What is a resort meeting? A thorough explanation of its purpose, effects, and secrets to success.

"Our meetings have become monotonous, and no new ideas are being generated."
"We want to increase employee engagement and foster a sense of team unity."

Companies facing such challenges are now focusing on "resort meetings" as a new strategy.

This article comprehensively explains everything from the basic concepts of resort meetings to their effects and how to plan them for success. It will be useful for management, HR and general affairs personnel, and all leaders aiming to revitalize their teams.

What is a resort meeting?

A resort meeting, as the name suggests, This refers to meetings, training sessions, and discussions held in a special, non-everyday setting such as a resort. is.

This is a type of "offsite meeting" held outside the office, but its distinguishing feature is its emphasis on environments that promote mental and physical refreshment and stimulate the five senses.

The aim is to open the minds of participants and stimulate creativity and high-quality dialogue through the sense of openness provided by beautiful nature and a high-quality space.

What are the differences between this and a regular offsite meeting?

Typical off-site meetings primarily aim to improve focus and facilitate frank exchanges of ideas through physical isolation from daily work.

On the other hand, resort meetings place emphasis on added value such as "refreshment," "inspiration," and "incentives (rewards)."

The rich natural environment, abundant activities, and local cuisine are expected to enhance participant satisfaction and bring positive energy back to the organization.

Main purpose of the resort meeting

Resort meetings are implemented for a variety of purposes, from important corporate strategy meetings to team building to enhance team cohesion and employee incentive trips.

​One of the main objectives is to create an opportunity to unlock new possibilities for the organization by fostering relaxed conversations in a beautiful environment, thereby drawing out bold ideas and genuine opinions that might not normally be expressed.

Furthermore, it is attracting attention as a means of improving the physical and mental health and engagement of employees as part of well-being management.

The benefits of resort meetings

Purposefully designed resort meetings bring immeasurable value to both individuals and organizations. By freeing mind and body and fostering high-quality dialogue, they encourage internal transformation within organizations.

Effects on individuals

First, regarding the effects on individuals, the special environment of a resort brings about positive changes in each participant. The refreshing effect on mind and body relieves the fatigue accumulated from daily work, and concentration and motivation for work are restored.

Furthermore, the open atmosphere and the opportunity to honestly express one's thoughts enhance self-esteem and initiative. Dialogue with management and members of other departments, with whom one doesn't usually interact, provides new perspectives and insights, accelerating personal growth.

▼Key points regarding the effects on individuals

• Your mind and body will be refreshed, and your motivation will improve.
• Gaining new perspectives and insights broadens one's horizons.
• Self-esteem increases and independence is fostered.

Effects on the organization

Positive individual change ripples throughout the entire organization. A sense of unity born from shared experiences breaks down departmental barriers and promotes smooth communication. When management articulates the vision in their own words and employees respond in a flat, open dialogue forum, the company's philosophy and strategy are deeply ingrained.

Furthermore, conveying the message that "this company values its employees" improves employee engagement and loyalty, leading to better retention of talented personnel. As a result, overall organizational productivity and creativity increase, forming a foundation that supports the company's sustainable growth.

▼Key points of the effect on the organization

• A sense of unity is fostered across departments.
• A shared understanding of the vision and strategy deepens.
• This improves employee engagement and leads to better employee retention.

Five key points for a successful resort meeting

The biggest concern with resort meetings is that they might end up being "just a fun event." To prevent this from happening, here are five points to keep in mind from the planning stage.

Thoroughly share the purpose and goals.

Explain the purpose of holding this event at a resort until all participants fully understand and agree. Sharing the goal—that while refreshing one important objective is to ultimately bring 'this state of mind' back to the company—will draw a line between this and mere leisure.

Appoint an experienced facilitator.

The presence of a "facilitator" who is skilled at creating a positive atmosphere and guiding discussions toward their destination without derailing is essential. Especially in resort settings where people tend to relax, we strongly recommend hiring a suitable person within the company or an external professional for this role.

