Planning The Ultimate Team Trip: A Radiant Marketing Guide

As a remote team, fostering strong connections and camaraderie can be challenging. Last year, as the Client + Team Success Lead, I organized an in-person team event for our distributed team at Radiant Marketing. This endeavor not only tested our organizational skills but also highlighted the importance of teamwork and personal interaction in building a cohesive unit.

There were many decisions to make: How long should the trip last? Where should we go that’s convenient for employees across the U.S.? What are the best lodging options? How can we stay within budget? Most importantly, what goals did we want to achieve beyond just team building?

Admittedly, I had never organized a team trip on this scale, but I was eager to face the challenge. And if I could do it, so can you and your remote team! Here are my tips, strategies, and free templates to help make your team bonding trip a success.

Set a Budget and Timeline

First, set a budget and give yourself plenty of lead time, at least a few months (more if you have team members traveling out of state). There are a lot of details to coordinate, and you want to ensure everyone on your team can be fully present at the events you’ve worked hard to plan.

Choose Your Destination Wisely 

We knew we wanted our team to meet in Arizona for several reasons: 

• That’s where Radiant Marketing is based
• We already have two members there
• And the beautiful weather, scenery, and convenient airport make it easy for people to fly in from out of state

We considered three cities: Queen Creek, Phoenix, and Scottsdale. Ultimately, we chose Queen Creek, and it was a fantastic decision! We got to see some of our team’s city from their perspective, which deepened our connections. Moreover, leveraging local knowledge helped tremendously with transportation costs—thanks to Karen and Natalie (who needs Ubers?) 

Remember, if you choose this route with your team, don’t forget to reimburse them for mileage and show your appreciation!

Outline Your Goals

When you only have a few days with your team, every minute counts! While team bonding was a major focus—especially meeting some coworkers in person for the first time—we also had professional goals. We planned to host a brainstorming workshop for our website redesign and get professional photos of our team. 

Engaging your team in the planning process through surveys or quick polls to choose destinations and activities ensures that the itinerary resonates with everyone’s interests and preferences.

Create a Balanced Itinerary

While activities are important, finding the right flow is crucial. Allow time for breaks and rest, and ensure there’s a balance between work and play. Selecting the right activities is key to fostering teamwork and camaraderie. These activities should encourage collaboration while providing a fun experience for everyone involved. 

Also, ensure everything is relatively close to your central location to minimize travel time.

Budget Carefully 

Carefully calculate estimated costs. This meticulous planning can be a huge help. Consider every possible expense, such as mileage for team members to get to the airport, flight tickets, hotel reservations, team meals, activity costs, snacks, etc. 

When the event is over, go back and see how you did! Where did you come in under budget and where do you splurge a bit too much? Reviewing the expense report can be incredibly helpful in planning your next trip!

Over-Communicate Trip Details

Create an itinerary that answers every possible question. Some questions to consider: 

• What should they wear to each event? 
• When should they arrive? 
• What should they expect with each event? 
• What do they need to pack/bring?

It’s better to provide too much information than not enough. Remind them to set out-of-office messages and inform clients or other necessary parties about these dates to keep everyone in the loop.

Capture Marketing Content

This is a unique (and sometimes rare) opportunity to get LOTS of pictures and videos for your marketing team. 

Take plenty of photos and videos during the trip so you can repurpose this content for future use. Prior to the trip, prep the team with content you’re hoping to pull together and let them know what you’d like to get from each of them. 

Encourage team members to create Reels or blog posts about their experiences after the trip. This not only aids in content creation but also helps capture diverse perspectives of the trip. After the trip, organize a virtual gallery to share these moments company-wide.

Do a Post-Event Debrief

We cannot stress enough the power of a debrief! Conduct a debrief (aka “post-mortem”) after the trip and discuss these three questions: 

1. What worked well?
2. What didn’t work well? 
3. What will you do differently next time?

These discussions surface great insights for how to capitalize on the good and minimize any challenges experienced the last go around, making for an incredible next trip!.

Start Planning!

Ready to plan your trip? Here is the Google Sheet we used for organizing our trip, complete with timelines, budget estimates, and checklists. 

Additionally, find our Canva template linked here to help you create visually appealing itineraries and promotional materials for your next team outing.

By keeping these steps in mind and starting early, you can ensure that your next team trip is even more successful and enjoyable than the last. Remember, consistent team-building efforts are key to fostering a strong, cohesive, and happy team.

Radiant Marketing – Uniting Through Meaningful Connections

In the evolving landscape of remote work, creating strong team connections remains a formidable challenge. At Radiant Marketing, we are committed to nurturing a culture of collaboration, creativity, and camaraderie through our dedicated team events. We’re innovating new methods to close the gap between our geographically dispersed employees, ensuring that each team member not only meets but truly connects with their colleagues.

Our commitment to authenticity, open communication, and work-life balance ensures that every team member feels valued, supported, and empowered to bring their full selves to work each day.

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