Sr. Manager, People Operations and Talent

Could you share more details about Transcend and the responsibilities associated with your role there?At Transcend, I serve as the Senior Manager, People Ops &amp; Talent. My primary responsibility is managing all aspects of HR and Recruiting for the company. I act as a culture carrier, ensuring that our team members remain engaged and connected. Given that we are a remote-first company, fostering a cohesive team environment is a fundamental part of my role.Was Transcend initially a remote-first company, or was there a transition?It&#39;s interesting because we were originally an in-person operation. However, just nine days after I joined, the COVID-19 pandemic began, and we swiftly shifted to remote work within my first week.Are there any plans to revert to in-office work, or will it remain this way?Potentially, the future could bring changes. We&#39;re closely monitoring the company&#39;s growth, the team&#39;s expansion, and our varying needs to determine if a hybrid approach would be more suitable. Given that our team members are spread across the United States, it&#39;s challenging to establish an office in each location or to ask everyone to relocate to a single office site. So, the decision is still pending. But for now, we&#39;re continuing as is.How big is your team?We are in the 50-70 team members range.Why did you start planning an offsite? Who initiated this idea, and what was the primary objective of gathering everyone together?The main reason for organizing the offsite was that we hadn&#39;t met in person for over a year. Our last meeting was in 2021 when we were a team of about 30 members. Since then, our team has grown significantly. We felt it was the right time and size for us to convene as more established teams with distinct departments. It was crucial for us to meet in person, to spend time getting to know each other beyond just interacting through a computer. Working with someone every day is one thing, but it&#39;s entirely different to physically spend time together, engaging in collaboration and team-building activities. The primary goal was to bring everyone together at an opportune time and place. Following the offsite, we observed numerous benefits. The team returned refreshed, and we noticed an increase in collaboration. The offsite had a positive impact, giving everyone a fresh mindset towards the end of the year and aiding in the planning for the next year and wrapping up the final quarter. It served as a beneficial boost for the entire team.How often do you plan offsites in your company?Currently, as we move into the new year and finalize our planning, we aim to have a company-wide offsite once a year. Additionally, because we are a fully remote company, we have started implementing department-based quarterly offsites. This means departments like engineering, marketing, customer experience, etc., gather once a quarter. Then, around every October, we all come together for a larger, company-wide event.Why did you choose Santa Rosa and The Flamingo Resort &amp; Spa for this event? What were the main factors in your decision?The primary reason for selecting Santa Rosa was the concentration of our team members, the majority of individuals residing in California. This minimized the necessity for air travel, a crucial factor in budget management, given that nearly everyone was already in the vicinity. Regarding the hotel, among all the options considered, the Flamingo emerged as the most favorable choice in terms of rates, location, and overall ambiance. Additionally, the hotel&#39;s track record in hosting similar events played a decisive role. Their possession of essential facilities, such as conference rooms and audio equipment, proved invaluable for meeting our requirements.What was the primary objective? Was it to facilitate team members meeting each other, establish goals for the upcoming year, or emphasize team-building activities?I&#39;d describe it as a blend of these elements, with less emphasis on goal-setting or comparable activities. Above all, the offsite aimed to unite everyone, especially considering our current size and stage as a company, with many team members meeting for the first time. It felt like the opportune moment for such an event. Thus, one of the main objectives was to cultivate a sense of unity and collaboration. Naturally, team building played a pivotal role, aligning with the overarching goal of fostering team cohesion.How successful do you think the offsite was in reaching its intended goalFollowing the offsite, there was a remarkable sense of rejuvenation among everyone. Even our Slack communications showed a significant transformation. Previously, interactions were somewhat scattered, with questions dispersed across channels and responses lacking thread continuity. However, post-retreat, there was a discernible enhancement in organization and collaboration on Slack. It seemed as if the event had a positive impact on our overall work dynamics. Additionally, an immediate outcome was the camaraderie and enjoyment experienced during the retreat. Team members bonded well, and there was a tangible feeling of satisfaction among them. The offsite also reinforced our DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) goals by providing an avenue for team members to understand each other&#39;s cultures, values, and personalities beyond work-related interactions.In what ways did Retreat contribute to the planning of your event and ensure its success?Retreat was immensely helpful, from providing a list of hotels and potential destinations to a budget calculator. Working with Lorena was particularly beneficial. I recall planning our first offsite in 2021 for about 30 people in San Francisco, which was quite challenging. However, planning this recent one for a much larger number of people was much smoother thanks to Retreat&#39;s assistance. They consolidated information, helped us understand our goals, budget priorities, and narrowed down our options to the top three or four places. The platform they provided for planning the agenda and inviting everyone was a significant aid. Having Jack and John, Retreat’s co-founders attend the event added a nice touch.How can we improve the service for next time?Personally, I didn&#39;t utilize the platform as much as I might have. I found myself relying more on spreadsheets. Perhaps this is just my preference, but an improvement could be to provide a more intuitive guide on using the platform. Maybe a more formal intake process for the retreat&#39;s/offsite planning needs could also be beneficial. For instance, at the Flamingo, I wasn&#39;t initially aware of separate charges for audio and cable management. A comprehensive intake form might help planners anticipate these needs and avoid last-minute negotiations. It could include considerations for conference rooms, seating arrangements, audio-visual equipment, catering, and more, thus smoothing the planning process.

