Advantages of Having Business Meetings Outside the Office

Meetings are part of anyone’s corporate life, and having meetings around the office is not always a productive cadence, the need to break the routine is sometimes necessary to increase stakeholders’ productivity, enhance project team members’ communication, and/or move a project from an impasse state.

Hosting a meeting outside the office has a myriad of benefits both for the employer and their employees. A meeting that takes place at an elegant café or restaurant for example, has the potential to boost employee productivity, elevate focus, and make for a happier workforce.

Here are some advantages and selection criteria to consider when selecting your offsite meeting location.

A Welcoming Environment

The main benefit of hosting out-of-office meetings is the fantastic change of environment. A new environment brings a noticeable change in atmosphere which in turn positively impacts employee behavior.

According to Gallup, a reported 70% of workers feel disengaged from their workday, a disengaged employees cost in the US alone between $450 billion and $550 billion annually.

Away from the formal office, employees are more inclined to participate in the meeting. Employees become bolder, more outspoken, and more eager to prove themselves. The invisible boundaries between the employees or project team members are eased, which makes the employees more vocal in expressing their opinions and able to break any project barriers. Moreover, no longer the meeting is boring and uninteresting; instead, it has turned into something valuable and memorable.

Fewer Distractions

According to Cornerstone Dynamics, 92% of workers surveyed admitted they multitask in meetings. And, as per to Atlassian, the average employee is interrupted from their work 56 times a day, and that the average employee spends two hours a day recovering from interruptions.

Within the office, employees tend to get interrupted by others and get sidetracked by unrelated project activities. All of which reduce employees effectiveness and productivity. In offsite meetings however, there are far less distractions, have a better chance to stay on-topic, and hence, leads to a much more productivity.

Aid Facilities

In order to make a meeting effective, meeting aids like Wi-Fi, an overhead projector or screen sharing capabilities, a microphone, and meeting privacy, will likely be required. You will need to make sure that the hosting location has all meeting facilities you need to conduct the meeting successfully and effectively.

Better Culture & Better Morale

Being outside is very healthy for the staff. It improves participants’ morale, boosts their overall energy, reduce employee turnover, and hence increase their productivity levels. For more added benefits, you can have an outdoor or activity segment part of your meeting, this will leave participants recharged, more energized, and ready to take on new assignments or break any current project barriers.

Better Relations

OnTheClick research finds that employee performance improves up to 20% when employees are able to interact.

An outside meeting allows employees to interact and socialize with their colleagues and form essential bonds with the rest of the workforce. It is a great opportunity for networking and forming important connections. Employees need to improve their social and soft skills just as much as their work capabilities; an outside meeting is a great place to do so, especially for introverts.

Now you are presented with all the merits of hosting a business meetings outside the office, you will probably be looking for a place for your next team meeting soon. With the unlimited free Wi-Fi, great meeting aid capabilities, refreshing drinks, tasty food, and great ambient setting, Cascada provides you all of the features presented in today’s list and more. Please check us out and give us a call or send us a message through our website, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to book your place today.