Issues to contemplate when reserving a company retreat — and why TPG selected Monterey

Once you hear about an organization retreat, you may think touring to an city vacation spot with huge resort complexes simply to take a seat for hours in windowless convention rooms and spend evenings schmoozing over room-temperature drinks. You most likely do not think about jetting off to a captivating, nature-filled city alongside the Pacific Ocean.

Nonetheless, in 2024, TPG skipped the likes of Las Vegas and New York Metropolis to host its team-building retreat in Monterey, on California’s central coast. Because it’s a spot extra about out of doors actions and epicurean pursuits than company technique periods, Monterey could not seem to be the standard vacation spot for a enterprise journey. Nonetheless, it turned out to be a terrific place for our content material staff to strengthen bonds and foster in-person connections.

Listed below are some the reason why it labored for us and a few issues to contemplate when selecting a vacation spot for a team-building, off-site retreat of your individual.

Feels distant with out being distant

The fantastic thing about Monterey — effectively, other than the seaside cliffs, clear blue water, rolling hills and colourful piers — is that it is really simpler to succeed in than you may assume. Conferencegoers can fly straight into Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), about 3 miles from downtown.

MRY is a small airport, although, so costs could be excessive and route choices restricted. Since TPG staffers had been flying to California from totally different cities around the globe, San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) provided cheaper and extra direct flight choices. SFO is a few 1 1/2- to two-hour drive from Monterey, so TPG organized transportation through a shuttle bus service. The opposite Northern California airport possibility is San Jose Mineta Worldwide Airport (SJC), and a few TPG staffers discovered flights there. In fact, neither possibility is as handy as flying on to the vacation spot, nevertheless it does show that internet hosting a retreat in a scenic vacation spot is not as tough as it could appear.

One other perk of Monterey’s small-town vibe is that it encourages teams to remain collectively after work hours. Throughout a visit to a sprawling metropolis like Las Vegas or New York Metropolis, workers members may peel off to see native buddies, catch a present, go to a sports activities sport or do one thing else as soon as the work day ends. Nonetheless, because of Monterey’s extra secluded ambiance, TPG staffers caught collectively to discover the small metropolis as soon as conferences wrapped, and we even deliberate evenings out within the close by hamlets of Carmel-by-the-Sea and Pacific Grove. Copy Editor Will Gordon stated probably the greatest bonding experiences was spending free time exploring the realm’s bars and eating places with different staffers.

Key takeaway: Heading to a not-so-corporate vacation spot encourages workers members to spend extra high quality time collectively — an end result that’s undoubtedly price a bit of additional planning and transportation time.

Entry to factors inns with assembly areas

The TPG staff stayed on the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort and Spa and held conferences in its on-site convention rooms. The big ballroom was effectively fitted to our companywide shows, whereas the smaller rooms close by labored effectively for breakout teams and actions.

Informal areas across the resort — resembling numerous gardens, the fitness center, spa, golf course, tennis courts and two swimming pools — additionally supplied easygoing backdrops for staff members to collect casually once we weren’t in work conferences. Plus, the plethora of indoor and out of doors areas allowed folks to benefit from the lovely mid-October climate whereas mingling earlier than and after deliberate occasions.

“I beloved the resort we had been at, with all its facilities just like the hammock backyard, large board video games, racquetball and sizzling tub,” Affiliate Author Rachel Craft stated.

And, after all, our workers has many factors fans who welcomed the chance to earn World of Hyatt factors on a piece journey. Though the vacation spot coated most of TPG’s rooms, we prioritized discovering factors inns for the entire group. This manner, folks paying for nights may earn factors and elite credit, they usually may get pleasure from any elite-status perks they had been entitled to. If we had been paying for the entire group, we’d have arrange a Assembly Planner account with World of Hyatt to maximise our factors incomes much more that method.

Monterey can also be house to another factors inns with assembly and occasion areas. For instance, vacationers who favor Marriott properties can keep on the Monterey Marriott or Monterey Seashore Resort, a Tribute Portfolio Resort. Corporations which have many IHG One Rewards members can choose to remain on the InterContinental The Clement Monterey.

Internet hosting an organization retreat at a factors resort may help workers members earn loyalty standing or stockpile factors to make use of throughout their holidays with family and friends. Relying on this system, your organization also can earn some assembly planner factors. The prospect of incomes factors and elite standing may persuade extra staff members to attend by including an additional incentive.