Establish "ground rules" to ensure psychological safety.

At the beginning of the meeting, we share rules to ensure everyone feels comfortable speaking up. This fosters honest dialogue where people are not constrained by their title or position.

Rule example:

- Do not dismiss any opinion.
- Participation without speaking or only listening is not allowed.
- Addressing each other with the honorific "san" rather than by job title.
It's okay if the conversation goes off on a tangent, but be mindful of the time.

Designing programs that connect the "extraordinary" with the "ordinary."

Make sure to set aside time to translate the insights and lessons learned at the resort into "concrete actions" upon returning to the office. By having individuals and teams declare "what they will do starting tomorrow" and setting up a meeting to check on their progress later, you can ensure that the event doesn't end as a one-off event.

Create a schedule with "space" and don't cram too much in.

The beauty of resort meetings lies in the spontaneous conversations and the flashes of inspiration that can arise from relaxed moments. Avoid over-scheduling and intentionally create "space" for participants to freely interact with each other and for individuals to reflect on their thoughts while contemplating nature.

Steps to planning a successful resort meeting

Based on the five points mentioned above, what steps should you actually take to plan a resort meeting?

From here, we will explain the basic steps to increase your chances of success, divided into three phases: pre-event preparation, on-the-day operation, and post-event follow-up.

[1] Preparation

Clarify the purpose of the event.

The first thing we need to address is clearly answering the question, "Why have we specifically chosen a resort, an unusual setting, for this meeting?"

This shouldn't be merely a vague desire to change the atmosphere; it needs to be a reason directly related to the challenges the organization wants to overcome or the results it wants to achieve.

The more specific the objectives—such as instilling management philosophy, team building, or developing new business ideas—the clearer the overall focus of the project becomes, and the more likely it is to lead to behavioral changes among participants.

✅ Points

- Make it possible to explain the "meaning of doing it at a resort" based on the purpose.
The clearer the objective, the more participants will be convinced.

Determine the member composition and number of members.

Who attends a meeting directly impacts its atmosphere and outcomes.

For example, if you want to foster a sense of unity across departments, you should assemble a team from various departments. If you want to focus on the challenges of a specific group, you should limit the team to younger employees or managers. The selection of members must be tailored to the purpose. The number of members is also extremely important.

Too many people can make it difficult to speak up, while too few people can lead to a loss of diversity. Try to create a format that encourages dialogue, such as forming multiple small groups.

✅ Points
- Selecting people according to the purpose will improve the quality of the dialogue.
- Be mindful of the appropriate number of participants to encourage dialogue (4-6 people is ideal).

Design the program and theme.

The real appeal of a resort meeting lies in the fact that it creates a time for "profound questions" and "free thinking" to intersect, something that can only happen in an extraordinary setting.

By focusing on questions that encourage participants to speak their minds, rather than superficial themes, the depth of the dialogue and their sense of ownership will dramatically improve. The program structure should be designed to include "divergence" to broaden ideas, "convergence" to consolidate directions, and "action" to translate ideas into concrete actions, thereby increasing the ability to implement ideas after the meeting.

It's also effective to incorporate resort-specific activities such as walks in nature, hot springs, and other leisure activities into the program.

✅ Points

The theme will be centered around "questions that make you want to think."
- Structured in a flow of divergence → convergence → action.
- Take advantage of the unique space (nature, hot springs, experiences) that is characteristic of resorts.

Select the venue and date.

Where and when you hold the event directly impacts its success. When choosing a venue, don't just focus on aesthetics; also consider practical aspects such as ease of communication, accessibility, privacy, and smooth traffic flow.

The schedule is also important. Choosing a schedule that doesn't significantly conflict with work, such as Friday to Saturday or Sunday to Monday, will help participants concentrate more easily. Ideally, the entire process, including meal times, travel time, and breaks, should be designed as a single flow, creating a natural rhythm of focus and refreshment.

