A well-planned team away day does things that a Tuesday morning meeting cannot. It shifts the dynamic, creates space for conversations that do not happen at desks, and gives people a reason to feel good about where they work. But the difference between an away day that lands well and one that feels like a wasted afternoon is almost always in the planning. Here is how to get it right.
Before you book anything, get clear on what the day is actually for. Is it about strategy and planning? Team building after a period of change? Recognising and rewarding the team? A social occasion with some loose structure around it? The answer shapes every other decision, from the venue to the agenda to how formal or informal the day should feel. Away days that try to do everything tend to do none of it well.
A dedicated conference room in a city centre hotel is fine for a presentation. For a team away day, you want somewhere that changes the atmosphere entirely. Look for a venue that offers a combination of meeting space, outdoor grounds, dining, and accommodation, ideally in a setting that feels genuinely removed from the daily routine. The further a venue feels from the office, the more effectively it signals to the team that this day is different.
The away days that people remember tend to mix focused work sessions with time to breathe. A morning of strategic planning followed by lunch, an outdoor activity or wellbeing experience in the afternoon, and a relaxed dinner in the evening is a structure that works well for most teams. Avoid the temptation to fill every hour with scheduled activity. Unstructured time at a good venue tends to generate exactly the kind of informal conversation and connection that away days are supposed to create.
Wellbeing-focused activities have become a standard part of team away day planning, and for good reason. Whether it is a guided walk, a yoga session, or simply the chance to sit outside and decompress, building something restorative into the agenda signals that the organisation values people, not just output. It also tends to make the rest of the day more productive.
If the budget allows for an overnight stay, take it. Teams that stay together at a venue connect differently to those who arrive in the morning and disperse at 5pm. The evening after the formal agenda, over dinner and drinks, is often where the most valuable conversations happen. An overnight stay also means no one is watching the clock because of a long drive home, and the morning after gives the team a chance to consolidate the day before returning to normal work.
Good food changes the mood of a day. A working lunch that feels like an afterthought undermines everything around it. Look for venues that take their kitchen seriously year-round, not just for events, and where the dining experience is something the team will actually look forward to. A well-fed team is a more engaged one.
The best away day venue is one people can actually get to without a four-hour round trip. For teams based in Dublin or across Leinster, County Cavan is within 90 minutes by car and offers venues with the kind of setting that is impossible to find closer to the city. Midweek away days tend to work better for attendance than Fridays, when people are more likely to have personal commitments.
Confirm numbers, dietary requirements, meeting room setup, parking, and any equipment needs well in advance. Away days that run smoothly do so because the logistics were handled before the day, not on it. A good venue coordinator will walk you through everything you need and flag anything you have not thought of.
The Lakeside Manor in Virginia, County Cavan sits on the shores of Lough Ramor and offers meeting rooms, on-site accommodation, and dining at Jim's Bar. It is 90 minutes from Dublin and suited to teams looking for a venue that balances work with a setting worth travelling to. Contact us to discuss your requirements.