5 simple ideas to create an offsite theme

Having a theme throughout your team offsite or company retreat can give attendees the impression that every detail was thoughtfully and intentionally planned out. It’ll also help you stay organized and tie everything together in a way that helps ensure your event makes a meaningful impact.

It’s best to choose a theme that relates to your company’s future priorities and is easily memorable for attendees. Once you select your theme, you can incorporate elements of it into meetings, presentations, and activities.

Here are our top 5 ideas for creating a theme for your offsite:

1. Leadership BookChoose a book on a relevant topic and give a copy of to all attendees either prior to the offsite or at the start of the offsite. Either way, a book makes for a great theme. Select a few of your favorite quotes that help get your point across and incorporate them in presentations and programs.
   • Ex: Bill Walsh’s The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership
   • Ex: Cheryl Bachelder’s Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others
2. Acrostic PhraseAn acrostic phrase is a mnemonic device where each letter is the first letter in a new word. This is an effective way to memorize a list of words or a phrase, which makes it perfect for an offsite goal theme. It simplifies messages so attendees just have to walk away remembering one word.
   • Ex: F.O.R.C.E. (Focus, Ownership, Resilience, Collaboration, Execution)
   • Ex: We C.A.N. (Collective Action Now)
3. AlliterationSimplifying goals down to 2-3 words can prevent messages from becoming muddy. When they all begin with the same letter, there’s a better chance it will stick with attendees even after the offsite.
   • Ex: Inspire, Integrate, Innovate
   • Ex: Revenue Relationships Results
4. Catchy Phrase or Motto Remember, less is more when it comes to company goals. A catchy phrase or motto that you incorporate in every touch point prevents miscommunication of the overall message. Create a clear call to action.
   • Ex: Creating Connections–Building Bridges. Together
   • Ex: Millennium: Honoring the Past, Treasuring the Present, Shaping the Future
5. LocationWhether your offsite is in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, or Colorado, you can tie the theme into the city. Pull inspiration from the city’s culture, climate, or lifestyle.
   • Ex: For an offsite at a mountain destination, you can make analogies on climbing mountains as overcoming challenges.
   • Ex: For offsites in NYC, inspire your team that they are where anything is possible if they dream big enough.

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