What is an off-site meeting?

An off-site meeting occurs when team members meet away from their normal work location. Some off-site meetings are between employees within the same company, department or team. Others may create opportunities to work with team members from other departments or external business partners.
Off-site meetings allow team members to break away from day-to-day tasks, concentrate on communication and seek inspiration for brainstorming and problem solving. Discover more benefits of off-site meetings below, and learn how to plan productive off-site team activities.

What is an off-site meeting?

An off-site meeting occurs when team members meet away from their normal work location. Some off-site meetings are between employees within the same company, department or team. Others may create opportunities to work with team members from other departments or external business partners.

Off-site meetings differ from remote meetings. Remote meetings, which take place via web conferencing tools, allow people to meet despite being geographically separated.

An off-site meeting keeps employees together while bringing them to a new location.

Benefits of holding meetings off-site

Holding team off-site events and meetings can offer benefits such as:

• Better communication: Being off-site can foster better communication among team members. In a new environment, people may be more focused and engaged, leading to more meaningful discussions. The change of scenery can also encourage open dialogue and creativity, helping teams address challenging topics more effectively.
• A boost for creativity: Unique or different surroundings can help promote better creative thinking. Stepping out of the office can help team members brainstorm and discuss new solutions.
• Networking opportunities: When you hold off-site meetings alongside industry conferences or in partnership with other businesses, you give your staff the opportunity to develop positive working relationships that can benefit them and your business.
• Team building: Off-site meetings that include time for team building or organized activities can strengthen working relationships throughout the team.
• Work-life balance: Offering the option for team members to bring their families on a retreat may foster better work-life balance.

Step-by-step guide to planning an off-site meeting

Off-site meetings are a business expense, so it’s essential to balance this investment with the potential for positive outcomes. Proactive planning can help. Consider following these steps when you’re planning off-site team meetings.

1. Define your goal

Determine what you want to achieve with the meeting. Do you want staff to brainstorm a solution to a current business challenge? Are you investing in team building?

If you want the off-site meeting to produce a solution, you may only plan several activities. However, if the activity is a team reward, you might reduce the work involved.

2. Decide how long the meeting should last

With goals in mind, determine the length of the off-site meeting. It might be a few hours or a few days, depending on whether a team lunch or retreat is suitable for your business needs.

3. Consider your budget

Determine how much the company will pay for this off-site meeting. This decision sets boundaries when planning.

4. Consider team members’ needs and preferences

You may get better results from an off-site team meeting if you include employees in the plans. Consider current time off requests and vacation schedules to ensure you pick a time and date that works for all attendees. If you think a team retreat is a good idea, you may want to gauge your team’s interests.

5. Set an agenda

Once you have a date, time and location, create an agenda. This might involve mapping the talking points for the meeting or creating an activity schedule for a weekend retreat. Share the agenda with everyone involved so they know what to expect.

If your team travels for a lengthy period, consider providing information about what to pack and what to expect about the location and weather.

6. Share some basic meeting rules

Consider your goals for the meetings when establishing meeting rules. For an off-site meeting used to come up with project plans, you may create rules of order and decide how long to spend on each topic. You might also encourage team members to act in a respectful manner and allow everyone to contribute ideas.

5 team off-site meeting ideas

Here are five ideas for off-site meetings that can help you address a range of business goals:

1. Get lunch off-site

Taking your team out for lunch to discuss a particularly challenging problem can break up the workday. It also gets employees around a single table to discuss details without in-office interruptions.

2. Use a local greenspace

Some people think better when outdoors. Consider holding an off-site team meeting in a local park or picnic area. You can also cater lunch or bring afternoon snacks and beverages.

3. Book a business retreat space

Conference centers, camps and other retreat spaces often offer packages for business teams seeking a quiet, comfortable space. This can be a great option if you want to couple off-site meetings with team building and socialization activities.

4. Find a suitable location

Smaller teams can create their own conference space in a rented location. Consider a home on a lake or another location that allows employees to take a break from daily life while concentrating on business tasks.

5. Meet in a hotel with nearby attractions

If you want to offer team members a working vacation, consider booking accommodations and meeting rooms at a hotel near attractions. You might travel with your team to the next city or a nearby state. Consider allowing team members to bring their families so they can enjoy attractions after the off-site meetings.

Start small with off-site team meetings

If you’re unsure whether off-site team meetings work for your business, consider starting small. An off-site lunch, attendance at a local workshop or a meeting in a local coworking space lets you test these types of meeting strategies.

FAQs about off-site team meeting

What should you discuss in off-site team meetings?

