The corporate retreat is getting a makeover

Fast Company

07-05-2025

When Katie Hammel arrived at her company's offsite in Cabo San Lucas, she expected the usual formula: long meetings, awkward icebreakers, and a packed agenda that left little room to breathe. What she experienced instead was something different—a thoughtfully curated, empowering, and inclusive retreat.
'There was a little wrap-up at the end of each day,' says Hammel, director of content at travel rewards booking platform Point.me. 'At first I thought it was going to be kind of corny, and I actually ended up really loving it. Hearing what surprised people, what they learned—it just really crystallized the day.'
Hammel, who's attended nine retreats while working at four different companies, has witnessed firsthand how offsites have evolved. 'Early retreats were like, 'Let's rent a cabin and figure it out.' Now, they're much more intentional. It's something you need to invest time and money and real deep thought into planning so that you can make the most of that time.'
As remote and hybrid work have become more permanent, companies are rethinking the role of retreats. What used to be a perk is now a necessity: a way to reinforce culture, rebuild trust, and create connection in the absence of daily in-office interactions. But simply gathering people in a room (or on a beach) isn't enough. Today's distributed teams require something more thoughtful, more inclusive, and more strategic.