Planning an effective retreat.

• Author: Keane, Kathy

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

A law firm retreat may be the only time during the year when lawyers have an opportunity to get to know each other and work on strategic planning. Needless to say, you'll want to make it a positive experience for everyone involved. In order to accomplish that, plan carefully, get buy-in on a theme, goals or specific topics, and include energizing speakers and enjoyable activities. Establish your goals in advance so you can consider and plan each aspect of your retreat with those goals in mind.

Planning, Logistics and Preparation

When it comes to planning a large retreat, the earlier you start, the better. You need to establish a budget before you can decide where to go, the length of the retreat and whom to invite. You'll want to lock in your destination, sleeping arrangements and meeting rooms early. Most venues will let you reserve dates before you formally decide to go to contract, so start looking early and put one or two places on hold. You should start looking at least nine months out and then seriously start to narrow the choices down six months ahead of time.

As mentioned above, you will need to establish goals prior to the retreat. Some retreats may focus on sensitive issues and will be more appropriate for partners only. If the budget permits and the topics are appropriate, then invite associates. It is a great way to integrate them into the firm. You may also want to consider having attendees bring their spouses. Get a general head count early in order to start working with the hotels.

Easy access to airports and public transportation is a very important component of your planning. You don't want your group to lose valuable meeting time in transit, so make sure to choose a site for your conference near an airport and other transportation hubs.

Start a buzz about the retreat several months in advance, then keep the enthusiasm high by sending out updates on what is being planned. Try to get attorney advocates who will talk up the retreat.

Available Resources

As everyone's time is limited, it sometimes makes sense to work with professional meeting planner organizations that can assist you in location selection, technology and entertainment. Helpful--and free--alternatives exist. Elite Meetings International, for example, has a complimentary website and two downloadable magazines for planners to use in sourcing locations for retreats based on amenities, location, size and more. Their website, EliteMeetings.com, has more than 2,000 locations, plus reviews from professional planners who provide a firsthand perspective of their experiences. The site also uses a time-saving RFP system...