We Help Remote Teams to Get Together 🌐

Guest Speaker🎤 Learn from the Experts

Meetup with Transcend Swag! 🛍️

The Retreat Team Joined In Too! 🏃

Uniting Remote Teams: Nancy Fonseca's Journey with Transcend's Transformative Offsites

Head of Operations

Can you please provide me with an overview of the Las Vegas off-site?Yeah, our marketing team is amazing. We hired a new VP of Marketing about a year ago in late spring 2022, and she&#39;s an incredible leader. The team has been growing rapidly ever since. Eventually, she felt that it was important for the marketing team to have an off-site gathering to strengthen their bond and foster more personal connections that go beyond screen interactions. She wanted to infuse their work with even more power and connection.Sounds great. So, the VP&#39;s name is Branka, right?Yes, that&#39;s correct. She wanted to organize a retreat for the team.Okay, that sounds great. They definitely deserve some team bonding. Now, why did you choose Las Vegas as the destination?It was a balancing act between providing the team with a memorable, comfortable, and fun experience while considering our budget. Las Vegas made sense because it was easily accessible for everyone and relatively affordable in terms of travel expenses. Additionally, it offered a fun and unique setting for the team. We managed to secure a great deal on a fancy hotel where our employees were well taken care of. From the feedback we received, it seems that Las Vegas was the right choice for our trip.Thank you. That&#39;s great to hear. So, what kind of activities did you engage in during the trip?During the trip, we started off with a hike at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, a state park or national park—I apologize for forgetting which one. It was a brief one-hour hike to get people away from their screens and allow them to explore the beautiful desert surroundings of Las Vegas. It was a different travel experience, showcasing the natural side of Nevada beyond the strip and the casino scene. Someone brought a drone and captured fun pictures of the team in Red Rocks Canyon, which was fantastic. We also had a fancy dinner at a restaurant called Best Friend, located in the MGM hotel. Apart from that, there was plenty of eating, some drinking, and enjoying the overall fun that Las Vegas has to offer. On one occasion, we ventured out of the strip to downtown Las Vegas, where we strolled up and down the main street and had a team dinner at a restaurant there.That&#39;s great to hear. I hadn&#39;t heard much about the off-site, so I&#39;m glad to know they enjoyed it. Now, you selected the ARIA hotel. What was the reason behind choosing that hotel?When we were selecting the venue back in January, we had a spreadsheet where we compared prices and available amenities. ARIA stood out because it provided easy access to a variety of food options. Since we had team members coming from different time zones, we wanted to ensure they could easily find food at any time they needed. The hotel&#39;s pool was a nice perk, although our team didn&#39;t use it much since they were more focused on working. ARIA also had suitable meeting rooms, which worked well for our purposes.Thank you so much. Lastly, if you have any questions or feedback regarding the Las Vegas marketing off-site, please let me know.Sure. I would suggest expanding the range of activities offered during the planned retreat. It&#39;s impressive how you have a diverse menu of activities to choose from. We decided to do a hike, which wasn&#39;t initially included in the retreat options, and it turned out to be a great choice. Coordinating that additional adventure to Red Rocks Canyon wasn&#39;t too difficult, as you had already put in a lot of effort in coordinating the hotel arrangements. It would be great to continue offering small opportunities to experience the natural surroundings of the off-site location, even if the team isn&#39;t particularly outdoorsy. Just having a taste of the local natural environment and realizing where we are on the planet can be a valuable and exciting option.

🏙️ City Walk

🎭 Las Vegas Moment

Beyond the Lights: Exploring Las Vegas with our Dynamic Marketing Team

Chief of Staff & Head of People

Shun: How often do you have off-site events and retreats with your organization?Elles: We have committed to having our B.A.S.S. (Bi-Annual Staff Summit) Week twice a year to ensure our remote company has time together in person for those teambuilding and teambonding events that are critical to be in person for. We chose Lake Geneva for our June off-site, and then in January, we&#39;re going to Arizona. We had to postpone our January 2022 offsite due to Covid so the June offsite was our first time together since the August before.Shun:  Why did you choose to go to Lake Geneva and the Abbey Hotel this time? Elles: Knowing O’Hare would be the place we recommended people fly into, and a large population of our employees are in the Chicagoland area we entertained both downtown Chicago or Lake Geneva Wisconsin in the original planning. After seeing all of the options, we decided on Lake Geneva and The Abbey Resort specifically because it had a “camp Catch Co.” type feel to it, which was important for the types of teambuilding events we were hoping to have throughout the week. Shun: How was the fishing? Do you enjoy fishing?Elles: Originally during the planning, we thought we would not be able to do a ton of fishing just based on limitations of Lake Geneva and dock ownership, but The Abbey was able to accommodate us, and we were able to fish right off their private beach area in the marina. We also had quick access to the water by taking the entire company on the Lake Geneva Cruise Line tour of the lake with dinner one night. Yes I enjoy fishing, and so does the majority of our company 😊!Shun: What was the primary goal? How much did you achieve at your off-site event this time?Elles: I think the goal was primarily team building. The question we asked ourselves when planning the offsite was “could we do this remotely or asynchronously?”. If the answer was no, then we added it into the agenda. We utilized The Abbey’s teambuilding offerings and they turned out fantastic – we did “Abbey Regatta”, breaking into department teams, building boats out of cardboard and then racing them in the pool, and we had a half day of “Olympics” with teams competing in all kinds of races or braintease stations. I would say we achieved our goal of focusing on the activities we could not do remotely, and teams being closer than ever upon departure!Shun: What is your specific title within the company?Elles: I am Catch Co’s Chief of Staff &amp; Head of People; I oversee our HR function (BASS Week as one major initiative of that team, along with employee engagement, recruiting etc.) and I work closely with the executive team to drive strategic initiatives and priorities across the company. Shun: How has Retreat helped you book and plan the corporate retreat?Elles: Retreat was most helpful with the third party vendor back and forth and the logistics. Marie (our contact at Retreat) helped us to arrange all of the shuttles based on the flight times of our arriving guests, as well as our downtown Chicago employees who needed a ride via shuttle. She also got our entire contract with The Abbey to the finish line, all while being very communicative on the backend with me and my team. It was great to have an extra set of hands making sure that our flights, shuttles, and lodging were up to par with the experience we wanted for our employees. And when things changed, she pivoted quickly and was able to renegotiate the contracts where needed! Shun: When is your next upcoming retreat planned, and where are you headed? Elles: We have our next one in January in Arizona and then will be back in the Midwest for our summer 2024 B.A.S.S. week!