✅ Points

• Choose a venue based on "atmosphere + functionality".
• The schedule should be based on the principle of "focus → refresh → refocus".

[2] On-site management

Carefully create the initial atmosphere.

The atmosphere of a meeting is determined in the first 30 minutes. Whether or not you can create an environment where participants feel comfortable speaking freely will greatly influence the subsequent outcome.

The facilitator starts by clearly stating that "you can speak freely here" and "the goal is not to find a correct answer," and then eases the tension with some light icebreakers, which quickly opens up the atmosphere.

✅ Points

- Introduce that this is a place where people can talk freely.
- Use icebreakers to ease the tension and create a relaxed atmosphere.

Design a flow that deepens the dialogue.

Even if the atmosphere is right, it doesn't necessarily mean that the dialogue will deepen. The facilitator's ability to guide the discussion, including how to formulate questions and structure the conversation, is crucial.

To encourage everyone to speak up, incorporate methods such as pair discussions, small group sharing, and visualization using sticky notes. Adding a writing-before-speaking process makes it easier for introverts to participate.

✅ Points

- Create a flow that makes it easy for everyone to speak.
- Lowering the barrier to speaking through the writing-to-speaking process

[3] Follow-up after the event

Putting experiences into words and sharing them

By verbalizing and sharing what you felt after a meeting, the lessons learned and insights become ingrained within each individual and become a shared asset within the team.

Sharing your thoughts on the spot or reviewing them afterward with a report or photos is fine. The important thing is to put into words what you felt was meaningful about participating. Also, by sharing the content with members who couldn't attend, you can ensure that everyone in the company shares the same level of enthusiasm.

✅ Points

Insights and learnings only become ingrained when they are "articulated."
• Sharing reports and slides with photos is also effective.

Create a system to translate ideas into action.

No matter how wonderful the experience was, it's meaningless if nothing changes when you return to your daily routine.

At the end of the meeting, make sure to design it in a way that leads to action, such as having each person declare what they will start doing tomorrow, or setting aside time later to check in on their progress.

✅ Points

The way it ends can create change.
- Design mechanisms in advance to encourage implementation.

Gathering honest opinions through surveys

Finally, it's important to gather honest feedback from participants. Asking about not only their satisfaction level, but also memorable moments, areas for improvement, and expectations for the next event will help improve the quality of future projects.

Anonymous surveys make it easier to obtain honest and unbiased feedback.

✅ Points

It's best to collect the questionnaires on the same day.
To elicit honest opinions, use an anonymous format with free-form text.

By carefully designing and executing these three phases—pre-event, day-of, and post-event—a resort meeting evolves from "just a resort event" into "a catalyst for organizational transformation."

Case study of resort meeting implementation (IT venture company A)

To give you a concrete image, let me introduce a success story from a certain company.

IT venture company A, which was experiencing challenges with internal communication due to a rapid increase in the number of employees, faced problems such as a lack of coordination between departments and a failure of management's vision to permeate the workforce. In particular, as the specialization of work increased, the barriers between departments thickened, and sectionalism (a sense of being vertically structured) was undermining a sense of unity within the organization.

Against this backdrop, the company To improve communication within the company and enable all employees to understand the company's vision and plans as their own, we have introduced resort meetings. I did.

We chose a resort hot spring inn with a tranquil atmosphere surrounded by nature as the location and designed a two-day, one-night program. The participants consisted of 20 people from various departments, including managers and prospective next-generation leaders.

On the first day, the management team first explained the next medium-term management plan, and then participants were divided into mixed departmental groups to participate in a workshop discussing the company's strengths and weaknesses. In the evening, time was set aside for natural interaction and building trust through activities such as a barbecue and hot springs, and efforts were made to encourage flat dialogue free from the usual titles and responsibilities.

On the second day, building on the previous day's discussions, the theme was "What should we do to put the plan into action?" and concrete action plans were considered. The session concluded with presentations from each team and each individual articulating and declaring what they would do starting tomorrow to the entire group.

