How A+ Products leadership team planned their first offsite
How A+ Products’ leadership team planned their first offsite
Riley Leight · 1/20/2023
A+ Products has been in the component hardware industry for over 30 years, adding value to companies by helping source, manufacture, and coordinate everything needed to bring their products to life. They hosted a BoomPop Offsite at Camp Lucy near Austin, Texas to bring their leadership team together to bond and set goals for 2023.
We spoke with A+ Products’ CEO, Elizabeth Matlaga, to learn more about the experience of planning her company’s first offsite and how it impacted the team.
The power of going off site
When Matlaga started planning her event, she had clear goals in mind as to what she wanted to achieve with her team. “The purpose of the event was threefold,” she explained. “One, to show gratitude for the team and build camaraderie through quality time spent; two, to establish our company ‘why’; three, to plan and strategize for 2023.”
In order to achieve all three of those goals, Matlaga asked her team to do some personal preparation before the event. Each member of her leadership team was asked to prepare their goals and initiatives to share when they arrived, as well as reading Simon Senek’s Start with Why.
This event structure was one Matlaga had used to great success at leadership retreats before, but 2022’s would have one key difference—it was the first time the team would meet offsite, and all together in person. Ultimately, that decision had a major impact on the overall experience. “It's different being offsite than onsite, I can tell you that unequivocally because we did the exact same thing onsite last year,” she said. “It was the same exact format and concept, except we were [in the office] and not all in person. It was definitely more successful being offsite.”
“I attribute that to two things,” she said. “One is just being away from everything and focusing on the team. It's just different spending time together outside the daily grind… more personal, more fun. And the other is that the team felt really appreciated because we did a nice retreat and were thoughtful about what they would like.”
Planning a purposeful retreat
Going off site for the first time presented new challenges when it came to planning. Managing vendors, flights, accommodations, and meals would now require much more time and effort. “I’m an avid traveler and I do a lot of my own travel planning,” Matlaga explained. “It was a temptation to do it myself, but I thought—I really don't have time, so let me try [a planner].”
“Do I know what my team likes and do I know how to throw together a trip? Absolutely. But what I liked about going with BoomPop is that I wanna know, what do other companies do? Where do they go?”
After taking Matlaga’s team, schedule, and preferences into account, BoomPop’s event designers recommended Camp Lucy, an event and retreat center near Austin, Texas that offers hiking trails, activities, on-site dining, and everything a team needs to have a productive event surrounded by natural beauty.
The offsite included a sunrise hike, a hands-on cooking class, a tour of the property’s vineyards and a wine tasting, plus plenty of productive time in strategic discussions. “The facility was really nice, the rooms were tasteful and interesting. I can't say which part of it I liked better because there wasn't one thing that stood out. It was the whole experience together,” Matlaga said.
One of the most helpful parts of having an offsite expert on hand, according to Matlaga, was creating the structure of each day to ensure a balanced and relaxed experience for the team. “They helped me lay it out with some downtime. What time of day we had meetings and the breaks really added to our productivity, which was a lot of guidance from BoomPop’s team,” she said. “I think that was really impactful. It was a quick trip, but it didn't feel overwhelming.”
The impact of investing in connection
When it came to showing gratitude, building up the team, establishing the APlus ‘WHY’ and setting goals, Matlaga felt the offsite gave them the time and space they needed to accomplish what they set out to do. “We got all that done in a way that was meaningful and substantial,” she said, “Now going forward, we're all responsible to make sure these goals happen.”
“I think the big takeaway is to do thoughtful planning with the right motivation. People see that,” she said. “It mattered being offsite. It mattered that the facility was beautiful and relaxing, it mattered that we had drivers to and from the airport instead of Ubers, it mattered that we had nice meals, it mattered that we had sufficient down-time. Thoughtful details have a strong impact in appreciation, and our retreat was way more successful because of it.”
Start planning your next offsite with expert help.
Hotels, meeting spaces, meals, activities, and more—BoomPop’s Event Designers can help you save time and find the perfect options.
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