πŸ™‹πŸ½β€β™€οΈ I love building experiences.

🌏 In Dec, I built a 3-day immersive, interactive, & experiential virtual offsite for our very distributed global team.

πŸ”‘ Here are a few things I've learned that can help you build great online experiences too!

[ a thread ] πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡
⏰ #1 - Timing Is Everything!

Finding the right time is your first to-do! Think about:
- the size of your team
- ALL the involved time zones
- the goal of your offsite
- how much time you will need

Finding a time that works for everyone can be challenging, but not impossible!
πŸ“… #2 - What’s On The Agenda?

Decide on a theme. This will help keep all the activities focused.

Keep your agenda engaged & present, include:
- meaningful work
- fun team bonding activities
- short offline breaks

Our theme was inspired by @firstround & @TrustSitka
πŸ“© #3 - Communication is KEY

- Set up 1 comms channel for the event
- Send out emails & participant prep material early
- Take notes with clear action items after every session

You can download our Participant Experience Kit template here - bit.ly/virtual-offsit… πŸ‘‡
🧰 #4 - Create A Tech Toolkit That Works for YOU!

We leveraged tools we use daily to reduce technical difficulties. @zoom_us, @SlackHQ & @Google Suite were our anchors!

@MiroHQ, @Spotify & @Airbnb's Online Experiences were new tools that made the offsite EVEN BETTER!
πŸŽ‰ #5 - It’s All About Team Spirit

Your team offsite is for the team β€” to support them, recognize them, & build with them towards bigger success.

You can find all our Day#3 activities to appreciate our team here: bit.ly/virtual-offsit…

*including our virtual team portrait! πŸ–Ό
πŸ™Œ #6 - Final, Dos & Don’ts

πŸ‘ DO
- invite external speakers
- set a clear agenda & get feedback
- have a facilitator
- create a cohesive experience
- have interactive sessions

πŸ‘Ž DON'T
- pack the agenda
- just have keynotes
- forget to take notes / wrap-up
It is a challenge to facilitate the same offline atmosphere, online; but definitely not impossible.

As I write this, the world is still uncertain. So don’t hold back or hesitate, get that virtual team offsite on the calendar as soon as possible!
Investing in your team's happiness benefits everyone!

I hope my lessons, templates & supporting resources help you plan a great experience. You can check out the article on @techstars - bit.ly/virtual-offsit…

Happy planning!! Here is you have questions! πŸ™‹πŸ½β€β™€οΈ

β€’ β€’ β€’

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