After all the chaos of 2020/2021, more agencies are finally ready to host in-person events again!

Being in person is so powerful. Just about all of us live and work remotely – which can leave you and any advisors on your team feeling a little isolated and lonely in business. Cue the annual business retreat!

But the planning process can be overwhelming. What does it take? How far out should you be planning? When do you know it’s time to go in person? Let’s dive into our top tips for planning your next agency retreat.

Find the best location.

This is one of the first things to consider before you start laying out your retreat content. Here are some things to consider:

• What type of ambiance do you want?
• How packed will your schedule be?
• Where are the majority of attendees coming from?
• How many rooms do you need?
• Will you be needing to rent a conference space for your workshops?
• Do you plan to include site inspections or activities into your curriculum?

Make sure that you are factoring in your budget while researching locations. If your agents are responsible for booking their own transportation, it is best to ensure that there is an easily accessible airport nearby.

Plan your retreat’s focus.

There are several ways to hold an agency retreat planning. Do you want your retreat more laid back and relaxed (more of a vacation style with networking) or do you want specific speaking topics, guest experts, and structure?

There’s no right or wrong, it just depends on your specific goal of the retreat and what you want your attendees to get out of it.

To help ensure that you are covering the topics that your agents care to hear about, we recommend creating a short survey to send out to your advisors first! That way you can ensure everyone leaves the retreat with the information they need to propel their travel business further.

Start planning sooner rather than later.

This is a motto that we live by! It is best to start planning at least three months ahead of time. This gives you plenty of time to nail down dates, location, and the main curriculum.

After those pieces are finalized you can start on the fun parts like what snacks to keep stocked in the fridge, any dinner reservations you will be doing, or team bonding activities! Make sure that you are mindful of heavy travel seasons so that your agents can be as present as possible.

Schedule an agency brand shoot during your time together.

Brand photoshoots are so important and we highly recommend capitalizing on your time together!

To ensure that you capture all of the images you want, we recommend creating a Pinterest board of photo inspiration and a shot list for your photographer. You will want a mix of team images, individual images, and still shots. Bonus points if you are able to capture some B roll video to use for social media graphics or on your website!

Look for local professional photographers in your area. If you are traveling internationally, be sure to check out Flytograher! Once you get the photos back, make sure to drop them into a shareable Google Drive with all of your agents.

Consider bringing in a professional speaker.

Speakers are a great way to deliver really important content from a new perspective! Plus this gives you a break as a host from creating and delivering all the content.

Last year we attended a company retreat with La Macchia Jetstream in Cancun, and it was amazing! We talked all about how to carve out their own brand underneath a host, ways to improve their marketing plan, and tips to creating a excellent client experience! If you were ever interested in working with us on your next retreat, shoot us an email to hello@tiquehq.com!

Retreats are so much fun and a great way to create a strong company culture in your travel business! Where will your next retreat be?!