Team Building Activity

Team Building on Geneva Lake: Insight into Catch’s Corporate Retreat in June

Head of Remote

Shun: Tell us about what you did during your retreat at Seville this spring.Chase: We have people arrive on Monday, and then they&#39;re there Monday. So, they arrive Monday night, and Tuesday and Wednesday are workdays plus some fun in the afternoon. Then, Thursday and Friday, people would go home. We also had the City Walk activity, which the team enjoyed!Shun: How different was your company&#39;s corporate culture before and after this experience? Was there a big difference?Chase: I mean, each team is a little bit different. We had nine various retreats, and all of them were very different. Some focused on work; some did not work. Some were more routine, so it is different per team. But, it was nice to get everyone together, and I think it helped everyone work together better!Shun: What do you think about the structure of the retreat? Did we happen to help with the accuracy and the planning side of the logistics for this trip? Chase: It saves me a lot of time planning the Seville trip. I feel like I did almost nothing, and you took care of everything! We used the hotel you found, one of the co-working locations. All of it was great, and lots of great restaurants and activities. Not having to figure it out all on my own was very valuable for me; thank you so much for your help. Shun: What was the best activity overall?Chase: I did not go, but I have feedback from the teams who went to the retreat. I can&#39;t say what they thought was the best off the top of my head, but I know they enjoyed the retreat and its organization. Shun: What was the most challenging part of running a retreat, and what were some problems that you had to solve?Chase: The most challenging part of planning right now is COVID. Bringing people from ten different countries to one country was challenging, with COVID restrictions constantly changing. It was a pain. Hopefully, that will pass. But the second thing is setting COVID to the side and then figuring out where it&#39;s like the hardcore logistics of getting people to plan their flights, we have everyone book their own, but we also give them guidelines. Then the coordination of transportation, and all that. I don&#39;t think it&#39;s rocket science, but it&#39;s not easy. I think that&#39;s the most challenging bit. The work sessions were optimized for remote work, so when we get together, it doesn&#39;t feel…sometimes it feels to me a bit unproductive, so that&#39;s part of why we made the retreat to go and enjoy the place and to get everyone together.

Workshop

Lunch

City Walk

Dinner

Co-Working and Excursions Abroad: Doist’s Spring Corporate Retreat in Seville, Spain

Community Lead

Shun: What was the primary goal of the Pioneer summit?Mishka: The Pioneer Summit is a month-long event for founders we’ve funded to work and live together in San Francisco as they build their startups. Over the course of the trip, they have the opportunity to enjoy the city, meet a few formidable founders and work alongside other Pioneers. <a href="https://twitter.com/pioneerdotapp/status/1559919730407997440">Here’s a peek</a> at the one going on right now. We’ve organized a Summit about 2 times this year and another one is coming up.Shun: How much did you end up achieving?Mishka: The progress made by the Pioneers on building their companies! From investment opportunities to quicker launches, they all leave the city feeling a sense of accoimplishment.    
Shun: Why did you choose an Airbnb for your Pioneer summit?Mishka: It’s a great way to book reliable housing for Pioneers that have all the amenities and comforts of a home. The reviews are quite helpful.
Shun: What is the hardest thing you faced while planning this trip?Mishka: Finding accommodation that is good, reasonably priced, and close to the city and public transportation.Shun: Why was that hard?Mishka: San Francisco is expensive!Shun: What have you done to solve that problem?Mishka: Retreat was helpful in the last Summit in finding a house that fulfilled our needs!Shun: Could you share something fun you all did during the summit?Mishka: Walking across the Golden Gate bridge with the Pioneers. Was pretty iconic.Shun: How do you feel Retreat helped you?
Mishka: We needed accommodation for 8 of our founders and were looking for 2-3 houses on Airbnb. But Retreat helped by finding one house that could accommodate all eight founders! It was a great place, close to the BART and well-priced.

Visit Class Dojo

Visit Golden Gate Bridge

Bonfire at Land Ends

Pioneer Coworking in San Francisco: An Interview with Mishka Orakzai, Community Lead for Pioneer

Co-Founder & CEO

An innovative software company, Uplift utilizes 3D motion capture technology and the latest in AI technology to help professional and everyday athletes reach their peak performance.As an organization, Uplift is committed to providing a great work environment that allows employees to develop and thrive. And with a fully remote team, it’s vital to create meaningful moments that help foster an engaging culture.Masa brought his experience from leading projects and teams at Apple and Tesla - companies known for their internal cultural focus to Uplift. Masa&#39;s goal was to provide a unique experience for employees that would connect them with each other and the company’s culture. And with the right partner, he could make it happen.<h2>The Challenge: Planning The Right Offsite Event</h2>When it came to planning Uplift&#39;s offsite, Sukemasa faced a dilemma - try to plan the event on his own or hire a partner to help shoulder the burden. He wanted an easy and stress-free process that would still be tailored to the company&#39;s needs. However, he wanted to ensure that the event stayed within the company&#39;s budget. After much consideration, Masa chose to partner with Retreat for his offsite planning.After speaking with Jack from Retreat, Masa felt confident that he could have it all - a streamlined planning process, customized activities and packages, and the best services within budget.Sukemasa decided to give Retreat a try and utilize their expertise for planning the event in San Francisco. And while he was used to creating, planning, and tracking team events on his own, the ability to plan and manage the event with the expertise of the Retreat team was a great relief.<h2>The Process: Partnering with Retreat for a Successful Event</h2>To create an unforgettable event experience, Masa and Retreat worked together to customize activities and packages that would fit the company&#39;s budget while still providing an enjoyable and valuable experience.At the same time, Masa wanted to ensure that employees were getting the most out of their offsite experience. To achieve this, Retreat provided multiple options for the event that strategically placed activities within the allotted timeframe to maximize employee engagement and satisfaction. Part of the plan was to minimize travel time and expenses so the Presidio within San Francisco was selected for the venue. This included the hotel, restaurants, activities, meeting rooms, etc were all planned within walking distance. Also, Masa believed that his overseas employees would especially be awestruck with the majestic beauty of Presidio National Park and the location lends itself well for the perfect group photo with the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge. Retreat handled such details commissioning a photographer for that memorable shot.However, as Masa worked through the planning process, a few challenges arose - including coping with San Francisco&#39;s unpredictable weather conditions. Masa had initially planned a biking excursion over the Golden Gate Bridge, but such plans had to be canceled last minute due to stormy weather. Retreat had quickly suggested a number of indoor activities that could still yield similar outcomes of teamwork while having fun. Although all Day 1 team building outdoor activities had to be substituted by indoor ones, the team had a great bonding experience including some of the most popular programs during the offsite.<h2>The Results: A Successful Offsite Event with Retreat</h2>When teams have to plan and pull off their own events, it can be both challenging and time-consuming. But with the help of Retreat, Uplift was able to plan a fully customized offsite event that stayed within budget and gave their employees an amazing experience.Employees had the chance to build relationships both within and outside their teams. Not to mention, Masa had a great experience with less time worrying about the event planning process. He was impressed by the portal, looking forward to further utilizing for his next offsite to make the planning process even more streamlined and hassle-free. Masa appreciated Retreat&#39;s level of creativity, which played a significant part in making the offsite event a memorable one. Despite some unexpected challenges and having to cancel some planned activities, the offsite event was still impeccable. And with a more manageable budget, the company was able to enjoy an unforgettable experience.<h2>Make Your Offsite Shine with Retreat</h2>Uplift came to Retreat with a vision, and they left with an unforgettable experience. As Masa found out, Retreat is the perfect partner for a successful offsite - offering expertise, creativity, and, best of all, a stress-free process that allows you to create custom activities within your budget.If you want to make sure your next event stands out, contact Retreat today to make your offsite shine. With the ability to plan globally, you can take your team anywhere in the world and provide an unforgettable experience - all without breaking the bank.And with the help of Retreat&#39;s experts, you&#39;ll get a program tailored specifically for your company that maximizes team engagement while still keeping it fun. Let Retreat help you plan your next offsite and make it a success!

