An event to remember: break the routine with a well-planned corporate gathering.

• Author: Kinder, Peri
• Position: Corporate Meetings - GEP Destination Management

With computers, cell phones, the internet and other distractions, it's often difficult to take the office away from the executive team or employees. So, instead, maybe take the team away from the office.

A well-planned corporate event or retreat can boost morale, encourage better performance, create a stronger team in the workplace and even provide service to the community. But, in today's economy, is a retreat worth all the effort and cost? "Absolutely, yes," says Chris Lavoie, general manager for GEP Destination Management.

"It's hard to measure the value of an event versus the cost. Sometimes the returns are intangible, like employees feeling more valued or they become more willing to work toward the company's goals"

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Why Go Off-site

A retreat for employees, management teams, board members or executives doesn't have to be held at an elaborate five-star hotel. In fact, the more creative the event, the more memorable it seems to be. Lavoie suggests using the term "experiential learning" instead of the often cringe-inducing "team building" to get employees more invested in the activity.

Getting out of the office and seeing coworkers in different situations can put a different spin on employee interactions and attitudes toward projects. "I like to compare team building to dating," he says. "You can't really get to know someone by email or phone or even video conferences. When they are totally removed from the happenings of the office, they really get to know the people they work with"

Getting attendees away from day-to-day communications and activities can help them focus on the purpose of the meeting and might encourage them to be more fully engaged in the discussions. Often, some event planners take it a step further.

"Some groups collect employees' cell phones as they go into the meetings so the employees are not checking emails constantly or playing with their Blackberries," Lavoie says. "You don't want to organize an event and then have the attendees not paying attention."

Be Creative

With so many fun activities available throughout the state, Lavoie suggests taking the time to decide what the company's goals are for the event. Determine if the group is creative or conservative, men or women (or both), attorneys or salespeople, and then customize the event to fit the demographics.

Service-oriented activities are very popular. One company organized a build-a-bike event where each team was given a bike to assemble...