You can use off-site meetings for a variety of purposes, including staff training, brainstorming or two-way feedback. Ultimately, you can use these types of meetings for any business purpose that makes sense for your company.

What is a common mistake to avoid with off-site meetings?

Not everyone may be present, so it may be best to create a record of important information and decisions to share with other staff members and collaborators later.
Off-site meetings differ from remote meetings. Remote meetings, which take place via web conferencing tools, allow people to meet despite being geographically separated.

An off-site meeting keeps employees together while bringing them to a new location.

Benefits of holding meetings off-site

Holding team off-site events and meetings can offer benefits such as:

• Better communication: Being off-site can foster better communication among team members. In a new environment, people may be more focused and engaged, leading to more meaningful discussions. The change of scenery can also encourage open dialogue and creativity, helping teams address challenging topics more effectively.
• A boost for creativity: Unique or different surroundings can help promote better creative thinking. Stepping out of the office can help team members brainstorm and discuss new solutions.
• Networking opportunities: When you hold off-site meetings alongside industry conferences or in partnership with other businesses, you give your staff the opportunity to develop positive working relationships that can benefit them and your business.
• Team building:  Off-site meetings that include time for team building or organized activities can strengthen working relationships throughout the team.
• Work-life balance: Offering the option for team members to bring their families on a retreat may foster better work-life balance.

Step-by-step guide to planning an off-site meeting

Off-site meetings are a business expense, so it’s essential to balance this investment with the potential for positive outcomes. Proactive planning can help. Consider following these steps when you’re planning off-site team meetings.

1. Define your goal

Determine what you want to achieve with the meeting. Do you want staff to brainstorm a solution to a current business challenge? Are you investing in team building?

If you want the off-site meeting to produce a solution, you may only plan several activities. However, if the activity is a team reward, you might reduce the work involved.

2. Decide how long the meeting should last

With goals in mind, determine the length of the off-site meeting. It might be a few hours or a few days, depending on whether a team lunch or retreat is suitable for your business needs.

3. Consider your budget

Determine how much the company will pay for this off-site meeting. This decision sets boundaries when planning.

4. Consider team members’ needs and preferences

You may get better results from an off-site team meeting if you include employees in the plans. Consider current time off requests and vacation schedules to ensure you pick a time and date that works for all attendees. If you think a team retreat is a good idea, you may want to gauge your team’s interests.

5. Set an agenda

Once you have a date, time and location, create an agenda. This might involve mapping the talking points for the meeting or creating an activity schedule for a weekend retreat. Share the agenda with everyone involved so they know what to expect.

If your team travels for a lengthy period, consider providing information about what to pack and what to expect about the location and weather.

6. Share some basic meeting rules

Consider your goals for the meetings when establishing meeting rules. For an off-site meeting used to come up with project plans, you may create rules of order and decide how long to spend on each topic. You might also encourage team members to act in a respectful manner and allow everyone to contribute ideas.

5 team off-site meeting ideas

Here are five ideas for off-site meetings that can help you address a range of business goals:

1. Get lunch off-site

Taking your team out for lunch to discuss a particularly challenging problem can break up the workday. It also gets employees around a single table to discuss details without in-office interruptions.

2. Use a local greenspace

Some people think better when outdoors. Consider holding an off-site team meeting in a local park or picnic area. You can also cater lunch or bring afternoon snacks and beverages.

3. Book a business retreat space

Conference centers, camps and other retreat spaces often offer packages for business teams seeking a quiet, comfortable space. This can be a great option if you want to couple off-site meetings with team building and socialization activities.

4. Find a suitable location

Smaller teams can create their own conference space in a rented location. Consider a home on a lake or another location that allows employees to take a break from daily life while concentrating on business tasks.

5. Meet in a hotel with nearby attractions

If you want to offer team members a working vacation, consider booking accommodations and meeting rooms at a hotel near attractions. You might travel with your team to the next city or a nearby state. Consider allowing team members to bring their families so they can enjoy attractions after the off-site meetings.

Start small with off-site team meetings

If you’re unsure whether off-site team meetings work for your business, consider starting small. An off-site lunch, attendance at a local workshop or a meeting in a local coworking space lets you test these types of meeting strategies.

FAQs about off-site team meeting

What should you discuss in off-site team meetings?

You can use off-site meetings for a variety of purposes, including staff training, brainstorming or two-way feedback. Ultimately, you can use these types of meetings for any business purpose that makes sense for your company.

What is a common mistake to avoid with off-site meetings?

Not everyone may be present, so it may be best to create a record of important information and decisions to share with other staff members and collaborators later.