Key takeaway: Throughout a piece retreat, the resort is greater than only a place to sleep — it is a spot for everybody to proceed hanging out after work hours. Select a property that has loads of dynamic third areas and one that permits workers members to earn factors whereas staying there.

Loads of staff bonding actions

Planning an organization journey is totally different from planning a household trip or a getaway with buddies as a result of there are a lot of extra pursuits and opinions to contemplate. For instance, some folks will wish to calm down when conferences finish, whereas others shall be desperate to do one thing lively.

“When on firm work journeys, you’ve gotten a variety of totally different personalities, however Monterey had loads of staff actions to swimsuit everybody’s liking,” Senior Editor Lauren Wassum stated.

Earlier than TPG’s journey, every staffer was requested to pick out an exercise from an inventory of potential choices all through Monterey County that included a guided hike in Large Sur, a kayaking paddle round Monterey Bay, a biking expedition on the town, a leisurely stroll by way of close by Carmel-by-the-Sea, and a wellness session at Carmel Valley Ranch.

I went on the kayaking tour, the place guides from Monterey Bay Kayaks led our group by way of the Monterey Bay Nationwide Marine Sanctuary. We paddled round seals, sea lions and otters for a number of hours whereas the guides taught us all concerning the space’s ecosystem.

“Seeing birds, sea lions and sea otters from a kayak was undoubtedly a spotlight of the journey,” Rachel stated.

Credit score Playing cards Editor Daisy Hernandez chosen the biking possibility. “E-biking was a good way to see Monterey up shut and private,” she stated. “We rode by way of cute neighborhoods and bought to see whales and sea otters. The information we had did a superb job of displaying us gorgeous views and sharing a few of the native historical past.”

Witnessing wildlife and having fun with the picturesque panorama collectively was a fast method to assist everybody bond. Within the night, when the entire staff merged for dinner, it was thrilling to listen to tales about everybody’s experiences that day.

Plus, it is laborious to disclaim the impact a little bit of sunshine and a sea breeze can have in your temper. Monterey’s sunny climate and delicate temperatures throughout TPG’s mid-October go to made all of the out of doors actions attainable and put everybody in good spirits.

Key takeaway: Stunning views, leisure actions and shared experiences are the proper mixture relating to constructing relationships with others. Thrilling, outside-of-the-conference-room occasions assist people be taught extra about one another and discover frequent pursuits, which unobtrusively helps future cross-team collaboration.

Night occasions are vital

On our last night time in Monterey, the TPG workers took a bus to Rustique Vineyard in close by Salinas for a bunch dinner, the place we gathered in a country barn surrounded by rolling hills and mountains — a scenic option to finish the journey and have a good time the work we completed through the week. We dined on tri-tip steak, roasted farm-fresh greens, macaroni and cheese, and arugula salad, and we sipped on rose of pinot noir from the Balestra Winery, chardonnay from the Gularte Winery and pinot noir from the Silacci Winery.

In fact, as certainly one of TPG’s favourite underrated U.S. wine areas, Monterey County has no scarcity of wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms for firm occasions. You may e book areas at Holman Ranch Vineyards, Folktale Vineyard and Vineyards and A Style of Monterey, to call a number of.

You may also think about internet hosting an occasion at one of many space’s different lovely locales, resembling a close-by golf course (like the long-lasting Pebble Seashore Golf Hyperlinks) or a extra unconventional venue just like the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Downtown Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea even have eating places appropriate for giant group gatherings in addition to for smaller group dinners. One night time, the TPG staff break up into 5 small dinner teams and ate at totally different eating places round city: Montrio, Alvarado Road Brewery, Flaherty’s, Schooners and Wild Fish.

“I beloved that the seafood and produce I had at Wild Fish was sourced straight from native fishermen and farmers situated inside miles of the restaurant,” Senior Journey Editor Lyndsey Matthews stated. “My favorites had been the tempura-fried sablefish collars and the marine tonic cocktail made with kelp-infused gin.”

My group went to Alvarado Road Brewery, and we loved bar meals like burgers, salads, sandwiches and pizza alongside craft cocktails. There have been about 10 folks from all totally different groups on the dinner; I beloved chatting with workers members whom I do not usually work with and studying extra about their pursuits and their roles on the firm.

