Much more than team building, a team offsite combines strategic thinking, a shared experience and good company to help a team reconnect and shape what comes next.
A team offsite is a work trip held away from the usual workplace. It gives a team the space to step back, work on important topics and strengthen relationships. It usually combines thinking sessions, a group activity, shared meals, informal time and, often, an overnight stay.
It is also called a company retreat, a team retreat or a residential seminar.
A team offsite can include a seminar and a team-building activity, but it goes further: it turns these moments into a shared experience, extended by meals, the evening and sometimes an overnight stay.
| Format | Main objective | Duration | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team building | Strengthen bonds through an activity | A few hours to a day | Game, challenge, workshop or sports activity |
| Seminar | Inform, train or decide | Half a day to several days | Presentations, meetings and workshops |
| Company party | Celebrate and say thank you | An evening or a day | Meal, entertainment and festivities |
| Team offsite | Work, reconnect and create a shared memory | One day or more | Work, activity, meals, free time and accommodation |
In practice, the right format depends less on what it is called than on the change you expect when the team gets back.
An offsite does not automatically create cohesion. Several studies do, however, show the value of meeting in person, having a structured objective and working in an environment with fewer distractions.
A study across five countries found that pairs working over video call generated fewer creative ideas than pairs working face to face. No comparable disadvantage was found when it came to selecting ideas.
Brucks & Levav, Nature, 2022 Read the study in Nature ↗A meta-analysis found a moderate positive effect of team building, particularly on how people feel about the team and on work processes. Goals, roles, relationships and problem solving are four key levers.
Klein et al., Small Group Research, 2009 Read the meta-analysis ↗One study measured better performance on a creativity test after four days in nature without technology. The authors note they cannot separate the effect of nature from the effect of disconnecting.
Atchley, Strayer & Atchley, PLOS ONE, 2012 See the PLOS ONE study ↗At Tero, we create one-of-a-kind team getaways, hosted in our own venues in Belgium and Luxembourg.
venues in Belgium and Luxembourg, from Ardennes lodges to day-event spaces
satisfaction surveys analysed in the first half of 2025 (see the report)
of participants satisfied or very satisfied with the venue and facilities (rating of 4 or 5 out of 5)
“The participants were delighted and kept telling me how much they enjoyed both the venue and the professionalism of the teams.”
A spectacular venue and a great activity cannot make up for an unclear purpose. Before booking anything, the organisers should be able to explain what ought to be different after the trip.
“By the end of this offsite, we want the team to…”
… understand the three priorities for the year; have clarified who does what; know new colleagues better; have solved a shared problem; or leave with a joint action plan.
Align, decide, onboard, thank or reconnect: pick one priority verb to guide the whole programme.
Involve the colleagues concerned by the objective and make it clear why each of them is there.
One day works for a simple objective. Two days with an overnight stay leave more room for discussion and informal time.
Access, bedrooms, equipped meeting rooms, breakout spaces, catering and a bad-weather plan B matter as much as the setting.
Mix short sessions, an inclusive activity, meals, free time and an evening programme. A non-stop meeting is still a meeting, even in the countryside.
Before leaving, name the decisions, the owners and the deadlines. Check in four to six weeks later.
This outline balances thinking, activity and time together. It is deliberately spacious: the best conversations often happen in between.
WelcomeObjective, expectations and ground rules for the stay.
Where we standWins, challenges and lessons learned.
Shared lunchA first breather with no agenda.
Team activityAn experience everyone can join.
Breakout sessionsPriorities or solving a problem.
Dinner and eveningWhen conversations stretch out.
BreakfastAn unhurried start.
Sharing backPool proposals and useful tensions.
PrioritisingChoose what really matters.
CommitmentsAssign owners and deadlines.
LunchClose the stay around the table.
DepartureWith a clear, shared summary.
Ardennes lodges or a town-centre lodge: Tero venues bring together workspaces, accommodation, catering and activities so the whole stay hangs together.
Three lodges around a pond, 3 km from Spa-Francorchamps, with an Event Hall designed for work sessions.
Sleeps 67 · meetings up to 90 people
Discover Jalhay ↗
A peaceful retreat on the Semois, with 25 bedrooms and spaces for both work and celebration.
25 bedrooms · sleeps 50 · meetings up to 60 people
Discover Herbeumont ↗
An intimate setting in the town centre, with a bright meeting room and a sauna to unwind.
11 bedrooms · sleeps 25 · meetings up to 20 people
Discover Rochefort ↗
Three lodges surrounded by 130 ha of forest, 600 m from the circuit, with a dance floor, bar and open fire for the evening.
26 bedrooms · sleeps 61 · meetings up to 60 people
Discover Francorchamps ↗An offsite is just one way to close the year. Depending on what you want to do — celebrate, thank, reconnect or announce — Tero’s End of Year campaign offers six complementary experiences.
Private venue, a laid table, an activity and atmosphere: the complete format to mark the occasion.
Discover Celebrate ↗ TasteSeasonal cuisine served in your offices, a private venue or an unusual space.
Discover Taste ↗ PlayHosted indoor activities, adaptable to every profile and group size.
Discover Play ↗ EscapeA stay with accommodation, meals, activities and informal moments in the heart of nature.
Discover Escape ↗ GatherA signature menu and an exclusive setting for a leadership team, partners or clients.
Discover Gather ↗ AnnounceAnnounce a decision, launch a plan or set the course in a setting that changes everything.
Discover Announce ↗Tell us your objective, group size and preferred dates. Tero helps you put together a team offsite that fits, in Belgium or Luxembourg.
A team offsite usually lasts between one and three days. Two days with one overnight stay leave room for strategic thinking, a group activity and informal time, without keeping people away from work for too long.
Team building is a bonding activity lasting a few hours or a day. A team offsite is a broader experience that can combine work sessions, an activity, meals, informal time and accommodation.
The Ardennes are ideal for immersive stays in the heart of nature. To limit travel fatigue, choose a venue less than two hours away for most participants. The choice also depends on accommodation capacity and how much of a change of scenery you are looking for.
The activity should be accessible to everyone and consistent with your objective: a collaborative challenge, a creative workshop, a mystery game, a cooking activity or an outdoor experience. Always plan a fallback in case of bad weather.
Assess the participants’ experience, what they learned and the changes you can observe. A survey right after the event can be followed by a review four to six weeks later to check whether decisions have been put into practice.
It is best to start several months ahead, especially for a large group, an overnight stay or full venue hire. First set the dates, the number of participants, the objective and the budget.
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