Workshop 1

Workshop 2

Workshop 3

Workshop 4

Uplift Labs' Success Story: Planning an Unforgettable Offsite Event with Retreat

 Global People Ops Partner

<h2>The Fully Remote Experience</h2>Commsor have organized their corporate offsite in October 2022. Glenda Gataleta, the company&#39;s Global People Ops Partner, raved over the experience provided while going into detail about the dynamics of the full-stack community company. Commsor builds various products and offers services for companies of all sizes that would like to operate in a community-led way. The goal is to provide a platform offering valuable community-related insights that enable companies to build better connections that strengthen their reach and help them relate with their audiences.When asked about the experience of working for a fully remote company, Glenda Gataleta said, &quot;It&#39;s very exciting to work in a fully remote company within the software industry. There&#39;s always something new to learn in a fast-paced environment that requires creativity to solve problems. But, even when working remotely, we&#39;re essentially still working together.&quot;Dealing with daily tasks while working on building from the ground up and collaborating with co-workers from different countries may be slightly challenging, but it&#39;s something Glenda and her peers don&#39;t mind. Instead, they appreciate the diversity and inclusion that Commsor has to offer, knowing that bringing in fresh perspectives of people from all walks of life can lead to better results. The remote workplace currently has employees from different countries across the globe, including South America and Australia. And while this means there&#39;s a learning process involved, especially when working with people from different cultures and backgrounds, it&#39;s the kind of experience everyone can look forward to and enjoy.<h2>Commsor Reaps the Benefits of Retreat’s Innovative Retreat-Ready Solutions
</h2>Glenda makes it clear that Commsor understands the benefits of remote work, which is why the company hires talented professionals from anywhere in the world. Of course, the only drawback is the lack of human connection from not seeing co-workers daily. But, with the opportunity to plan a corporate retreat as often as they&#39;d like with help from Retreat, employees working for the same organization have a chance to connect like never before through fun and exciting team-building activities.Naturally, when you&#39;re working with people day in and day out, you will experience the urge of wanting to get to know them better. Curiosity gets the best of you, and you start to wonder what these people are like behind the screen because you&#39;ve never had the opportunity to see them in person before. Retreat aims to change that by providing a solution to companies like Commsor that help them connect with their colleagues on an entirely new level. By sending out a team survey, creating a proposal, booking a trip, and getting team members to travel together, employees would finally have the opportunity to see one another in real life.Glenda says, &quot;Seeing people in real life who you would typically only see behind the screen creates an exciting opportunity for cross-collaboration. You can enjoy team-building activities and get creative, which left us on a high note. By the time we returned to our daily work lives, we were all happy, uplifted, and more motivated in the remote workplace than before.&quot;And that&#39;s precisely what Retreat&#39;s goal has always been – to assist remote companies in cultivating an inclusive and collaborative culture that supports efforts, boosts productivity rates, and encourages employees to work better together. After all, when employees can collaborate cohesively, morale will be at an all-time high, which is naturally good for business.By getting together in person at the Intercontinental Lisbon, Commsor&#39;s employees got to see each other face-to-face, learn more about one another, and make lasting memories that have left a positive imprint on them. According to Glenda, the experience was one that made such a difference for a few reasons. She says, &quot;By setting up this fun retreat, it became more evident than ever that what we&#39;re doing is real, and it&#39;s not just software that you don&#39;t see. There are people behind what we&#39;ve created.&quot;With Lisbon quickly becoming a major tech hub spot, the Commsor&#39;s employees agreed that participating in a retreat in the area made the most sense. The whole idea behind the corporate retreat was to encourage individuals to meet one another, collaborate, and talk while having genuine fun in real life. It was an escape from the screens that led to developing real human connections that can improve workflow for years to come.In fact, the company enjoyed the experience so much that they&#39;re looking forward to attending another corporate retreat next year. &quot;Gathering together gave us a real sense of belonging. Everyone could feel like they were a part of the community,&quot; shared Glenda. &quot;We&#39;ve always had a tea room channel on Slack where we say our good mornings, but the interactions are much different and far more enhanced now that we&#39;ve had the retreat. We look forward to engaging in conversation with one another even more since we&#39;ve come back from Lisbon with new banter.&quot;By driving the idea of corporate retreats forward for fully remote companies like Commsor, it&#39;s easier than ever to help employees get to know one another and build a sense of trust that benefits the organization. The only downfall to a remote workplace is a lack of human connection. However, with opportunities to receive help planning the most enjoyable corporate retreats full of team-building activities and socialization opportunities, this is no longer such a concern.

