Why Austin is a hotspot for offsites and retreats
Why Austin is a hotspot for offsites and retreats
Sara Iannacone · 5/4/2023
Austin has experienced a boom unlike many other U.S. cities have in the past decade. And that boom isn’t just limited to industry or population, it’s become a huge offsite and retreat destination, too. Today, we’re exploring why.
Since 2010, Austin, TX, has continuously made headlines across the nation for being one of the fastest-growing major metro areas in the country. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that from 2010 to 2020, Austin’s population grew 33%, which took the top spot for growth in terms of metro areas in the U.S. All that said, we think that the reasons people are flocking to Austin to live and work are very similar to the reasons they’re flocking to Austin to gather for team offsites.
So, what are those reasons?
Austin has the trifecta: Weather, affordability, and culture
When people are looking for a place to live or work, they typically look at a few things:
Whether or not they’ll be spending their days under grey or sunny skies
What kind of impact it’s going to have on their bank accounts
And finally, what kind of activities, people, and food they’ll have access to
Most have realized that Austin offers favorable answers to all these concerns.
Weather
Austin's location in central Texas gives it a mild and dry climate, with average temperatures ranging from 60 to 80ºF, year-round. No snow delays in this city, and 300+ days of sun a year. Outdoor events, anyone?
Affordability
Compared to other cities booming with industry, like New York or San Francisco, the cost of living has remained relatively affordable, despite the fact that it is increasing due to saturation. If you look at NerdWallet’s comparisons, Austin’s cost of living is about 86% lower than San Francisco and 142% lower in Manhattan. This incorporates things like food, transportation, rent, and entertainment.
Culture
Food, music, and outdoor recreation are three things Austin is known for. And three things everyone loves in a place to live, as well as a travel or offsite destination.
In fact, the city offers over 19,000 acres of public park and recreation space spread among 300 parks. Plus, they’re famous for breakfast tacos, BBQ, and eclectic gourmet food trucks—who doesn’t love those foodie favorites?
Why this is good for offsites
So, when you’re considering where to host your team offsite, what do you look for?
Typically, it’s factors like:
Affordability
Accessibility
Facilities and amenities
Recreation opportunities (no one wants to sit in a conference room all day)
Cuisine
Austin has it all.
It’s also a hub for business
The city is home to headquarters for big businesses like Meta, Tesla, Apple, and Dell, while also taking the cake for being one of the best cities for start-ups and entrepreneurs due to factors like no state income tax, saturation of venture capital funding, and affordable office space.
Why this is good for offsites
Because of this, the city is home to over 100 coworking spaces, incubators, and accelerators. Even before the pandemic, they had nearly 800,000 square feet, and that’s surely only grown with the popularity of remote work.
This helps when planning corporate events and offsites because you have a more diverse pool of venues to choose from at varying price points.
And it’s accessible
Another reason businesses are choosing Austin is its accessibility due to a large airport and its central location between the coasts, acting as a bridge for distributed teams. Business travel becomes simple, making corporate events easier to attend. Team members can easily fly in or out, partners can pop in at a moment’s notice. The perks are there, with over 350 daily flights, 70 nonstop locations, and AUS is only five miles south of the city.
Why this is good for offsites
This adds up to an incredible perk for offsites. While many teams may be based in the area, remote and hybrid teams are likely bringing 5-500 people to meet in the city. That’s a lot of flights.
Will the Austin boom continue?
We think so. While there are other major metropolitan cities gaining popularity, it’s hard to be as innovative, temperate, accessible, affordable, and entertaining as Austin is today.
Other cities that may give them a run for their money in terms of year-round offsites might be Denver or Scottsdale. But there’s something special about Austin!
Being respectful while on the road
Due to the boom and impact of increased transplants and travelers, there is a level of responsibility to decrease negative impacts on the city. With growth comes greater challenges.
Here are a few ways you can do that:
Use public transportation. The bus and rail lines can help you get nearly anywhere you want to go, including the suburbs.
Support local businesses. While there may be large global conglomerates that make activities or sourcing items easier, go local for breakouts and team gifts.
Find speakers in the area. With such a large population of commerce and entrepreneurship, there are bound to be speakers or facilitators for your company offsite who are based in the area.
Every small step is a step in the right direction when hosting responsible offsites that allow your destinations to flourish.
Ready to plan an offsite in Austin?
If you’re one of the many teams thinking about hosting an offsite or retreat in Texas, BoomPop has the resources to help. Check out our Austin City Guide for hotel and restaurant recommendations, our favorite team bonding activities, and pre-planned team offsite itineraries in The Lone Star State’s Capitol. You can also schedule a call to chat about how you can bring one of these Austin adventures to life for your team.
Featured resources
8 Steps for Planning Your Company Retreat
A resource for new organizers on creating fun, productive, and successful corporate events.
