Every January, the promo industry gathers for the biggest event of the year: The PPAI Expo. It’s a whirlwind of booths and big ideas, and it’s a way to kick off the year with purpose. In the meantime, you can gather your team and spark new ideas with a business retreat of your own. By stepping away from the day-to-day, you can help your team reset, reconnect and return with a stronger sense of direction.

Allison Dunn, the founder of Deliberate Directions, says when done right, a team getaway can spark game-changing outcomes. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share Dunn’s tips for how to plan a great retreat, whether you work with a team of 4 or 40.

Small Teams (5–15 people)
Smaller teams thrive on intimacy and flexibility, Dunn says, so don’t over-schedule. She recommends booking a large Airbnb or boutique lodge where everyone can eat and relax together. When it comes to activities for the business retreat, Dunn suggest starting each day with a single structured goal, like “define our sales process from lead to close.” Then, break into partners or small groups to share findings over meals. You can use the retreat to finalize decisions you’ve been circling for months.

Mid-Size Teams (15–50 people)
If your promo team is a little larger, you’ll need more structure and segmentation. Dunn advises choosing a resort or conference venue that offers multiple meeting spaces and reliable tech. You can break people into functional groups for morning deep work and mix cross-functional groups in the afternoon to address company-wide challenges. She suggests having team leads rotate through each breakout to guide outcomes and identify cross-team insights.

Making the Retreat Inclusive And Impactful
A great retreat pulls every voice into the room, Dunn says, not just the loudest. She recommends using inclusive formats like rotating discussion leaders and small group work to include all voices. Also, watch for hierarchy and make sure junior promo pros and remote workers feel safe contributing. To avoid cliques, she suggests randomizing group assignments and seating.

A change of scenery can do wonders for your group’s creativity. Whether you work with a handful of other promo pros or a much larger team, a business retreat can give everyone the space to step back, recharge and refocus as a team.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Allison Dunn is an executive business coach and owner of Deliberate Directions. She’s also a speaker and mentor and has been ranked among the world’s top 100 coaches.