Lucy Chambers’ Post

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The offsite / local dynamic: part II of considerations for picking a venue for a large team event. Getting large groups together can be expensive. There is often a temptation to save money by hosting close to a head office or locus where lots of people live but this is a tradeoff. There are Pros and Cons both to paying to put everyone up in a hotel vs taking advantage of some people being local. Here's my take: 🤏 Option 1: Hosting close to local participants: Advantages: saves on cost e.g. for hotel and travel costs.  Locals can help orient people to possibilities in the area surrounding the venue. Disadvantages: If participants aren’t hosted away from home, they inevitably have some kind of commute. Depending on the location and their home situation, they can get stuck in traffic or be in a different mindset to participants who are fully away from home. This can lead to delays while they reach the venue or a disconnect with participants who are further away from home. 🔭 Option 2: Hosting further afield (i.e. everyone is offsite): Advantages: all participants are away from home, so the mindset and energies of the participants tend to be better aligned. Commute distance is lowered, participants are typically less late (note: *typically* :)). Socialising possibilities tend to be taken up more extensively. Disadvantages: Typically costs a bit more to host everyone and have them travel to the venue. Less local knowledge of the area. One concern which always comes up if we make the suggestion to host offsite: "but people who live in-country will want to go home to their families." This is a tricky one. I totally get it: I'm not a fan of travelling for work generally. On the other hand, if people are travelling in from further afield, usually they will be away from their families - so the event organiser usually has to make a fairness and a connection call: put everyone in a similar boat, all away from home (which may be fairer) or try to allow as many people as possible to go home. Where do you stand on this? ☝️ #largegroupfacilitation #offsites #venuefinding

Esther Patrick

Director at Keystone Training | UK & Global 💡 Leadership and team development

8mo

While the decision has to suit the client, participants, and budget - as you say - I'm a fan of fully off-site where possible. The greater physical distance from work/home seems to create a stronger sense of being in a different space and greater openness to learning. (Perhaps it gives some of that dissonance/shake-up of the status quo we talked about in this morning's session!) I think you're spot on about the socialising too, and it allows evening activities/discussions if it's a 2-dayer.

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