An off-site meeting that is hosted in your community or within driving distance is not only practical but can also be incredibly rewarding. Cut out the hassle of finding flights for everyone, try out a potentially less expensive and less stressful option; driving to the meeting.
Hosting your meeting in a more central location not only saves you money but also allows you to creatively add options that increase the return on your investment exponentially.
Discover the Benefits of Hosting a Regional Meeting
1. BETTER RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT
An offsite meeting doesn’t have to involve air travel to be effective and, in fact, planning a meeting regionally can save the company a significant amount of money.
Not only does flying cost more on average, but it also makes your entire trip dependent on an outside source to get to your destination. Driving saves money, time, and hassle too. Cutting out the chaos that can often occur because of airline travel could be the answer to making the trip less stressful and more enjoyable for everyone involved.
Plus, you’ll have more in your meeting budget to invest in other areas!
2. YOUR EMPLOYEES CAN TURN IT INTO A BLEISURE TRIP
By allowing your staff the option to turn their business trip into a leisure trip and bring along their family or a loved one, you show you genuinely care. Team members who feel taken care of show more creativity, satisfaction, and loyalty.
Additionally, allowing your employees to tack on a few extra days with their loved ones, means they’ll likely spend less time out of the office down the road. Rather than planning a typical week or two-week vacation, they’ll have enjoyed that extra leisure time at the end of their business trip
3. GREAT TIME FOR BONDING
If you’d rather have a staff-only trip, encourage them to carpool. You could even incentivize the idea of the carpool to sweeten the idea of driving together. Taking a trip together is a beneficial and casual way for everyone to get to know one another outside of the office. Strong relationships between your teams strengthen your overall business.
4. STAYING LOCAL HELPS YOU TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL ECONOMY
Support Local is more than just a mantra; supporting local makes a difference in the lives of the community’s individuals. Not only that, staying local helps to keep company diversification, provides better customer service, and reduces your environmental impact.
5. DISCOVER NEW GEMS
Meeting regionally opens up fresh new opportunities for discovering or re-discovering your area. Have you ever had someone tell you about a local shop or restaurant that you’ve never heard of or visited?
Just think, you just might introduce your staff to a new favorite restaurant or activity that they’ve never tried before.
In fact, Blacksburg is close to several scenic highways that attract people just to enjoy the drive or explore by hiking (there are many wonderful hikes not too far away).
You could also check out historic downtown and enjoy the sites. From donut shops to boutiques, there are plenty of options that will make your business trip unforgettable.
6. FLYING MAY STILL BE A CONCERN
Safety is still a concern as we come out of the pandemic. Some folks may not be quite ready for air travel. Some cities and states require testing and quarantine before allowing people to gather after flying. Staying out of crowded public spaces while in-transit shows you care for your entire team.
Hybrid Meetings Are Still an Option
Have employees scattered around the US or even the globe? This could massively cut down on your costs while still providing in-person interaction that’s essential for the most effective meeting possible. You can still cater to those who are far away but making it a little easier for everyone involved.
Offering a drive-to meeting to a location that can accommodate both in-person and hybrid attendees could be the key to making your next meeting a more involved, less stressful experience for everyone who attends. Hosting your meeting at The Inn At Virginia Tech is a great way to ensure that everyone has a comfortable stay close to the meeting location. Our cleanliness policy is second-to-none.
At The Inn, we have many benefits to our location, from access to our local golf course, our spacious meeting room, and all the technical equipment needed to host a hybrid meeting. We are happy to help you have the best experience possible.
