedy forces us to embarrass ourselves in front of each other in a supportive and accepting environment. This process allows us to quickly bond and get creative. The added silliness will also give rise to inside jokes, ongoing gags, and great memories. That’s good team building.
Group Art Project
Group art projects are an amazing mixture of collaboration and exploration. Team members get to express themselves, but because there is support from others, they never have to feel shy or overexposed. Plus, in the end you get a work of art that you can take back to the office and reconnect the team to.
Group Meditation
The growing popularity of meditation has allowed this all important practice to become widely accepted. Whereas in decades past, it might have struck many people as strange or religious, nowadays most people have either meditated or are curious to try. It’s a great way to get people together and center their minds. (This is really powerful if you make it a regular thing on the return to the office.)
Yoga
Sticking with the meditation vibe for a bit, have you tried doing yoga with your team? The slow development of skills and the psychological benefits all recommend it as a great ongoing team building practice.
Volunteering
A major part of anyone’s wellness journey is helping others. And when an entire team gets together to help out other people, that can build a lot of pride and mutual respect. It’s moving to see a group roll up their sleeves and get to work for the good of fellow humans (or animals, or bodies of water, etc.).
Spa Visits
When you think “spa” you probably think something like “the opposite of work” — and that’s sort of the whole point of bringing it into a corporate retreat. What better way to relax and let go of the small stuff?
