Closing activities for team offsites
Closing activities for team offsites
BoomPop Team · 11/30/2022
While it’s never fun to say goodbye, there are plenty of fun ways to bid farewell at your next team offsite. The key is to end on a positive note and leave all attendees feeling excited for what’s next.
When you start planning an offsite, it’s easy to get caught up in all the complex moving pieces of an event, like travel and meals. But the pieces that are just as important are the small moments your team spends together in between all of that.
What’s the first thing you see when you arrive? What’s the feeling you’re left with on the way to the airport? Those are the moments where your event crystallizes in the minds of attendees.
One of the most important moments you have to leave a great impression is your event’s closing activity. It doesn’t have to be anything glamorous, just an intentional moment to reflect on the event and propel attendees toward what’s next.
Below are a few simple ideas for closing activities you can try for your next team offsite.
Self-reflection exercise
For teams that appreciate a little introspection, a self-reflection exercise is a an excellent way to round out a company offsite.
Gather your group together and reflect in any way you see fit. You can encourage your team members to journal, talk about highlights of the offsite, or simply reflect as a group on the time you’ve spent together.
You can also use this as a way to encourage team members to think about what they’d like to bring from the offsite back to the office setting; whether that’s more team outings, lunches, or times to step back and reflect. Think of this as a way to start a positive, new beginning from your offsite’s end.
Closing presentation
If you have a team filled with folks who love visuals, creating a fun themed presentation is a great way to end your offsite.
You can even get folks involved by encouraging teammates to take photos and videos during your time together to display at the end.
Create a memorable hashtag to use on social media or submit the content to someone who will be in charge of the presentation at the end of the trip. Alternatively, you can encourage each person to make an individual presentation to highlight what they learned from the offsite.
The most important part is to keep it light and fun—you don’t want your team members to feel like they’re at another corporate presentation with no real takeaway.
Create something together
For those who prefer more substantial, tactile activities, creating a unique piece of art could be an excellent way to end a team offsite.
Not only is this a cool way to memorialize the trip, you’ll have something you can bring back to the office that can serve as a fun reminder of the time spent together.
Get creative! You can buy a big canvas and have everyone paint something that represents the time together; if you went to San Francisco, for example, you could all paint the Golden Gate bridge together. You can also create a collage and encourage people to bring clips and photos that contribute to the story of your offsite. The medium doesn’t matter, it’s the collaboration that’s important.
Farewell dinner
There’s nothing better than leaving a trip with a full stomach and a warm, fuzzy feeling. A farewell dinner is the perfect opportunity to gather your group together and reflect on the trip.
You can also incorporate some of the above activities during the dinner to round it out, or have everyone at the table go around and just say one word or sentence that sums up their time during the offsite. Depending on the time of day and your travel plans, you can also do a farewell breakfast or brunch.
Don’t miss out on a meaningful moment
Planning a closing activity for your next company offsite is just as important as planning the offsite itself.
You don’t want your team members to feel that the offsite ended abruptly—there should be a clear marker that represents the time you’ve just spent together.
Of course, the above are just a few of countless options. The goal is to end on a happy, positive note where everyone feels that they’ve come away with great memories and a meaningful experience.
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