Event Industry Articles, News & Trends | Sundial Group

The Power of Off-Site Meetings

Written by Kelly Noble | 04-Feb-2016 10:10:00

Whether it's for a strategy meeting or team building day, off-site meetings, away from the office, can encourage your team to break habits and develop new ways of thinking.

A new location and change of scenery can really have a positive effect on employees, allowing for a more focused discussion and a newfound commitment to achieving business goals.

Below are four key benefits of heading off-site for your next meeting or conference:

Increase productivity and focus

Mixing up the daily working routine by meeting away from the office environment can bring employees away from everyday distractions such as emails and phone calls. They’re likely to be more responsive, focused and enthusiastic about being away from their workplace, resulting in higher productivity.

Enhance creativity

Stepping out of the office for a day or two can help bring new perspectives, and with this comes fresh ideas. If you are planning a strategy meeting, launching a project or encouraging brainstorming sessions, a new environment can enable employees to break out of their office personalities and communicate with one another differently, generating innovative ideas and a spark of creativity.

Boost staff morale

This is especially the case if you wish to add team building to the agenda. It gives your staff something to look forward to and will make them feel valued, boosting morale and building a sense of camaraderie within the team. You’ll also find out a lot more about them as individuals, including their strengths and weaknesses - much more than you would in your average meeting.

Good for follow-up

Too many people leave their meetings not knowing what the next steps are. A well planned and facilitated off-site meeting will finish with actions and a scheduled follow-up. Holding this at a dedicated venue will also give greater measurable benefit to your business and you can hold your team accountable for follow-up. 

Opting especially for somewhere in a rural, natural setting invites freedom beyond the four walls of a meeting room to open up everyone’s minds. Our country house venues boast beautiful locations with dedicated meeting rooms and plenty of outdoor space for team building.

Want to enhance your meeting further? Download our Meeting Planner's Bible >>