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

If you hear about an organization retreat, you may think touring to an city vacation spot with large 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 an enthralling, nature-filled city alongside the Pacific Ocean.

Nevertheless, 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 outside actions and epicurean pursuits than company technique periods, Monterey could not appear to be the standard vacation spot for a enterprise journey. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a terrific place for our content material crew to strengthen bonds and foster in-person connections.

Listed here are some explanation why it labored for us and a few issues to think about when selecting a vacation spot for a team-building, off-site retreat of your individual.

Feels distant with out being distant

The great thing about Monterey — properly, apart from the seaside cliffs, clear blue water, rolling hills and colourful piers — is that it is truly 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 will be excessive and route choices restricted. Since TPG staffers have been flying to California from completely different cities world wide, San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) provided cheaper and extra direct flight choices. SFO is a couple of 1 1/2- to two-hour drive from Monterey, so TPG organized transportation through a shuttle bus service. The opposite Northern California airport choice is San Jose Mineta Worldwide Airport (SJC), and a few TPG staffers discovered flights there. In fact, neither choice is as handy as flying on to the vacation spot, however it does show that internet hosting a retreat in a scenic vacation spot is not as troublesome 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 mates, catch a present, go to a sports activities recreation or do one thing else as soon as the work day ends. Nevertheless, 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 top-of-the-line bonding experiences was spending free time exploring the world’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 consequence that’s positively value a bit of additional planning and transportation time.

Entry to factors motels with assembly areas

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

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

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

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

Monterey can be residence to another factors motels with assembly and occasion areas. For instance, vacationers who favor Marriott properties can keep on the Monterey Marriott or Monterey Seaside Lodge, a Tribute Portfolio Lodge. Corporations which have many IHG One Rewards members can decide to remain on the InterContinental The Clement Monterey.

Internet hosting an organization retreat at a factors resort will 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 may also earn some assembly planner factors. The prospect of incomes factors and elite standing may persuade extra crew 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 enables workers members to earn factors whereas staying there.

Loads of crew bonding actions

Planning an organization journey is completely different from planning a household trip or a getaway with mates as a result of there are a lot of extra pursuits and opinions to think about. For instance, some folks will wish to loosen up when conferences finish, whereas others might be desperate to do one thing lively.

“When on firm work journeys, you may have lots of completely different personalities, however Monterey had loads of crew 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 a listing of potential choices all through Monterey County that included a guided hike in Huge Sur, a kayaking paddle round Monterey Bay, a biking expedition on the town, a leisurely stroll via 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 via the Monterey Bay Nationwide Marine Sanctuary. We paddled round seals, sea lions and otters for a couple of hours whereas the guides taught us all in regards to the space’s ecosystem.

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

Credit score Playing cards Editor Daisy Hernandez chosen the biking choice. “E-biking was an effective way to see Monterey up shut and private,” she stated. “We rode via cute neighborhoods and acquired to see whales and sea otters. The information we had did a wonderful job of displaying us beautiful views and sharing a few of the native historical past.”

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

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

Key takeaway: Stunning views, leisure actions and shared experiences are the proper mixture with regards 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 closing evening 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 approach to finish the journey and have a good time the work we completed in the course of 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 one in all 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 couple of.

You may additionally contemplate internet hosting an occasion at one of many space’s different lovely locales, akin to a close-by golf course (like the enduring Pebble Seaside 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 evening, the TPG crew break up into 5 small dinner teams and ate at completely different eating places round city: Montrio, Alvarado Road Brewery, Flaherty’s, Schooners and Wild Fish.

“I liked 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 have 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 completely different groups on the dinner; I liked 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 is perhaps a greater approach 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 house for mingling.

Straightforward methods to increase

Avid vacationers understand how horrible it’s to depart a vacation spot and really feel such as you did not get to really expertise it. From iconic golf programs to Huge Sur’s scenic climbing 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 replicate on the week of conferences, however 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 prolong my journey a couple of further days to see the world,” 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 liked by celebrities like Taylor Swift situated in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea.”

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

“I would suggest biking over the Golden Gate Bridge, hopping on a ferry to Alcatraz and burning some small change on the Musee Mecanique — an enchanting assortment of vintage arcade machines which might be 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 prolong their keep to have a extra well-rounded expertise. It is also a serious plus when firms ask resort and journey companions upfront in regards to the charges for including on further nights.

A lot 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 have been just a little farther away — just like the dinner occasion at Rustique Vineyard — the entire TPG crew hopped on a big shuttle bus.

Once I awakened early one morning, I used to be capable of Uber to Carmel-by-the-Sea and revel 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 straightforward to search out transportation again to the resort. It could’ve been troublesome 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 assorted space airports to Monterey. Some selected to lease 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 providers or different transportation choices are troublesome to entry.

Suggestions for planning your individual firm retreat

The coronavirus pandemic made many firms let go of workplace areas and put group gatherings on maintain. Years later, thousands and thousands of Individuals nonetheless work remotely.

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

It is good to choose 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 crew getaway, there are a couple of key issues to think about. 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 motels with frequent areas that promote group gatherings and permit everybody to mingle in an informal 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 an identical vacation spot, you will discover how the facility of journey and shared experiences can foster connection and strengthen crew bonds.

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