Remote-first doesn’t mean never meeting.
Bring your team together in person at least once a year. This isn’t optional. It’s not a perk. It’s essential infrastructure.
Why it matters:
Video calls transmit information. In-person time builds relationships.
There’s something about sharing meals, walking together, staying up too late talking that video can’t replicate. The inside jokes. The shared memories. The moment you realize your colleague is actually hilarious. Something you never would have discovered over Zoom.
These relationships sustain remote collaboration for the other 50 weeks. When you’ve met someone, you read their messages differently. You assume good intent more easily. You pick up the phone when things are hard.
The ROI is real:
Teams that meet in person collaborate better remotely. The data backs this up. So does common sense.
Yes, it’s expensive. Flights, hotels, meals, venue. For a 20-person team, you’re looking at $50-100K all in.
That’s still cheaper than a month of office rent in most cities. And the return is higher.
“I see the retreats as an essential part of the work we do together. If we would operate the company without these regular face-to-face gatherings, we would be less effective and feel less connected.”
— Joel Gascoigne, CEO of Buffer
Make it count:
Pick somewhere interesting. Not a conference hotel. A place people are excited to visit.
Bring partners and families if you can. People remember “the trip where the kids played together” differently than “the company offsite.”
Invest in good food. Shared meals are where relationships form.
Don’t cheap out.
This is the one time you’re all together.
Make it memorable.