Corporate Incentives, Meetings & Charters

6 Retreat Themes for Work

A company retreat is a fantastic way to reinvigorate your workforce and boost employee satisfaction. Not only will you treat staff to a welcome change of scenery away from the monotony of the office, but you’ll also offer them a unique opportunity to bond with one another and develop problem-solving and leadership skills.

For those tasked with organizing a corporate retreat, the first part of the planning process is choosing a theme. Themes for team-building retreats can span a variety of interests, from wellness-focused getaways to cultural gatherings in another city.

Here are six retreat themes for work to consider for your next company outing.

Wellness

More and more companies are placing a greater emphasis on the mental health and overall wellness of their employees. Corporations have come to realize that not only does a healthier workforce foster a happier work environment, it also helps boost productivity and performance in the office.

Kick off the mornings with a meditation workshop, where staff can focus on clearing their minds and starting off the day with a clean mental state. You can arrange for a guided meditation that focuses on mindfulness or allow employees to practice their own method of meditation in a serene space.

Wellness events can also include activities that promote physical wellbeing like a yoga class or a reiki session. These are great opportunities for people to get in a little exercise, while also working on wellness basics like breathing techniques and energy healing.

For food, choose caterers that use fresh and local ingredients in their cooking or go the extra mile and offer plant-based meals during one of the retreat days.

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Sports and Fitness

There’s no better way to foster cooperation between employees and team-building than by hosting a fun sports retreat.

Divide your employees into different teams before you head out to the retreat. You can section them off by departments, such as accounting and human resources, or maybe mix it up a bit (so that employees that don’t necessarily interact on a day-to-day basis can get to know each other better) and split up teams by a fun fact such as their zodiac sign or favorite baseball team.

Once everyone arrives at the retreat, host a sports tournament where everyone gets to face off with each other to ensure maximum participation. Motivate friendly competition by handing out a lucrative prize to the winning team.

Sports are a great bonding exercise and an easy way to promote physical health in your employees, too. But if you want other non-exercise options for your competitive tournament, you can also think outside of the box and host karaoke competitions, trivia games, and other fun activities where you don’t necessarily have to break out a sweat.

If you rather avoid competition altogether, you can also schedule a fun outdoor activity like a scenic hike or a kayak trip with the staff. Not only will they enjoy a pleasant outing in nature, but they’ll also have the chance to squeeze in a workout during the retreat.

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Team Building

One of the most common reasons to host a corporate retreat is to promote team building and more empathy between coworkers. Team building activities boost morale and ultimately set up co-workers on a path to improved cooperation on problem-solving in the future. And while whisking away the staff on an intensive bonding retreat might sound like a good idea, the best team-building activities are the ones that never feel forced.

Games are a great way to work on building team spirit within a company. Plan interesting scavenger hunts or relay obstacle courses. Have employees participate in escape room challenges. Or get them working together as a team on activities like Blind Retriever, where a blindfolded person is led towards a specific location by the verbal cues of others.

Another easy way for co-workers to get to know each other better is through ice breakers. Start off the retreat by having everyone share the story behind their name. Or kick off introductions with Two Truths and a Lie, where everyone has to share three facts about oneself while others try to guess which one is a lie.

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Leadership

Leadership is one of the most common retreat themes for work. An executive corporate retreat is a fantastic opportunity to foster better leadership skills that will always come in handy. A corporate retreat centered around leadership typically includes a few inspirational speeches by successful people within the industry, Q&A panels where employees ask field experts about their career trajectories, and networking hours where there’s the opportunity to mingle with industry figures.

Leadership corporate retreats can also include a mix of fun team-building activities and wellness-focused exercises.

Creativity

It’s hard to find creative inspiration when you’re heading into the same office day after day. Give employees a change of scenery and plan an outdoor company retreat focused on cultural activities that will help them find their creative muse once again.

Treat them to a day at an art or history museum, where they can feast their eyes on visual masterpieces and learn all about different artists and movements.

Or plan a night out and enjoy a live performance—anything from a classical music show to a rock concert. After all, music has long been considered one of the keys to unlocking creative inspiration.

Other creative activities to consider organizing for a group are painting lessons, cooking classes, musical appreciation lectures, or photography classes.

Cultural Immersion

If your company is moving to new headquarters or opening up another market in a different country, plan a culturally immersive retreat where employees can learn all about this new destination.

Take them on guided walking tours of a city (a bike tour is also a great option) and stop by all of the major landmarks and attractions along the way. Treat them to a delicious lunch where they can savor regional dishes and local ingredients. Schedule a panel with an expert that can delve into the destination’s history, culture, and customs. Or go to a museum exhibition or performance that centers around a specific country and its heritage.

Plan Your Next Corporate Retreat with Celebrity

A Celebrity cruise is the perfect place to host your next luxury corporate retreat. Our award-winning ships have a variety of venues, spacious accommodations, and world-class cuisine that are guaranteed to make your company’s next retreat a success.

Work with our team of expert event planners, who will help you organize your event every step of the way. From figuring out flights and lodging to planning exciting group shore excursions, Celebrity event planners strive to make your next corporate retreat as seamless and memorable as possible.

Host large group meetings, keynote speeches, and panels in one of our visionary corporate event venues, such as the cutting-edge Theatre, where you can make use of groundbreaking audio and visual technology. Or plan a more intimate gathering in one of our specialty restaurants, where you can enjoy food crafted by a Michelin-starred chef and order from one of the best selections of wine at sea.

There are endless sources of entertainment both on board and off. Enjoy live music at the outdoor pool. Sign up for a wine tasting class with one of our expert sommeliers. Or watch a riveting music and dance performance at the Theatre.

Our cruises travel to over 300 destinations around the world, where we organize a number of unforgettable shore excursions. Go snorkeling in the Caribbean. Explore the stunning wilderness for Alaska. And discover ancient history and fascinating culture in Europe. There’s no shortage of activities to consider.

Starting in April 2022, our newest ship in the Edge® Series, Celebrity BeyondSM, will be home to a new, fully immersive package of products, programs, and perks tailored specifically to guests looking to put wellness at the heart of their vacation. We’ve added the popular fitness classes from Australia’s F45 Training, new onboard programs for yoga, meditation, strength, stretch, and cardio curated by leading experts, even new AquaClass® SkySuites with endless opportunities to disconnect and rejuvenate. Doing this all at sea, which is incredibly therapeutic in itself, makes it a wonderful wellness journey as only Celebrity can deliver. Your group will return to land feeling better and more motivated than ever.

Now that you’ve learned all about the different themes for team-building retreats, find out more about our corporate event options on our website and start planning your next meeting, retreat, conference, trade show, and more on one of our award-winning ships.

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Contact us at 1-800-722-5934 or request a quote on our website.