Planning a Successful Off-Site
There’s no doubt about it: People want to get back together and spend real time with each other. Face to face.
Signs point to a steady comeback for the meetings and events industry, which was hard hit by the pandemic. Alexandria, Va.-based meetings data company Knowland Group forecasted in April that the U.S. meetings and events industry would reach 58.3% recovery of its 2019 levels of business by the end of 2022. In July, based on newer industry data, Knowland upped that forecast to 72.1%. It also projects continued growth with meeting levels reaching 106.3% of 2019 levels in 2023 and 115.7% in 2024.
Across industries, in-person event attendance is up 85% this year over 2021, according to the spring Meetings Outlook survey conducted by Meeting Planners International.
With so many companies working hybrid or fully remote, the times when teams do get together in person feel special and more important, which make offsite meetings and events a vital opportunity to build culture and connections. A report on global meeting and events trends released this spring by Madrid-based travel IT company Amadeus showed that the continued popularity of hybrid work schedules is creating demand for out-of-the-office conference space that can host smaller, more intimate business meetings and events.
We asked local venues for advice on productive and memorable offsite meetings during these complex and changing times.
Chris Roberts
Event Operations
Coordinator
Chankaska Creek Ranch, Winery and Distillery
As people have become more comfortable with gathering again over the last year, we’ve seen the return of large-scale client or employee appreciation events. Now more than ever, your guests are looking for unique and memorable experiences; a story-worthy evening they can brag to their friends about! Dinners and happy hours are great ways to show your gratitude, but adding a few extra touches can really elevate these events and make them something special. Add a signature cocktail created using spirits distilled on-site. Set up hors d’oeuvres and wine pairing stations around the room. Or go even further by booking entertainment for the evening. We’ve worked with entertainers from all over the area including acoustic musicians, 80’s rock cover bands, dueling pianos, comedians, drag shows, and even jugglers. Whatever the vibe you’re going for, I’m happy to provide recommendations and share our extensive list of contacts. We hope to share a glass of wine with you soon! Cheers!
Quinn Handahl, CMP
Senior Manager
Target Field Events
Collaboration is key! Lean on your venue coordinator—they know their venue best, while the planner best understands the meeting’s goals, budget, and objectives. With events at Target Field, we regularly must think “outside the box” and creatively take advantage of our nontraditional spaces, while not losing or inhibiting the purpose of the event. By sharing the knowledge of what has and has not been successful at the venue—in conjunction with the knowledge the planner has—the planning potential is maximized culminating in a unique, successful event.
When working with a nontraditional event venue, play up the special experiences it affords you to create a memorable event. At Target Field, for example, that might include a Behind the Scenes Ballpark Tour to areas that are normally inaccessible, including a visit to the field. Take advantage of the state-of-the-art production system to display custom graphics on the videoboards. Have TC Bear greet your guests as they enter or include a photo opportunity with Tony O. Wherever your event takes place, maximizing key venue features is a great way to foster excitement and engagement.
Lisa Filzen
Director of Sales
Pier B Resort Hotel
The only thing predictable about corporate events these past couple of years is that the format keeps changing: Transforming from fully virtual to hybrid and now companies and groups want to be together again. Team bonding time is crucial to producing an impactful, productive, and custom offsite corporate get-together.
Don’t underestimate the importance of variety and pacing to keep your group engaged for the entirety of the offsite get-together. Expansive properties like Pier B allows groups to be together in more ways than one—from the various outdoor spaces and on-site amenities available for team building activities (hello sports court, pontoon rentals, fire pits, etc.) to a more casual rooftop reception gathering. And when it’s time for a focused work session, take advantage of our modern indoor spaces. Pick a location where you can utilize the city or scenery around the venue.
At Pier B we encourage groups to utilize the beauty of Duluth and its quick access to Canal Park, Lincoln Park Craft District, Downtown Duluth, and the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center to allow groups to expand the possibilities past our four walls. Lean on your venue partner’s connections. Our team has relationships with local vendors that can help you create an authentic Duluth experience—something your team will remember for years to come.
TCB Insights articles are sponsored content.
