When you picture a corporate away day, it's easy to picture being stuck inside a stuffy meeting room all day followed by a cheap glass of wine in the nearest pub. But fear not! With a plethora of fun, engaging venue options across London and beyond, we're here to banish the boardroom boredom and inspire you to take your team away days to new heights. Here’s how to plan a team away day that boosts morale, sparks creativity and leaves your team buzzing with excitement.
1. Choose a Unique Venue to Inspire Creativity
Say goodbye to boring boardrooms! Hosting your away day in an inspiring location encourages fresh ideas and open conversations. Venues like Hijingo in Shoreditch combine high-tech AV facilities with vibrant spaces, perfect for brainstorming and fun. For a sporty twist, try Bounce or Swingers, where team discussions can effortlessly flow into games and activities.
Top Tip: If you want to liven up the content of your away day but aren't sure how, consider mixing up the day by running a fun teambuilding activity, or even inviting a performer to serenade your team during lunch! Bonus points for making the day hybrid so your virtual attendees can join in the fun.
Looking for unique team away day venues in London? Check out our top picks here.
2. Introduce Some Friendly Competition
What better way to bond with your team than with a bit of healthy competition?! Games are a fantastic way to foster strong working relationships and have some fun at the same time. Split people into groups, perhaps those who don't usually work together, and we guarantee your whole team will leave feeling closer and more motivated by the end of the day.
Some of our favourite sporting options include putting for glory at immersive mini-golf venue Puttshack, as well as more eclectic options such as Boom Battle Bar (axe-throwing, anyone?) or social darts spot Flight Club.
3. Delight the Team with Amazing Food and Drinks
Nothing pleases people more than fantastic food and drinks, so work with the venue you choose and discuss their catering options. Many venues have delicious offerings, such as All-Star Lanes' Americana-inspired sharing platters, Flight Club's tasty gastro-pub bites, and TOCA Social's heavenly dessert room. Yes, you read that right! For a taste of Italy, host your team away day at Pizza Pilgrims' 'Pizza Playground' - complete with craft beer, cocktails, arcade games, and even a sun-soaked terrace.
If your venue allows you to bring your own supplier, try Easy Gourmet for some delectable options or Sixth Sense to add a touch of magic to the occasion.
4. Opt for Rooftops or Outdoor Spaces
Elevate your away day – literally – with a rooftop venue. Picture your team enjoying croquet and cocktails at Skylight Tobacco Dock or soaking in city views after a productive day. For a more grounded experience, bring retro garden games to venues like 10-11 Carlton House Terrace and plan an outdoor sports day.
When the weather doesn’t cooperate, indoor venues like The Trafalgar St. James offer immersive experiences that bring the outdoors in.
5. Give Your Team a Wellbeing Boost
No matter where you hold your away day, it's important to ensure that you factor decent breaks into the agenda. Not only will concentration dwindle, but people may start to feel overwhelmed and drained, especially if you're discussing important company objectives or directions.
Allow people enough time to grab a coffee, get some fresh air, chat with each other and give their brains a break! You could consider bringing in a yoga instructor or massage therapist for a quick lunchtime escape or leading a quick mindfulness session to help people decompress and revitalise for the rest of the day.
6. Get Away for a Luxury Retreat
Speaking of wellbeing, nothing refreshes and revitalises teams more than a luxury retreat away! There are so many stunning venues across the UK that focus on bringing teams together for a few days of wellness activities, productive brainstorming, and, of course, plenty of delicious food and drinks!
One such venue is Birch, a charming Georgian mansion nestled in a sprawling countryside haven in rural Hertfordshire. Teams can relax and reset by visiting the farm, onsite interactive bakery, fitness and wellness studios, heated lido and pottery centre, and you can even try your hand at beekeeping! If you want to engage the team with some strategising or brainstorming sessions, there are also plenty of artistic spaces to get those creative juices flowing. For some healthy and delicious brainfood, there are also two restaurants with farm-sourced ingredients, open-flame cooking and plenty of delicious sustainable offerings.
7. Follow Up and Reinforce Key Takeaways
A great away day doesn’t end when the event wraps up. Send a follow-up email to highlight key achievements and implement actionable insights. Hosting a vision-boarding session or recognition ceremony during the day can also ensure long-term motivation and team alignment.
We hope this has sparked some inspiration for creating a more engaging and memorable team away day! If you're ready to find the perfect venue to bring your ideas to life, our experts are here to help!
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Gemma Baker
Gemma loves all things social media and keeps busy by creating lots of Hire Space content. When she’s not creating content, you'll find her shopping, exploring or at the gym!
