We hosted our first Lunch & Learn of 2023 on Tuesday, and we had a great time! Thank you to all of you who were able to attend.
Here’s a quick look at what was discussed should you like to remind yourself or catch up on what you missed.
🔎 What’s inside?
- What are the main benefits of offsites?
- How is the role of the offsite changing?
- What are the benefits of longer offsites?
- When should you start planning your offsite?
- Top Tips for Organising Offsites
- The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Successful Offsite
Company Offsites: A Masterclass — How the Pros are Innovating Offsites in a Hybrid World
We were joined by Gabriela Matias (VP People at Topi) and Jenny Watson (Head of Workplace Operations at Multiverse) to talk about offsites’ newfound significance in the hybrid world. We also heard their tips and tricks when it comes to organising successful offsites, with both experts in this area.
What are the main benefits of offsites?
Jenny and Gabriela agreed that offsites do a great job of manifesting collaboration and networking, placing particular emphasis on how they give colleagues the opportunity to:
- Talk to people they don’t usually get to talk to
- Connect with one another in real life
- Respond to physical cues
This, en masse, has a positive impact on the whole team. It’s energising. It’s spontaneous. It’s culture-building.
Beyond this, both noted how offsites can be a useful means of delivering important messages so they receive the attention they deserve and are more impactful.
🌟 Top Tip: Offsites are great way of celebrating quarterly or a significant milestone has been reached.
How is the role of the offsite changing?
Jenny and Gabriela highlighted how offsites today are more than just a few presentations and then a trip to the pub. They can span over a few days, and the plans can be a little more sophisticated, with in-person interaction more valued than ever before.
So, the importance of clearly communicating the logistics cannot be understated.
- Are travel expenses covered?
- Is attendance mandatory?
Ensuring expectations are communicated goes a long way as people then have a compelling reason as to why they’re being brought together. This is doubly important if you’re spanning your offsite out over a few days!
In terms of structuring an offsite, don’t pack too much into the days. People need time to rest and recover so they’re able to be fully present through.
🌟 Top Tip: Nailing the hybrid experience goes a long way. You need to work to ensure you don’t compromise the quality of the event for the remote or in-person audience.
What are the benefits of longer offsites?
Gabriela at Topi is a regular attendee and organiser of week-long offsites. The benefits?
- Teams get time to work together through things like workshops
- Teams can interact more transparently during planning periods
🌟 Top Tip: Limiting numbers to smaller teams can help with focus during longer offsites.
When should you start planning your offsite?
Both agreed that it’s super important to start early.
- Solidify who’s responsible for what so everyone understands their role
- Get a budget together so you can plan accordingly
- Clarify the purpose so you can sell it internally
- Build hype so everyone is onboard
🌟 Top Tip: If you don’t have the luxury of a big planning team, tap into the knowledge of anyone that’s attended offsites elsewhere previously.
Jenny & Gabriela’s Top Tips for Organising Offsites
Jenny Watson (Head of Workplace Operations at Multiverse)
- Keep it simple
- Make it as self-serve as possible
- Enjoy the process and do a retro at the end
Gabriela Matias (VP People at Topi)
- Figure out your “why”
- Plan well in advance
- Do less to do more
The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Successful Offsite
There you have it! If you want a deeper look at how you can go about planning a successful company offsite, download The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Successful Company Offsite. It’s free, it’s thorough and it’ll take the stress out of your planning.
And if you have any questions around how Hubble can help you plan your next offsite, just reply to this email and we’ll be more than happy to assist!
