The Beginner's Guide for creating memorable in person meet-ups
IRL team meetings made easy
After my last post on the magic of meeting in person, a reader asked how to create those memorable experience for their own team - even if their company doesn’t offer any logistical support.
So here’s an overview on how to do just that: get your team together and make it memorable - so they literally remember the humanness of their coworkers. In-person meetups increase trust and collaboration, they motivate and energize.
So here’s my advice, based on organizing dozens of 3-5 day events for groups of 8-50 people. Sometimes friends, sometimes colleagues, sometimes people who want to hang out and be inspired.
Timeframe
Plan for 3-4 nights ot make sure you have two full days for activities. Day 1 is travel day, including a welcome activity. Likewise the last day is mostly travel logistics. Use the time in between well.
Make sure to set the date months in advance. Parents, pet-owners, caregivers, and people with intense social schedules appreciate ample time to plan around company travel.
Location
Travel and accommodation is usually the biggest part of the budget. Check flights from different locations to central airports before starting to look for accommodation. Within Europe, I’ve had good experiences with Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome, both in terms of accessibility as well as availability of accommodation in the surrounding area.
Then check if you have enough drivers in your group (1 in 3-4 people). This will allow you to choose a house / accommodation within a one hour radius but away from public transportation. This can make accommodation significantly cheaper.
If some of your team members need a European visa, make sure you to check requirements. Some countries are easier (or faster) than others in issuing those visas.
Activities
The morning is for work, the afternoon is for personal connections. If the people you are bringing together can work on a joint project, that’s perfect. Otherwise, they should at least be working side by side during the morning hours. It reduces the stress when you get back, and it helps to create empathy across the team - you all see what everyone else is working with / on.
For afternoon / evening activities keep the following in mind:
Focus on activities that promote collaboration. Cooking classesand escape rooms are two of my favourites.
Laughing is good for everyone. I have fond memories of a bubble football match, but also some rather “weird” expositions in local museums.
Walking is good for your brain and for communication. I have a pack of conversation cards that I hand out for people to accelerate getting to the interesting topics.
Obviously, check for mobility issues, allergies and other needs. Planning the activities with the team can help.
Budget
Travel and accommodation are the biggest part of your budget. Some remote companies who limit hiring to specific regions so they can continue to offer team retreats (aligning their values with their reality). Check for off-season flights and accommodation to optimize for that - and take into account that September/October are THE retreat seasons. This won’t affect you for a 4-8 people retreat, but definitely if you want to get your whole company together.
The rest comes down to preference.
Are you OK to cook together in a shared apartment? Groceries are usually cheaper than restaurants, or a private chef.
Is your group happy to go for a walk instead of visiting a world heritage site for a private tour?
And if you are organizing privately without your company’s support - how can you offset inequalities that may arise based on differences in purchasing power or hierarchy levels?
Keep it simple - this is about connection
It’s easy to overcomplicate the planning and realization of meetups. Social media images of lavish company parties and meetups in the Bahamas make it easy to loose sight of the main purpose of your meetup:
Your goal is to meet your team in person, get to know them a little bit better, share a couple of meals, create some memories, and learn each others type of humour.
That’s it. You are not competing for “most epic retreat ever”. You are optimizing for laughter, for wonder, and yes, for the opportunity to practice human conversations without a screen in between. That means a pack of conversation cards and shared meal prep can be more impactful than an open bar at a beach club.
Be creative. Remember the times when you’d organize a weekend with your friends. And then adapt. Social media is overrated.