Offsite Planning Tips: Key Considerations for Small, Medium & Large Guest Counts
Offsite Planning Tips: Key Considerations for Small, Medium & Large Guest Counts
BoomPop Team · 2/26/2025
Offsite Planning Tips for Events of Any Size
Imagine planning an offsite, and you have a budget of $2,000 per person. How does the size of your group impact both the event planning process and the guest experience? This is a question many teams grapple with, and understanding the nuances can help set your event up for success. In this post, we’ll dive into offsite planning tips that will help you navigate the differences between planning small, medium, and large events.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to guest count. While you can often keep your per-person budgets consistent, your overall or total event budget can vary significantly depending on guest count. The earlier in the planning process you have a good ballpark estimate, the better. That’s because your projected event headcount will drive a lot of early decision-making for your event, including your offsite's location, hotel, meeting venue, meals, activities, and more. While you won’t know your final RSVP count until closer to your event date, having a close estimate early on is important so you can put together your budget and be empowered to make key decisions for various milestones and elements of your event plan. So let’s start by defining what we mean when it comes to offsite event sizes.
Is My Offsite Small, Medium, or Large?
Since an exact headcount comes later in the planning process, it can be helpful to start with a rough estimate so you can factor in your event size across the planning process. Company offsites typically fall into three groups in terms of size and complexity:
Small Offsites: Under 100 attendees.
Medium Offsites: 100-200 attendees.
Large Offsites: 200+ attendees.
We’ll use these general groups to explore how to think about offsite group size in the offsite planning process, keeping in mind that a more specific headcount will directly impact your actual event budget (a 10-person offsite with a $2,000 per-guest budget will cost significantly less than a 50-person offsite!)
Offsite Planning Tips x Event Size
1. Consider Budget & Timeline Early On
Once you have a good sense of what bucket your offsite falls into in terms of group size, it’s important to hone in on your overall budget and planning timeline as quickly as possible. Generally speaking, your budget should have a realistic per-person target, with a buffer built in for your topline if your guest count increases above your projections at the last minute, when there may be less flexibility to reduce costs in areas you’ve already committed to.
When it comes to event planning timelines, the larger the event, the earlier you should start planning to get an ideal balance of affordability, availability, and flexibility. As a general rule of thumb, the ideal event planning timelines by event size are typically:
Small (100): 3-6 months
Medium (100-200): 6 months
Large (200+): 6 months - 1 year
As the planning timeline shortens, availability becomes more limited, demand increases, and costs rise while negotiation flexibility decreases. Often, the larger the event, the more challenging a short planning window becomes.
2. Adopt a Give & Take Approach
Have you ever heard the adage - “good, fast, or cheap – pick two”? This is a great way to think about the give and take of the event planning process. Take this example: While it’s possible to put together a high-quality event on short notice, it might not be the most cost-effective option. You can put together a great event experience on a tighter budget, but it might require more time to plan ahead and lock in certain savings.
And when it comes to all the ins and outs of event planning, the size of your event is often yet another compounding factor to add to the creative mix, because your guest count can impact your event planning timeline and overall budget, making higher-end options unaffordable or unrealistic. It’s all about balancing priorities!
The good news is that working with an expert event planner can help you navigate these complexities so that you can get the most out of your budget for any offsite of any size!
3. Understand How Event Size Impacts Key Elements of Your Event Plan
Setting expectations with your internal team is a critical step at this stage in the offsite planning process. Let’s take a look at some of the key aspects of a typical event plan that can vary based on the size of your event.
Location
Coordinating travel for small and medium events opens up more types of cities to your selection. Larger events may mean selecting from a more strategic list of cities that can easily accommodate larger volumes of air travel within a small window of time. Consider the size of the city and its airports, as well as the logistics of ground transportation the larger your group gets. You should also factor in competing major events for your desired event dates when selecting your offsite location to ensure better options for your event.
Thinking of going international? We love an international offsite and encourage teams to have this discussion early on, so it can be factored into both budget and timeline. For teams that host quarterly offsites, you have a strategic advantage when you lock down your international offsite location early! Again, the earlier the better for larger events when it comes to international offsites!
Hotels
Small Offsites: Imagine a boutique hotel buyout, where your team has the entire property to themselves. This allows for highly personalized service, unique amenities, and a truly intimate experience.
Medium Offsites: A different range of options opens up, from smaller resorts with dedicated event spaces to unique hotels that can accommodate your group. You might find a balance between personalized service and the amenities of a larger property.
Large Offsites: Resorts and large chain hotels offer the capacity and infrastructure to handle large groups efficiently. These venues often have extensive meeting spaces, multiple dining options, and a wide range of on-site activities. For larger events, be prepared for complexities like attrition rate negotiations with hotels (10-20% of rooms) and the possibility of booking across multiple hotels, but remember this also opens the option of having a truly large scale event space that creates a lot of energy.
Meeting Space
For most offsites, hotel space and meeting space can be on the same property regardless of event size, but it’s important to factor in meeting space early on and understand the limitations of some spaces to expand. For example, if a 50-person offsite turns into a 100-person offsite, your hotel’s meeting space may or may not be able to accommodate your needs at the last minute. However, if meeting space is in short supply at your dream hotel, there are also creative options to source meeting space when needed, from event venues to convention centers!
Meals
Small Offsites: Think curated dining experiences, private chef dinners, and reservations at top-rated restaurants. Smaller events allow for more personalized culinary experiences and the flexibility to cater to specific dietary needs and preferences (of course, depending on your overall budget!)
Medium Offsites: Consider a mix of options. Restaurant reservations or private dining options are still possible by breaking meals up by group, team, or interests. For larger meals, consider larger restaurant spaces, rented event spaces (like breweries or event halls), or hotel catering options. This allows for variety and flexibility while still maintaining a sense of shared experience.
Large Offsites: To best manage budget and logistical concerns for larger events, more of your meal options will be a mix of banquets or large event spaces (breweries, event halls), with catering for large groups. While these events require more structured meal planning and logistics, they also offer the opportunity to create memorable dining experiences on a grand scale, with themed dinners, food stations, and large-scale celebrations.
Activities
Small Offsites: Highly personalized, intimate experiences, niche activities. Think private tours, hands-on workshops, and team-building activities tailored to your group's specific interests.
Medium Offsites: Selections/options for group activities with some flexibility. You might offer a choice of activities, allowing team members to participate in what interests them most.
Large Offsites: Large-scale events, potential for split groups (split up by teams, interests, etc.). Think keynote speakers, large group workshops, and team-building activities that foster a sense of shared experience and camaraderie. Splitting groups or creating programming or interest tracks is also an option, allowing for more personalized experiences within the larger event.
Crafting the Perfect Offsite Atmosphere
Achieving the right atmosphere for your offsite is key, regardless of size. Intimate connections, balanced interaction, or vibrant energy—all are possible with the right strategy and approach! While smaller events may naturally lend themselves to building team connections, a thoughtful approach to larger events also brings unique opportunities for team-wide celebrations and networking. An expert event planner can help create the perfect event vibe to support your team’s goals.
Planning an Offsite for Your Team?
Navigating the complexities of offsite planning can be challenging, but understanding the impact of event size is a great starting point. An experienced event planner can help you navigate these complexities and develop creative solutions. Remember the "good, fast, cheap" dilemma—where there’s a will, there’s a way, and a great event planner will help come up with creative solutions, but it’s a give and take with the other aspects of your event and overall budget.
Ready to plan your next offsite? Get in touch to learn how BoomPop can help you create an unforgettable event, regardless of size.
