Planning an effective team retreat during Covid-19 has posed significant challenges for even the most well-intentioned businesses. Whether it has been navigating travel restrictions or limitations on attendee numbers, in-person meetings fell to the wayside and were replaced with their online alternatives. However, now that things are opening and companies are getting the chance to recalibrate, it’s time to come together and look toward the future.
Why now is the time to plan your team retreat with Vintage Hotels
During the pandemic, many organizations went into fight or flight mode – or a stressful combination of the two. Instead of strategic planning, they were just planning to survive the difficult-to-navigate constraints that came with Covid-19.
While it was only natural for the world to shift from strategy to survival, this does not set businesses up for long-term success. For those companies looking to (re)position themselves for growth, it’s time to seize upon the opportunity to bring great minds together.
Team retreats are a brilliant way to build upon the foundations we fought hard to keep during the pandemic. They strike the perfect balance between enjoyment, energy, and goal-orientation to refresh your teams and brush off the dust that may have settled on our ability to innovate.
Planning a retreat during covid-19
We haven’t been back in the swing of things for very long, so it’s natural to wonder exactly how an in-person team retreat would work. The priority is to understand how the Covid-19 precautions will impact your planning. Our corporate services team will be happy to discuss details such as capacity limits, any recommended safety best practices and other precautions to ensure your guests are aware of during your team retreat in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Let’s create a thoughtful team retreat agenda that reflects your current & future priorities
The fact you are interested in planning a post-pandemic team retreat already demonstrates you care about the well-being of your employees and the health of your bottom line. With that in mind, it will be important to custom design your team retreat to reflect the culture and strategic priorities of your business.
The when & where are fundamental components of your corporate retreat
Part of your event planning will involve determining the right length of time for the team retreat. Be it a one-day stakeholders gathering, with strategy at sunrise followed by a round of golf or winetasting, or a multiday conference with multiple breakout rooms and working lunches, we cater to your unique vision.
Choosing the right location will be a key part of your team retreat’s success. Before vying for a venue, be sure to understand how their spaces will allow for social distancing and if there will be any proverbial red tape when travelling from your accommodations to your meeting spaces.
To ensure you can provide for all your employees’ needs during this climate, a comprehensive venue with dining, meeting spaces and guestrooms – all under one roof – will likely reduce any hassle and free up more time for collaboration and enjoyment.
Once you’ve picked your perfect team retreat venue, we suggest checking these next important to-dos off your list:
Review the venue’s Covid-19 policies:
Ensure they align with your high standards of cleanliness and safety. Understanding these policies and communicating them effectively to your meeting attendees will be essential for a well-run event.
Plan for food and drink in advance:
Gone are the days when the only thing your corporate event planner had to worry about were food restrictions. It’s more important than ever to carefully consider how your food will be handled and served, so your guests can enjoy something delicious without feeling anxious about their health and well-being.
Stagger arrival times:
To create the best-possible experience for your team members, your venue should work with you to create a seamless arrival. This should likely include staggering arrival times, so people can socially distance without getting caught up in a painfully slow or disorganized line.
Create a collaborative atmosphere:
People miss human interaction. While Zoom may have been good enough for the times, it definitely has not given us our fill of the compassion, energy, and imaginativeness that only in-person meetings can create. Foster collaboration by intermixing work with play, including things like icebreakers, outings, and incentives to keep the energy high and the effectiveness up.
Engage in team building activities in smaller groups:
When planning your team retreat, do your best to gauge and adapt to various people’s comfort levels. While some attendees may feel great bumping elbows in a crowded room, others are not ready for that experience. Ensure everyone feels included and at ease by taking advantage of various meeting rooms for breakout groups and closer (yet safely distanced) conversations.
Ontario Corporate Retreat Venue Ideas
With the long list of amenities available via Vintage Hotels, it’s easy to strike a good balance between professional development and employee appreciation. Our event planning specialists can help you curate a schedule that reflects your desire to celebrate your team members’ perseverance with exceptional catering and upscale social events. More than just R&R, we can also help ensure your meeting time is as focused as it is productive.
Niagara-on-the-Lake
In the heart of Niagara-on-the-Lake, you can choose from three upscale hotels that range in look and feel from a boutique Victorian hideaway through to a larger-scale Georgian manor. These luxury wine country hotels boast outstanding amenities in a resort-like atmosphere.
Inclusive of two award-winning spas and three phenomenal restaurants, your guests will never have to leave the close-knit Vintage community. If they decide to venture out, Niagara-on-the-Lake awaits with countless boutique shops, amazing cafes, and rich historical flair.
Hills of the Headwaters
Located within a convenient driving distance from Toronto, the Hills of the Headwaters near Caledon is a peaceful place for a nature-inspired retreat. From celebrated hiking and biking trails through to a pristinely kept hot springs pools, you can take your team into the great outdoors for pure relaxation or while engaging in a strategic scavenger hunt.
Twenty Valley
Indulge in the quieter side of wine country at Inn on the Twenty in Twenty Valley. Within this gorgeous location, there are several wineries, golf courses, shopping boutiques and unique meeting spaces and dining areas where you and your team members can come together.
Team Retreats at Vintage Hotels
Long before the pandemic shifted the structure of how we meet, Vintage Hotels was hosting corporate guests with the highest standards and exceeding their every expectation. We are extraordinarily diligent in keeping our accommodations and meeting spaces clean and abiding by the strictest health and safety standards.
Equally as important, we are readily able to adapt our amenities and event spaces to suit your schedule and strategic vision, so you can design you’re a corporate retreat to meet your needs. Reach out to our corporate services team today to plan a safe, meaningful experience for your team.