The Resurgence of Corporate Retreats
Fortune 500 companies and small businesses are eagerly embracing new corporate retreat ideas as a means to develop exciting innovation strategies. In 2012, Forbes reported that business travel and business event spending were finally recovering after the 2008 recession.
Yet, approaches to company-wide and the more focused executive retreats reflect new upper management thinking that is driven by commitments to increased productivity.
There is nothing like a corporate retreat to boost morale and spark meaningful interaction among colleagues, co-workers and potential employees but the clear objective must be productive interaction, a standard often lost in pre-recession retreats.
Hey by the way, we are expert corporate retreaters. We wrote a free guide to help you get started on planning your next event. Click this image to read more:
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Corporate Retreat Venus in Maine
The resurgence of corporate retreat spending has prompted potential venues in Maine to provide innovative products, services and facilities that encourage productive communication among participants.
Corporate retreat venues in Maine recognize that their first objective is to present the happy combination of beautiful outdoors environment, activities and entertainment that is most conducive to productive strategizing.
The bottom line is that responsible management expects results from retreat expenditures. Warm fuzzy feelings are great but not enough to make CEO hearts flutter.
Corporate retreat industry insiders understand top brass expectations and have reconfigured products and venues to ensure success. Hence, the corporate retreat marketplace is replete with inspired sites and activities that inspire as well as entertain.
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Traditional Corporate Retreat Goals
Pre-recession corporate retreats leaned toward lavish events that often made regrettable brand statements as well as failed to engage traditional retreat objectives:
- Improved corporate interaction
- Tangible rewards for deserving employees
- A platform to promote corporate goals and objectives
- A tool for recruitment
- Opportunities to increase company-wide skills
- Venues to introduce new products
- Promote strategy debates
Pre-recession corporate retreats often focused on entertainment to break the ice and set the tone to achieve these goals. Today, lavish spending is closely scrutinized and generally discouraged in the boardroom.
One obvious question for companies large and small is how to justify lost time on the job. Today, corporate retreats cannot be disruptive and must reflect the company’s strong work ethic. This marks a significant philosophical shift in corporate retreat planning.
Maine’s Great Outdoors to the Rescue!
A big difference in today’s corporate retreat planning is the reliance upon the great outdoors. What better way to boost the brand and increase productive interaction than to let fabulous terrain and landscapes of Maine promote brainstorming?
Emphasis on the great outdoors and outdoor activities is not only healthy but relaxing; just what the doctor ordered for successful team building at corporate retreats!
Experienced retreat facilitators embrace a number of outdoor activities as they plan targeted workshops, skull sessions and meetings across multiple days. Choosing a venue that has the right lodging, meeting, dining and entertainment facilities as well as diverse outdoor options is critical to the retreat’s success.
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Winning Corporate Retreat Venues in Maine
With an emphasis on health and positive outdoor activities, the location of distinct venues becomes a critical player in successful corporate retreats. With the mixture of youth and experience that comprise most company retreats, traditional venues like golf courses have given way to venues that offer more diverse outdoor activities.
Here’s what to look for:
1. A little bit of luxury: The selection of a beautiful facility says volumes about the company brand and can appeal to both younger and more senior participants. A retreat with luxury lodging, high tech facilities, plus a taste of outdoor adventure is sure to stimulate everyone. It is the mix of both luxury and wilderness that is hard to find.
2. Adventure: Venues that offer extreme activities like mountaineering, mountain biking, ATVing and snowmobiling can be intimidating for some, but for the right group -thrilling, bonding and even rejuvenating. Lucky for you adventure is easy to find in Maine.
3. Veer from the norm: The availability of versatile and atypical activities is today’s dominant retreat trend. Venues that offer guided hunting and sport shooting are not often thought of when you think of corporate retreats, but enjoyed by so many and unique enough to be rememberd forever.
It is the versatility of Maine’s Great outdoors that can set corporate retreats apart. Hunting lodges often offer a chance for sport shooting, hunting, snowmobiling, ATV excursions, mountain climbing and hiking activities in Maine’s fabulous outdoors.
The spacious living and meeting areas in Maine must be experienced to be believed. Look for Wi-Fi and satellite TV keep participants connected and a lodge that provides a luxurious backdrop for memorable and successful corporate retreats.
Maine and healthy outdoor activities supported by experienced staff are the winning formula that corporate retreat facilitators eagerly embrace.
We’ve been conducting meetings, holding corporate events, and doing deals over campfire for many years at Camp Katahdin. We decided to share our best tips for planning your next corporate retreat or meeting. Click here to learn more about this free guide:
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More corporate retreat blogs:
Corporate Retreats: Great Team Building in the Great Outdoors
Corporate Retreat Ideas: Bird Hunting in Maine