A Whole Team Meeting

Sailing Tour

E-bike tour

Pastel de Nata Workshop at REAL Bakery

How Commsor Boost Team-Building Efforts and Cultivate a More Inclusive Remote Workplace

Why did you choose Toronto as the destination for your retreat?We decided on Toronto for our fall 2022 retreat due to several factors. Firstly, we had a few team members who were unable to obtain visas for travel to the United States. We wanted to ensure we stayed within the North American timezone for the retreat, and Toronto was the next most convenient option after the US. Additionally, we have team members based in Canada, making Toronto a logical choice. The majority of our team was able to attend, and the city provided a vibrant and exciting backdrop for our activities. Interestingly, more than 80% of the attendees had never been to Toronto before, which added an extra level of enthusiasm to the trip.That&#39;s great. I noticed there was an activity involving axe throwing in one of the pictures.Yes, that was part of our closing event. On the last Friday of the retreat, we visited a fantastic venue that offered escape rooms and, yes, axe throwing. It was a unique and enjoyable experience. Personally, I wouldn&#39;t typically seek out such activities on my own, but it served as a fun icebreaker for the team. Given our heavy reliance on screens and our professional context, it was refreshing to engage in a facilitated activity that added an element of excitement and variety.Wonderful. What was the primary objective of this retreat?In Toronto, our primary goal was to foster team bonding. As our interactions are primarily limited to screens and devices, meeting in person allowed us to deepen our team culture and build stronger connections. There are countless moments of understanding and appreciation that arise during face-to-face interactions, which contribute to a more holistic understanding of Glide. Additionally, we aimed to use the retreat as an opportunity for extended meetings, aligning further on our engineering operations, development, and design. The retreat also facilitated cross-fertilization between different teams, promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing.How do you assess the achievements of the offsite?I believe it was a real success. We received excellent feedback from the team, and we gained valuable insights to enhance future retreats. It was an effective way for team members to connect and bond, especially for recent hires who had the opportunity to meet and get to know the rest of the team. As our team continues to grow, it becomes more challenging to have in-depth conversations with every individual, as we could during our early stages. Therefore, I consider the offsite to be highly effective in achieving its objectives.Did you have any specific KPIs or OKRs for the offsite?My main key performance indicator (KPI) was team member satisfaction. As the head of operations at Glide, I wear many hats. Retreat allows me to wear the hat of “Offsite Planner” while also hanging that hat up at times to manage the other necessary work to keep everything running smoothly at my company. For our offsite experience, creating the right balance between relaxed connection and hyper-powred connection is a challenge!  Ensuring the comfort and satisfaction of team members was essential, whether it was setting up meeting rooms, arranging food, handling audio-visual and technical requirements or facilitating memorable and fun opportunities for recreation and connection. I was incredibly grateful to have the assistance of Retreat in managing these aspects because, in addition to my other daily responsibilities, managing everything in an unfamiliar city and negotiating with hotels and caterers would have been challenging. Retreat&#39;s support was truly invaluable. How has Retreat assisted you?Oh, it was incredibly helpful, especially when it came to finding the venue. Selecting the right venue can be time-consuming and challenging due to the diverse preferences within the team. Some team members prefer a location with numerous activities nearby, while others prefer a more relaxed environment. Retreat helped me strike a balance in terms of price, location, and on-site amenities. Finding the venue is often the most stressful part of retreat planning. Once that is secured, we can move on to the next steps with confidence. Retreat also provided assistance in navigating catering options and offered recommendations for various events in the area. Additionally, their provision of high-quality photography was a great bonus.How can we improve our service for clients?One of my main suggestions would be to enhance the app and make the app experience more seamless. I believe that&#39;s a significant area where Retreat can grow, by incorporating more functionality into the app. While I understand that Retreat primarily serves tech companies, I&#39;m the least technical person on my team. So I always hope that the app meets the standards set by my engineers and designers. For me, as an administrator, having a smoother app experience would be fantastic. Additionally, as we expand our operations at Glide, I&#39;m excited to hire more support for our operations team. Having the ability to grant permissions and ensure everything is in order before sending it to our team for feedback would be helpful. Sometimes, there were minor issues with the app being sent to my team members before I had a chance to communicate important information about the retreat. Continuously improving the app will greatly benefit us.Thank you for your feedback. We are actively working on developing a mobile app that will be more useful for your upcoming all-hands event next year.