What changes have occurred since the introduction of resort meetings?

This resort meeting brought about a clear change among the participants. By having conversations in a more private setting with members from other departments with whom they had previously only interacted in a work-related capacity, The psychological distance between us has significantly decreased..

Furthermore, by directly hearing the thoughts and ideas of the management team, a sense of ownership was fostered, leading to the understanding that "the management plan is not something given from above," but rather "a vision that we ourselves should be responsible for."

After the meeting, we saw tangible results, such as significantly smoother internal communication and a greater number of proactive improvement suggestions coming from the field.

The survey of participants showed that the majority of responses were "very satisfied" and "would like to participate again," resulting in improved engagement.

Thus, this case study demonstrates how holding a meeting in a resort setting, rather than just a regular meeting, can bring about significant changes and greatly advance Company A's organizational culture.

What are some suitable venues for a resort meeting?

One of the factors that greatly influences the success or failure of a resort meeting is "where it is held."

It's important to choose a place not just based on its beautiful scenery, but also considering whether it offers a balance of unique experiences and functionality, and whether it facilitates team stays, discussions, and activities.

First and foremost, the location must offer a sense of escape from the ordinary. Places surrounded by natural environments such as the sea, mountains, and forests tend to facilitate mental reset and emotional liberation, thereby improving the quality of dialogue.

Furthermore, factors such as ease of stay (accommodation, meals, access), the quality of meeting facilities, and the possibility of conducting team activities are also important. The value of a meeting increases significantly if it is a place where participants can experience "talking, moving, and feeling" in a continuous flow.

Let's check the following checklist to see if the proposed location is suitable for a resort meeting.

▼Checklist for suitable locations for resort meetings

☑️ Abundant natural environment (sea, mountains, forests, etc.)
☑️ Conference facilities and accommodations are on the same premises or within walking distance.
☑️ There are lounges and shared spaces that are easy for groups to use.
☑️ There are activities and facilities that can be used for team building.
☑️ Good access from the airport or Shinkansen station (transfer service would be even better)
☑️ It also offers plenty of "relaxing elements" such as meals and hot springs.

For resort meetings, we recommend SEAGAIA in Miyazaki, Kyushu!

Up to this point, we have explained the planning and design process for a successful resort meeting, as well as key points for choosing a location.

Therefore, the resort I would like to recommend as the location for this resort meeting is "PHOENIX SEAGAIA RESORT" in Miyazaki, Kyushu.

Its appeal lies in the high level of blending an "extraordinary experience" with a "conference environment." It's not just a resort; it's highly regarded as a location for resort meetings by companies that are serious about organizational transformation and team rebuilding.

Why SEAGAIA was chosen as the venue for the resort meeting

An overwhelmingly extraordinary location

Located in Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu, SEAGAIA offers an open space surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and Black Pine Forest, making it the perfect place to shed everyday roles and titles and foster frank dialogue and creative ideas.

Diverse activities × Conference facilities

With team activities such as golf, Segway tours, and orienteering, and a variety of venues ranging from small Meeting Rooms to large conference rooms, it's possible to design well-structured programs such as "meetings in the morning and experiences in the afternoon."

Food and healing to nourish mind and body

The resort offers a wealth of amenities to improve physical and mental well-being, including dishes made with local ingredients, hot springs, spas, and fitness facilities. This helps to ease team tension and encourages natural conversation and trust building.

With a comprehensive support system, the burden on the organizers is reduced.

Our dedicated staff will coordinate everything from accommodations, conferences, training sessions, and activities in a one-stop service. You can entrust your project to us with confidence, even if it's your first time planning something like this.

At Miyazaki SEAGAIA, our experienced and professional sales team will help ensure the success of your resort meeting. No matter how small the question, such as "Is this type of meeting possible?" or "Could you provide a proposal that fits our budget?", please feel free to contact us. We will create a customized program tailored to your specific needs and requirements.