With the new year in full swing, we’ve been reflecting on the insights we’re gathering from our clients and the trends emerging at our events. As you map out your 2025 event calendar, there’s still time to weave these fresh ideas into your next corporate retreat.
Companies are rethinking the way they bring teams together, and corporate retreats are evolving far beyond the standard offsite. With teams more spread out, organizations keeping a close eye on budgets, and employee retention a top priority, these key trends are shaping the retreats of the year ahead.
Purpose-Driven Gatherings
More companies are moving away from generic, one-size-fits-all retreats in favor of intentional, high-impact experiences that align with business goals and company values.
Meeting with your leadership team and understanding what you’re looking to achieve by hosting the event is a great place to start. Your goals could range from connecting remote employees, rewarding high performers or celebrating company milestones. Each of these reasons provides a different purpose for why you’re bringing people together, and by tapping into that purpose you can plan activities and events that are aligned.
Destination Retreats That Reflect Company Culture
Companies are choosing locations that mean something—whether it’s a wellness-focused retreat in the mountains or an innovation-themed gathering in a bustling city. This can help blend team-building with a deeper alignment to your values and mission.
By selecting locations and experiences that mirror a company’s ethos—whether it's innovation, sustainability, creativity, or collaboration—employees can immerse themselves in environments that foster a sense of unity and purpose, while also gaining new perspectives. By tying the destination to the company’s culture, these retreats not only enhance team cohesion but also reinforce the organization’s core beliefs, leading to a more engaged and motivated workforce.
More Mindful Agendas
Rather than jam-packed itineraries, we’re seeing retreats embrace intentional slowness—with built-in free time, well-being activities, and opportunities for spontaneous interaction.
This unstructured time can help employees connect to each other, reconnect with themselves and embrace the location your retreat has brought them.
A Focus on Lasting Impact
The best retreats don’t end when the event does. To ensure a company retreat has lasting impact, it’s important to design the experience with clear takeaways that can be applied long after the event ends.
We’re seeing agendas and itineraries include workshops, brainstorming sessions, or collaborative problem-solving activities during the retreat that allow team members to generate solutions that can be implemented in their daily work.
Additionally, follow-up initiatives – such as regular check-ins, feedback loops, or support for implementing new ideas – help keep the momentum going. By fostering an environment of reflection, openness, and continuous learning, a well-executed retreat can not only boost morale but also create lasting organizational change, ensuring the lessons and insights gained have a meaningful, sustained impact.
Looking to plan a retreat that aligns with the future of work?
Let’s build something extraordinary together.