Welcome Dinner

Meeting

Lunch Time

Axe Throwing

Soaring to Success: Glide's Unforgettable Offsite Journey

Executive Assistant to CEO

Solo.io is a leading provider of cloud-native application networking solutions that help businesses modernize their digital experiences and take the next step in their cloud journey. With an industry-leading product portfolio, over $175M in venture funding, and regional offices across North America, Europe, and APAC, they are revolutionizing how companies connect, secure, and observe their cloud-native applications. The company&#39;s open-source contributions to Istio, Envoy, Kubernetes, Cilium, eBPF, GraphQL, and WebAssembly have defined the industry’s modern application networking solutions. As a market leader in application networking technology with a team of experts, Solo.io is driving innovation to help businesses succeed in the digital age. <h2>The Goal: Gather The Team to Plan For The Year Ahead</h2>Solo.io is a software company that ensures that the lines of communication for different APIs run smoothly between applications. Their core team was based in Boston, but they had teams located worldwide, so their goal was to create a retreat where people could come together and plan for the year ahead.The planned offsite retreat served two primary purposes - to provide a space for the sales teams to come together and plan and to create an opportunity for team members to get to know one another better. The goal was both efficient planning and team bonding. The leadership at Solo.io knew that when everyone could gather in the same space, the chances of being productive and forming meaningful connections would increase significantly.<h2>The Problem: Connecting a Global Team of Remote Workers</h2>While Solo.io has enjoyed success over the five years since its founding, the company struggles from a common issue - a remote team spread across the globe. This can make it challenging to bring people together effectively for an offsite event, as many of their team members would need to travel from different parts of the world in order to attend.Though the company has an office in Boston, Massachusetts, most of its staff are remote and would need to travel in order to attend the offsite meeting. Some live on the other side of the globe - making even online connections difficult to plan and manage.What Solo.io needed was a method for bringing as many of its team members together as possible with minimal cost and effort. And if every detail of the offsite could be planned and managed through a single solution, that would save time and money, too.<h2>The Solution: Retreat Helps Solo.io Connect With Ease</h2>Retreat was the perfect solution for Solo.io’s offsite needs. Retreat offers an end-to-end planning service that works with clients to source the right venue, plan the itinerary, and manage every detail of the event.For Solo.io, Retreat found a location that worked for everyone - including those traveling from overseas. The team at Retreat worked with Solo.io’s leadership to create an itinerary that included team-building activities, workshops, and competitions. They also handled all the logistics of the event, from transportation to lodging and catering.<h3>Step 1: Setting Goals</h3>In helping pull off a successful event, the first step was for Solo.io to set its goals for the retreat. This included objectives for team-building, collaboration, and planning and any other specific goals like cultural initiatives or product development activities.The team planned to utilize their internal messaging system Slack as well as email invites to invite their remote teams to register for the offsite, which was planned for February 13-16th, 2023, in Nashville, TN.The team expected to see around 90 team members register to arrive and began working with Retreat to find the best location for their retreat. With an expected no-show rate of 20%, they looked to find a location that would offer enough space for 90 people and provide a comfortable and engaging atmosphere.<h3>Step 2: Choosing A Venue &amp; Developing An Itinerary</h3>Retreat worked with Solo.io to find the perfect venue - one that was cost-efficient, had plenty of space and could accommodate the team’s needs. One of the team&#39;s primary goals was to avoid locations that would see travel hindered by snow or other inclement weather. And with a global team, they desired to find a location that was near an international airport - offering easy access for those from overseas.Working with Plan Restreat, Solo.io was able to secure space at the Sheraton Grand Nashville, a hotel with plenty of parking, extensive breakout rooms, and easy access to both the airport and downtown Nashville.Using Retreat&#39;s features that included hotel research, contract negotiation, and quote management, Solo.io was able to identify their ideal location and get it secured at a price that ensured the offsite was cost-effective. Plus, their cloud-based planning solution made it easy to connect the dots between the itinerary and the logistics of the event - including dining, and lodging.<h3>Step 3: Making Sure Teams are Comfortable &amp; Relaxed</h3>Once the logistics were taken care of, Retreat and Solo.io worked together to create an itinerary that would ensure teams had plenty of time to relax and engage in team-building activities and workshops. Retreat had staff ready for the event, working registration booths and engaging with attendees. They also helped set up and manage different aspects of the event, such as SWAG tables for attendees and vendors.By working with Retreat, Solo.io was able to create a successful and cost-effective offsite that allowed their remote teams to come together, collaborate, and celebrate their successes.<h2>The Result: A Successful Offsite That Set The Stage For A Successful Year</h2>The offsite was a tremendous success, with all 85 team members in attendance - far beyond their expected 20% no-show rate. Solo.io brought their remote teams together and collaborated on shared goals such as product development, cultural initiatives, and team-building. The event also allowed them to celebrate their successes over the past year - creating a sense of pride and camaraderie among the remote teams.The offsite was an overall success, thanks to Retreat&#39;s services allowing Solo.io to secure a cost-effective venue, manage logistics, and plan an engaging itinerary. Their cloud-based planning solution also made it easy for everyone involved to check in on the event’s progress, ensuring a smooth and successful offsite.The team at Retreat handled all the logistics of the event so Solo.io could focus on what mattered most - creating an atmosphere where remote teams can truly thrive. And when small companies can offer a family-like atmosphere for their remote teams, there&#39;s no limit to what they can achieve together.<h2>What Does The Future Look Like For Offsite Meetings?</h2>With economic uncertainty, companies are often faced with difficult choices when it comes to creating corporate retreats. But with careful planning and the right partnerships, companies can still make their offsite meetings a success - both financially and culturally.Offsite meetings are an opportunity for teams to come together, meet face-to-face, build relationships, and foster collaboration. With the help of companies like Retreat, companies can make sure these events are cost-effective while also meeting their team’s needs. Solo.io&#39;s experience in Nashville showed that the cost of offsite meetings could be managed without sacrificing the quality of the experience.When companies look forward to future in-person or off-site events, it’s important to remember that corporate retreats are essential to any successful business. With careful planning and preparation, companies should be able to ensure that their offsite meetings remain cost-effective while providing a great experience for teams.As an investment in the future of their business, companies should use this time to foster collaboration and set their teams up for success. By partnering with a company like Retreat, businesses can make sure their offsite meetings stay on budget and create an environment that allows teams to thrive.<h2>Plan Your Next Offsite From Start to Finish with Retreat</h2>If you are ready to bring remote teams together, Retreat offers the tools and resources you need to make it happen.As part of our full-service solution, Retreat will help you choose the perfect venue and manage all of your logistics from start to finish. Our services include:<ul><li>A comprehensive portfolio of venues, activities, and experiences to choose from</li><li>The flexibility to customize your trip with special add-ons such as private transfers, meals, and team-building activities</li><li>Experienced advisors who are available 24/7 for all aspects of the retreat, from planning to execution</li><li>A dedicated retreat manager who is responsible for every aspect of the trip</li><li>In-depth post-retreat analysis and feedback.</li></ul>We believe that team retreats should be refreshing, engaging, and meaningful experiences. Retreat will help you create an unforgettable experience that your team will remember forever! If you are ready to experience why companies like Solo.io and others chose Retreat to plan their corporate retreats, contact us today, and let us help you make it happen.Together, we can make your team’s time away from the office an unforgettable experience.

Welcome Dinner, Sky Terrace

Presented by Idit Levine, Solo.io CEO

Lunch time in 2nd day

Enjoy Wine, City Winery

How Solo.io Brought Their Global Team Together With Retreat

Head of People

Please tell me an overview of your company and describe your role.I work for Gamesight, a performance marketing company founded in Seattle but now operating fully remotely. We build the unrivaled measurement platform that helps video game publishers around the world make the right marketing decisions. With it, we&#39;re mastering the art &amp; science of creator activations to skip empty hype and deliver results for our customers.I&#39;ve been with the company for over two years, recently moving from Chief of Staff to Head of People &amp; Operations. My responsibilities involve all things people and HR-adjacent, as well as managing cross-functional projects across the company. As far as off-site events go, I collaborate with our Contracts &amp; Operations Manager, Camille, to ensure the seamless execution of our offsite events. Her help has been invaluable. Is your team fully remote?Yes, we are fully remote. Although Gamesight was initially founded in Seattle, we closed our office when the COVID pandemic began, and we never reopened it. I joined the team after that transition, and we&#39;ve been operating entirely remotely ever since. We have been very intentional about how we’ve built our remote workspace and culture, and we have no plans to go back to in-office. Currently, our team consists of about 40 members spread across the globe.So, regarding the planning of company off-sites, what prompted the decision to organize one, and who gave the green light for it?That&#39;s a good question. I can&#39;t recall if it was my CEO&#39;s idea or if I brought it up to him, but we discussed it extensively, and it was something we both strongly wanted to pursue. We held our first off-site last year, and this year marked our second. It&#39;s proven to be extremely valuable, and we intend to make it an annual event. It&#39;s been a great experience.What factors influenced your decision to choose the location and the Hilton Garden Inn Redmond Town Center as your venue?We selected Seattle as our off-site location because a significant number of our team members are already based there. This decision helps us save on costs associated with flying additional team members to another location. Additionally, we have the option to use our CEO&#39;s house to host some events, adding a personal touch to the experience. The Hilton Garden Inn Redmond Town Center location was ideal, offering walkability to some of the activities we had planned, and an in-house restaurant serving breakfast and lunch. Their pricing also aligned with our budget, making it an easy choice for our off-site gathering.That&#39;s great. The event at your CEO&#39;s house sounds like a unique and engaging activity you guys have.Yes, it’s a fan-favorite event. This year we incorporated two activities at his place. First, we had our leadership meeting, which was a new addition for this year. It was a few hours dedicated to discussing our goals for the upcoming year and ensuring alignment on our priorities. The second event at his home is what we call &#39;closing ceremonies.&#39; As avid fans of &#39;The Office,&#39; this is where we present our superlative awards which are similar to The Dundies, create content with our marketing team, and play tabletop and video games. We have dinner, celebrate team member anniversaries with bespoke gifts, give out new Gamesight swag and prizes, and this year we even had a birthday party complete with party hats and birthday treats. We weirdly have several former DJs on the team, so we also had a DJing contest. It&#39;s essentially a grand finale, a time to just have fun with no work. It works well for us because we can utilize both indoor and outdoor spaces at his place; however, given our growing team, I&#39;m not sure how many more years we&#39;ll be able to continue doing it there.What were your KPIs or OKRs for the event?My CEO&#39;s primary concern with the all-hands event is that everyone has fun and spends quality time together - that&#39;s legitimately his main goal; however, our CTO suggested having a work-related goal as well. Therefore, our top priority for our off-site was to foster a stronger connection among team members and ensure everyone left with a clear understanding of the goals for the upcoming year such that we’d be able to tackle our projects and problems better &amp; more efficiently than we might have been able to before the off-site. From an operations and logistics stand point, we also wanted to get everyone to the event and home safely, with no travel issues, all while keeping our per person, per night costs at or close to our previous year’s costs. I believe we successfully achieved all of that!Can you highlight some other notable and successful aspects of the event? Any particular activities or initiatives that stood out?Definitely. We aimed for a good mix of team bonding and randomization during the event. We organized breakfast groups where I grouped people up - people who might not interact often in their day-to-day roles at the company - and each group chose a restaurant to have breakfast at together. We also had each team choose a group activity to do together. Some made candles, others crafted knives at a blacksmith studio, one team painted pottery, and another visited a cat cafe. This allowed colleagues to spend time with both their everyday team members and others they wouldn&#39;t typically talk to. And as a gaming company, it was important we played games together, so we played BINGO, miniature golf, tabletop games and trading card games like Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, Exploding Kittens, Coup, and Wavelength.How did Retreat help you?Retreat made the hotel booking process so easy. It was fantastic to be able to hand that off to you all and trust that it would get done. I know you worked with April at the hotel to make everything super smooth for check-in, and we really appreciate the service you provide. Thank you. It&#39;s great to hear that.

Gamesight's 'Damesight' ERG

AHIRL Presentation

DJ Contest

Engineering Team

Leadership Team

MarOps Team

Sales Team - Blacksmithing

Gamesight's Annual All Hands IRL Event: A Seamless Blend of Business and Fun with Retreat

Head of Talent

<h2>Effective Offsite Planning: Frequency, Timeline, and Destination Choices</h2>Beacons AI conducts two offsites annually to foster team collaboration and strengthen company culture. These events provide remote and in-office employees the opportunity to connect in person, enhancing teamwork and creativity. Offsites also serve as a platform to celebrate achievements, align on company goals, and build trust among team members, contributing to a more cohesive and motivated workforce.The planning process for an offsite begins approximately five to six months in advance. This timeline allows ample time to coordinate logistics, book venues, and organize activities. The process involves detailed research and comparison of potential venues, negotiations with hotels, and the creation of a comprehensive itinerary. Continuous communication with leadership ensures the offsite meets company objectives and provides a valuable experience for all attendees.Orlando was chosen as the destination for its family-friendly atmosphere, favorable weather, and affordability. The B Resort &amp; Spa offered a suitable environment that balanced fun and professionalism, avoiding the party-centric image of other cities.<h2>Offsite Execution: Event Success Amidst Challenges and Positive Team Feedback</h2>The Beacons AI offsite, held at the B Resort &amp; Spa in Orlando, brought together 38 team members for a series of work sessions and team-building activities. The event kicked off with an introductory presentation that reviewed the past six months&#39; achievements and set the stage for future goals. Throughout the offsite, the team engaged in various collaborative sessions and enjoyed their stay.One significant challenge during the offsite was the frequent activation of the fire alarm. On the first day, the alarm disrupted an important introductory presentation, forcing the team to move outside in the hot weather. The alarm continued to go off on the subsequent days during work sessions, causing interruptions. Despite these disruptions, the team adapted by breaking into smaller groups and using different hotel areas to minimize the impact.Overall, the offsite was deemed a success by Beacons AI. The team, including CEO Neal, expressed high satisfaction with the event, noting it as one of the best offsites so far. Despite the fire alarm issue, the team felt that the offsite fostered stronger collaboration and celebrated their achievement of hitting $3 million in revenue. The feedback highlighted the event&#39;s organization and the effectiveness of Retreat&#39;s planning services, making the offsite a memorable and productive experience for all attendees.<h2>Offsite Success: Achieving Goals, Assessing Outcomes, and Celebrating Milestones</h2>The primary goal of the Beacons AI offsite was to foster team collaboration and celebrate their recent achievements. By bringing the team together in person, the company aimed to strengthen relationships, enhance creativity, and build trust among team members. The offsite provided an opportunity for the team to brainstorm, work on projects, and feel more connected to the company&#39;s mission and each other.To measure the success of the offsite, Beacons AI conducted post-event surveys to gather feedback on various aspects, such as organization, engagement, and overall satisfaction. These surveys helped assess whether the event met its objectives and provided valuable insights for future offsites. Key metrics included participants&#39; feelings of engagement, the smoothness of the event, and the effectiveness of the sessions.A significant milestone celebrated during the offsite was Beacons AI&#39;s achievement of reaching $3 million in revenue. This accomplishment was highlighted and celebrated with the team, reinforcing the value of their hard work and dedication. The offsite served as a moment of reflection and motivation, acknowledging past successes while looking forward to future growth and goals.<h2>Streamlined Planning and Execution: Retreat&#39;s Impact and Improvement Suggestions</h2>Retreat played a pivotal role in facilitating the planning and execution of Beacons AI&#39;s offsite. Their comprehensive offsite planning solution for venue sourcing, allows Beacons AI to focus on team-building and strategic discussions. Retreat&#39;s expertise in handling logistics and negotiations with hotels significantly reduced the workload for Beacons AI&#39;s planning team.One of the standout features that simplified the planning process was the detailed comparison sheet created by Retreat. This tool allowed Beacons AI to easily evaluate different hotel options and make informed decisions. Additionally, Retreat managed all hotel communications, follow-ups, and negotiations, which typically consume a significant amount of time. The ease of sharing information with leadership through the comparison sheet facilitated quick decision-making and ensured everyone was on the same page.While the overall feedback on Retreat&#39;s services was highly positive, there were suggestions for improvement. Beacons AI noted that the flight booking platform could be more user-friendly and efficient, ideally resembling the functionality of Google Flights. They suggested features like setting spending limits and requiring approval for over-budget bookings. Integrating with financial platforms like Ramp was also mentioned as a potential enhancement to streamline expense management and budgeting for future offsites.<h2>Enhancing Services and Strengthening Partnerships for Future Success</h2>Retreat is committed to continuously improving our services based on valuable feedback from clients like Beacons AI. We are working on enhancing our flight booking platform to make it more user-friendly and efficient, similar to Google Flights. Additionally, integrating with financial platforms like Ramp will simplify budgeting and expense management, ensuring a seamless offsite planning experience for all our clients.We are excited to invite Beacons AI to future Retreat events, including our upcoming offsite in Napa. These events provide opportunities for networking, learning, and celebrating shared successes. The insights gained from Beacons AI’s offsite highlight the importance of effective planning tools and collaborative efforts. We look forward to continuing our partnership, leveraging these insights to enhance future offsites and support Beacons AI’s growth and achievements.

Beacons Achieves Offsite Greatness with Retreat: 38 Attendees, 3 Days in Orlando

Director, Operations & People

<h2>Choosing the Perfect Spot: A Journey</h2>Finding the right destination to gather the team for Styra wasn&#39;t easy. They needed somewhere accessible but also inspiring. That&#39;s why Playa del Carmen was chosen – it has that perfect mix of work and leisure. Retreat proposed different destinations and assisted in making the decision, ensuring that Playa del Carmen was the perfect choice.n process.<h2>Efficient Planning and Fun Times</h2>Planning the 2024 Styra Summit was a whirlwind. However, Retreat&#39;s all-in-one planning solution made it a breeze. From selecting the venue to organizing logistics such as transportation, activities, and private events, everything was seamlessly handled. This made it effortless to overcome all logistical challenges and ensure a smooth execution.The agenda was meticulously crafted to strike a balance between work and leisure, featuring work sessions alongside a trip to Tulum&#39;s Mayan ruins and snorkeling adventures. These activities not only brought the team closer together but also made remote collaboration feel tangible and immersive.<h2>Smooth Sailing and Summit Success</h2>Coordinating a team spread across ten states and six countries was no small feat. Retreat played a crucial role in accomplishing this mission.The summit was focused on fostering stronger connections, and we achieved just that. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from the team afterward significantly boosted morale and brought us even closer together.<h2>Looking Ahead</h2>Using Retreat’s platform for the Styra Summit planning and execution was widely praised. It made organizing a complex event much easier. People particularly liked how Retreat handled logistics and simplified the planning process. Some suggested improvements, like adding a more detailed checklist feature for better planning.Looking ahead, Styra plans to keep working with Retreat for future company events. This partnership has been invaluable for meeting logistical needs and improving team unity and productivity. With Retreat refining their platform and Styra gaining more experience, future retreats are expected to be even more effective, meeting the needs of our dynamic, remote-first workforce.<h2>Celebrating Success and Building Bonds</h2>The 2024 Styra Summit in Playa del Carmen stands as a testament to the power of meticulous planning, strategic collaboration, and the irreplaceable value of in-person connections. Under the adept leadership of Cecily Wong and with the support of Retreat&#39;s comprehensive services, Styra successfully bridged the gap between a globally dispersed team, fostering unity, enhancing collaboration, and creating lasting memories.The 2024 Styra Summit was a blast. It showed us just how powerful in-person connections can be. Under Cecily&#39;s leadership and with Retreat&#39;s help, we strengthened our team bond and made memories that will last a lifetime.This summit was a reminder that it&#39;s not about escaping the digital world; it&#39;s about using it to bring us closer together. As we look back on the Playa del Carmen summit, we&#39;re grateful to everyone who made it happen. Here&#39;s to many more memorable team events in the future!