How to pick the right location and venue for your team offsite

Choosing the perfect location and venue is the first step toward creating a memorable experience for your team.

There are many benefits to hosting a team offsite, from fostering personal and professional connection to giving employees dedicated time to relax and find inspiration. 

Part of making sure your team has a great experience is tailoring the location and venue you choose to their specific needs. The right location sets you up for success—but the wrong one can put a damper on your entire event. 

Let’s explore some of the key considerations to keep in mind when making your pick.

How to choose the city where your offsite takes place 

Most companies opt for one of two options: 1. taking your team on a retreat to a new city where none (or few) of your team members are based, or 2. bringing everyone to a city where your company already has an office, or where a significant number of employees already live.

Both of these choices have benefits. Hosting your event where most of your employees already live can boost attendance and cut costs, but it can also make the event feel a little less special for those who aren’t traveling to the destination—and employees based in that city might run the risk of being more distracted by day-to-day responsibilities.

Taking everyone to a new, unfamiliar city where the experience of the event can be shared—everyone staying in the same hotel, doing activities together, not having normal family and social obligations—often makes the biggest impact in terms of team bonding. But going this route opens up more logistical challenges to tackle, like finding a hotel that can accommodate your group, booking office space and activities, choosing restaurants, and more.

Here are some of the most important factors to consider.

Consider where your team members are based 

It's important to take into account where your team members are based and whether travel will be easy, affordable, and leave them with enough time to enjoy a retreat. In some cases, picking a location that’s convenient might be better than choosing somewhere that would require long days of travel to get to. If your team is largely based in the U.S., you might want to choose a major city most of your team could take a direct flight to. If you’re thinking about bringing together a global team, choosing a location that would be as central to everyone as possible is usually a safe choice. However, all of that often goes out of the window if the destination is one that your team is truly excited to be visiting.

Think about the weather

While it might seem obvious, weather is important enough to a team event that it’s worth mentioning here. A hot, tropical climate can sound picturesque, but it might actually make all of those outdoor activities you planned feel like a major chore. Many locales also have more unpredictable weather than others, and it’s important to research what you can expect at certain times of the year. Like any aspect of your offsite, it’s important to hear from your team—would they rather hit the beach or warm up by a fire in the mountains? The environment you find yourself in will radically alter your experience and how satisfied your team is with the trip.

Activities and attractions 

Getting a sense of what types of activities your team is interested in before choosing a location will go a long way toward improving the experience. Do they want to spend time in nature? Explore museums? Have a day at a theme park? Many locations will offer you a wide variety of options, but it’s important to make sure you’re not missing out on anything that your team would particularly love. A remote, beautiful location might be stunning on the day you arrive, but a lack of fun activities or experiences can be a major drawback.

Planning where to stay, work, and eat 

Where your team stays, gets work done, and eats meals during your offsite is incredibly important to making it a positive experience. Organizers often feel a lot of pressure around these decisions, and rightfully so. Here are some of the common struggles we see around making these choices.

Decide whether you need a workspace

Not every offsite or retreat has a work component, but if yours does, it’s important to think about what kind of workspace your team practically needs. If you have a local office, that can obviously save you some cash—but in a new city, identifying spaces that would work best for your team is crucial. Many hotels and retreat centers can offer onsite work spaces, or you can venture out to other venues that might be more attuned to your preferences.

Consider if a home rental is right for your team 

For smaller groups, home rentals can sometimes be a great option. They’re convenient, allow you to cook, interact, and relax together throughout the day, and can be more private and remote than many hotels. Often the challenge with home rentals is finding ones where every team member can have a private room, which means larger groups usually opt for a hotel.

Find the perfect hotel or retreat center

Most organizers end up choosing a hotel or retreat center for their team. This can be by far the most difficult and important element of your offsite, and it’s often greatly impacted by how far in advance you’re planning. Booking a year in advance will guarantee you that perfect spot, but only having a few months to lock something down might mean you have to make some concessions. Amenities, work spaces, and proximity to activities and attractions are all major considerations—but finding somewhere with the right atmosphere and style can often be just as important.

Keep food in mind

It’s no surprise that food is a huge part of bringing people together. When it comes to choosing your location and accommodations, proximity to great restaurants and bars should likely be something you take into consideration. Making reservations for large groups can be difficult, especially when you want to consider variety of choices, dietary restrictions, and more.

Making memorable experiences as a team 

These basic elements of an offsite are what sets the atmosphere and tone for an engaging, enriching, and memorable experience that employees can bring back to their work. If you’re struggling to find the right options for your team, Boombox Events’ offsite planning experts can help you choose the best location and venue to bring your vision to life.

Explore planning resources.