Key takeaway: Settings matter when bringing folks collectively. For instance, a bunch of small-group dinners could be a greater option to foster connection than one large, formal occasion could be. And in the event you do wish to host an even bigger companywide occasion throughout a retreat, it is best to decide on a spot with a scenic ambiance and loads of area for mingling.

Straightforward methods to increase

Avid vacationers know the way horrible it’s to depart a vacation spot and really feel such as you did not get to actually expertise it. From iconic golf programs to Large Sur’s scenic mountaineering areas and plentiful seashores, there have been many locations to go to within the Monterey space. For the reason that retreat ended on a Thursday, some TPG staff used their work journey as an excuse to increase their keep and discover a bit extra. Not solely did this little bit of leisure time permit everybody to unwind and mirror on the week of conferences, nevertheless it additionally boosted morale by making the retreat really feel extra like a getaway than a required journey.

“Past our actions on the retreat, there was a lot to discover in Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea, so I knew I needed to lengthen my journey a number of further days to see the realm,” Lauren stated. “As a foodie, there have been loads of eating stops I needed to make, just like the Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey for a bowl of recent clam chowder and La Bicyclette, a European bistro beloved by celebrities like Taylor Swift situated in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea.”

Managing Editor Jordan Waller had made the journey to Monterey from his house in the UK, so he tacked on an additional few days to see the sights in San Francisco and make the lengthy flight price it.

“I might advocate biking over the Golden Gate Bridge, hopping on a ferry to Alcatraz and burning some small change on the Musee Mecanique — an interesting assortment of vintage arcade machines which are all playable,” he stated.

Key takeaway: Corporations ought to plan retreats that finish simply earlier than the weekend and choose locations which have many exercise choices. This manner, staff — particularly these coming in from faraway locations — can lengthen their keep to have a extra well-rounded expertise. It is also a serious plus when corporations ask resort and journey companions prematurely concerning the charges for including on further nights.

A number of transportation choices

Whereas Monterey is not a serious city space, there are nonetheless loads of methods to get round city. For some small-group actions, TPG staffers used Uber and Lyft to effectively get to an assigned vacation spot. For bigger group actions that had been a bit farther away — just like the dinner occasion at Rustique Vineyard — the entire TPG staff hopped on a big shuttle bus.

After I awoke early one morning, I used to be capable of Uber to Carmel-by-the-Sea and luxuriate in a espresso close to the ocean earlier than heading again to the resort for conferences. And when a bunch of us stayed out on the town later than others, it was simple to search out transportation again to the resort. It might’ve been tough to interrupt off into smaller teams and be spontaneous with plans if there have been no accessible modes of transportation.

Moreover, staffers had some ways to get from the varied space airports to Monterey. Some selected to hire automobiles on the airport and make the drive independently, whereas others took the TPG-provided buses.

Key takeaway: Do not select a vacation spot so distant that ride-hailing companies or different transportation choices are tough to entry.

Ideas for planning your individual firm retreat

The coronavirus pandemic made many corporations let go of workplace areas and put group gatherings on maintain. Years later, tens of millions of People nonetheless work remotely.

Distant work permits for a cushty work-life stability and makes private journey extra versatile, however it could possibly typically make folks really feel remoted from their co-workers. So, retreats are nice methods for digital-first corporations like TPG to convey their groups collectively, make enjoyable reminiscences and remind everybody of the corporate’s shared targets.

It is good to select a dynamic retreat vacation spot that does not really feel too buttoned-up. It may be tempting to go for comfort and head to a tried-and-true city convention vacation spot subsequent to a serious airport, however there is a danger that individuals may depart extra jaded than invigorated.

So if you wish to plan a extra thrilling staff getaway, there are a number of key issues to contemplate. First, analysis what sort of off-site actions can be found within the space and select nature-focused excursions that encourage everybody to attach and benefit from the vacation spot. Additionally, search for factors inns with frequent areas that promote group gatherings and permit everybody to mingle in an off-the-cuff setting. In case you’re planning night occasions or dinners, attempt to discover memorable spots with good views or distinctive choices.

Whether or not you head to Monterey or select the same vacation spot, you may discover how the facility of journey and shared experiences can foster connection and strengthen staff bonds.

Associated studying: