Planning a Corporate Retreat Takes on New Complexity in a Remote Working World

Corporate retreats have long represented occasions for staff members to gather in relaxed settings to conduct work duties. But organizing such gatherings is posing a challenge for companies that switched to operating remotely during the pandemic, as they strive to find the right balance between staff bonding, work and time for staff who want to focus on wellness. These gatherings are taking on a greater relevance when workers no longer have the daily, in-person interactions. “Internal meetings and corporate retreats are becoming more important,” said Linda McNairy, vice president of the Americas for Meetings & Events at American Express Global Business Travel, which is an agency with a stake in the ground. Indeed, new questions are arising about how retreats are technically organized, how employees benefit and who’s in charge of them in the first place. So to help answer these questions, travel agencies and specialist startups are stepping up, looking to play a role in this new type of post-Covid corporate travel. Amex GBT's McNairy argues making them a success is a collaborative effort, shared by the "head of remote" (currently a much sought-after job), and the department or team lead who has ownership of the meeting. “The role of the ‘head