Plan Offsites 6-12 Months In Advance (Here's Why)
Plan Offsites 6-12 Months In Advance (Here's Why)
For groups of 100+ attendees, don't wait another day to start planning end of 2024 or early 2025 offsites (get started for free at offsite.com)
Planning a large-scale team retreat, offsite, or conference (especially for groups of 100 or more attendees), can be a daunting task.
However, if you start planning your offsite well in advance, you will save countless hours of planning time for yourself, as well as $25,000 to $250,000 (or more) for your company, plus endless stress for all involved.
Whether it's for an All-Hands Meeting, Sales Kickoff, customer conference, portfolio CEO retreat for VC firms, YPO/EO chapter meeting, or any other offsite, we’ll dive into why you should start planning offsites 6-12+ months in advance (and how doing so can lead to a successful, cost-effective, and memorable experience).
5 Reasons To Plan Your Offsites Well In Advance Of Your Event Days:
If you're responsible for an All-Hands Meeting, a 2025 Sales Kickoff, a customer conference, or any larger "offsite" with 100+ attendees, then you should start planning immediately!
Why?
1. Unlock Significant Cost Savings
One of the most compelling reasons to start planning early is the potential for substantial cost savings.
By booking venues, accommodations, and transportation well in advance, you can take advantage of early-bird rates and negotiate better deals.
This can save you up to 50% on major expenses, translating to tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars in savings.
If you are flexible on dates and destinations, you’ll save even more!
Make a free account now to search over 1000 premium offsite venues globally, with whom we’ve already pre-negotiated discounted room block rates, meeting space rentals, resort fees, activities, F&B, and more.
For example, we recently helped an Offsite user search through 10 different cities for an offsite up to 200 employees, then send out requests for proposals (RFPs) through our marketplace for the 4 cities that were most central to their staff's location. (They gave us a census of everyone's locations, so we could help determine which cities would be most cost-effective and central with flights).
For a December offsite in Miami at a 5 star hotel, we secured a room block at only $189/night (saving them almost 40% on retail rates). Again, this is only possible because of our pre-existing relationships with premier offsite venues globally, as well as this user's willingness to plan months in advance.
For another client, we saved over $113,000 for a 160 person offsite last year (they then planned their next All-Hands with us, which is happening right now in Mexico!)
2. Secure Your Preferred Venue
Top-tier venues and locations get booked quickly, often a year or more in advance.
Early planning ensures you have access to the best venues that align with your retreat's goals and activities.
Whether it's a serene beachfront resort, a bustling city hotel, or a secluded mountain lodge, securing your preferred venue early guarantees you get the perfect setting for your event.
3. Streamline Approvals and Budgeting
Large retreats often require approvals from various departments, including legal, finance, and executive teams.
Starting the planning process early allows ample time to navigate these approvals without the last-minute rush.
It also provides a clear timeline for budgeting, ensuring all costs are accounted for and approved well before the event.
Finally, you’ll avoid any rush fees, overages, or issues from waiting too long, planning everything last minute, and letting something fall through the cracks like over-booking a room block.
4. Enhance Attendee Experience
Booking travel and accommodations early ensures your team can benefit from lower rates and greater availability, making it easier for everyone to attend.
Early planning also allows for better coordination of activities and logistics, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience for all participants.
Recently, we wrote about group flight booking on The Offsite Blog, so check out this guide if you’re thinking about managing flights on your own. We can also introduce you to travel partners for everything from flights to on-the-ground transportation, visas, and more. Simply shoot me an email at jared@offsite.com.
Speaking of attendee experience, check out this otherworldly offsite we planned recently for the Las Vegas chapter of YPO.
5. Craft a Comprehensive Agenda
A well-thought-out agenda is crucial for a successful retreat.
Early planning allows you to develop a comprehensive agenda that includes meaningful activities, engaging speakers, and valuable team-building exercises.
This leads to a more productive and impactful retreat, delivering the highest return on investment.
We have a popular All-Hands Meeting Agenda Template I would refer you to, for various ideas on how to structure your offsite if you’d like to plan without our help.
You can also check out:
Top Icebreakers To Build Trust And Intimacy At Your Next Offsite
How To Facilitate A 90 Minute "Strategic Planning" Session At Your Next Offsite
How Offsite Can Help
Whenever you plan offsites in the future, make a free account at offsite.com to search our curated marketplace with ~1000 amazing offsite venues globally where you can save 20%-40+ savings on room blocks, meeting space, and more.
Plus, we offer end-to-end offsite planning services if you want a “done for you” experience. See why hundreds of companies like Buffer, 15Five, HiBob, Metabase, Hampton, and others trust Offsite for their team retreats.
We can assist with:
Sourcing venues globally at which you can save up to 40% on retail rates.
Providing curated offsite agendas, including meals, activities, session ideas, and recommended vendors.
Securing:
Room Blocks
Meeting Space(s)
A/V
Activities and/or Activity Providers
Food and Beverage, including Catering and Restaurant Reservations
Travel Agencies and/or Travel Management Platforms
Travel Visa Brokers and/or Consulting Agencies
On-the-ground Transportation Providers
Swag
Photographers and Videographers
Speakers/Facilitators
On-the-ground Event Coordination
Insurance
Agenda planning.
Budget creation and management.
Booking and re-confirming reservations made with chosen vendors.
Using customizable Pre-Offsite and Post-Offsite feedback forms you can share with your team ahead of time to receive necessary inputs for Offsite planning (ie. attendance, dietary preferences, employee engagement, contact information, preferences regarding abilities and/or disabilities, etc).
In short, if you’re planning a large team retreat for late 2024 or early 2025, now is the time to start. Reach out at jared@offsite.com to begin planning your next offsite. Together, we can create an unforgettable retreat that boosts team morale, fosters collaboration, and drives success.