Hosted at Hotel Magdalena, located in Austin, Texas
ABOUT LAUREL
Laurel provides strategic consulting and project management services, specializing in helping organizations with planning, branding, and operational efficiency. Although Laurel has an office, they have been throwing two retreats a year since before COVID. They call them “ready, set, go” moments to strategically plan and celebrate their teams’ achievements.
The Visionnaire
“Being thoughtful about every minute we spend together during the retreat is crucial. It’s not just about the agenda but about making every interaction meaningful and impactful.”
Head of People from Laurel “Working with RetreatsAndVenues to find the perfect setting was invaluable. Their expertise in matching our needs with the ideal location ensured that every aspect of our retreat was seamlessly executed and aligned with our goals.”
Ciara, who oversees operations and employee satisfaction, puts great love and care into planning the retreat agenda and selecting the best venue to align with the company’s values and the overall vibe of their culture.
MISSION MAPPING
Rebrand & Rally The retreat at Hotel Magdalena was a blast, focused on unveiling their snazzy new rebrand and throwing a party for their tech stack makeover success! It was all about rallying the team, setting thrilling goals for the next six months, and mixing in some serious planning with loads of fun bonding. This retreat was a company-wide celebration that embodied the completion of a huge body of work.
STRATEGY SYNC
Snowy Strategy & Fun The retreat planning strategy was all about designing a detailed agenda that balanced work sessions with engaging activities. Her ideas focused on ensuring participant comfort, researching local amenities, and incorporating fun elements like themed dinners and rapid-fire activities. It was critical that the venue had access to spaces for live music, hosting a launch event, and had several breakout rooms.
The built-in flexibility proved essential, particularly when unexpected challenges like a major snowstorm in Austin disrupted travel plans for some team members. Despite the frosty weather, the team successfully combined goal-setting with a wealth of engaging and enjoyable moments.
TEAM BOOST
Playful Challenges The team activities were a blast, featuring:
Community Table Dinners: Pre-organized groups hopped between different restaurants for lively pre-curated themed chats, turning meals into mini adventures. This setup fostered deeper conversations and team bonding in a relaxed and social setting. Careful consideration was put in place by Ciara to pair the right personalities together from different departments to spark new conversation between like-minded souls. This has become a popular Laurel tradition and expectation for every retreat going forward.
Team Building Breaks: These breaks, scheduled between workshop activities, featured quirky themes that added a playful twist to the agenda. For instance, one 10-minute break was an “airplane competition,” where participants formed small teams to design the farthest-flying paper airplane using available props. Each team launched their creations simultaneously at the finish line, sparking lots of laughter and creative energy.
Rapid-Fire Games: These high-energy, and somewhat chaotic lunchtime games pulled teams out of what they were doing to get them more energized for the afternoon and refocused.
Reflection Sessions: Team leads hosted cool-down moments where the team shared stories and aha! moments, bonding over the day’s escapades.
PERSONAL TOUCHES
Ciara thoughtfully prepared welcome packages for all retreat participants, ensuring each received a memento from the host city. For this retreat in Austin, she included t-shirts branded to capture the city’s unique character, along with a card linking the shirt’s design to the company’s values. Additionally, she added a personal touch by including a note with a fun fact about a different team member in each package. The fun twist was that everyone had to find the person who matched their fun fact, adding an extra layer of engagement and interaction.
REFLECT & GROW
Although the retreat was a huge success, there are always opportunities to elevate the experience. After reflecting on the two-night retreat, Ciara realized that this duration was too brief to fully achieve both goal-setting and team bonding. As a result, Laurel has decided to extend future retreats to three nights to allow more time for meaningful interactions and personal connections, which will help accomplish the “why of the retreat”. Additionally, Ciara is considering outsourcing logistical tasks to better focus on refining the retreat’s content and strategic elements, aiming to enhance the overall effectiveness and impact of future events.
Laurel’s Retreat Agenda
2 Nights, 3 Days in Austin Texas
Day 1: Arrivals to venue
10am-12pm: Work session
12pm-1pm: Rapid fire games & lunch
1-3pm: Work Session
3-3:15: Team building break
3:15-6pm: Work Session
7pm: Group Community table dinners, (split into groups of 6, each at different, restaurants)
Day 2: Full day
10am-12pm: Work session
12pm-1pm: Rapid fire games & lunch
1-3pm: Work Session
3-3:15: Team building break
3:15-6pm: Work Session
7pm: Full team community dinner
Day 3: Wrap up & Departures
10am-12pm: Mission, Vision, Values
12pm-1pm: Rapid fire games and lunch
1-3pm: Client presentation on their experience as a customer
3pm: Depart from venue
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Danielle Leung is the Social Media Manager at RetreatsAndVenues, where she helps shape the brand's voice and content strategy. She writes the company's monthly newsletter and contributes to the blog. With a background in marketing across a range of industries, Danielle is passionate about meaningful storytelling, community, and the future of work.
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