Rest assured, you don’t have to take your team to the Australian outback for a retreat to serve its purpose. If you can’t afford an exotic trip, or your executives just aren’t interested in traveling so far from family, then try a simulation retreat. Many companies offer retreats held on-site or at a nearby meeting room that are much more than a meeting with slides in a dark, boring room.
For example, they can set up decorations to make the room seem more exotic—luaua, anyone? Using props and themes, appropriate food, and fitting attire, you can make the event seem much more exotic than it really is. Then lead your executives through the same discussion topics you would have done if you really were on the beach in Hawaii, and you’ll find that just the change-up in location and atmosphere does the trick.
You don’t have to go it alone, either. Companies will do as little or as much as you want to help you make your retreat a success, with on-site, online, or phone consulting, setting up the meeting space, providing materials, facilitating the meetings, following up with your company after the event, or any level of involvement you choose.