# Team Offsite Plan: [Team name], YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD

> Plan for a team offsite: why the team is meeting away from daily work, the outcomes it must
> produce, who comes, the agenda, the budget, travel and venue logistics, accessibility and
> wellbeing, and the follow-up. Replace every `[bracketed]` value and every row marked *Example*.
> Worked examples use the platform team of Thistlebank Software, a fictional company, holding a
> two-day planning offsite for 14 people.

<!--
Guidance: How to use this template
- Start from the outcomes (section 1). An offsite costs real money and time away from customers;
  each agenda block should produce something the team takes home.
- Mix working sessions with time to connect. A schedule packed from 08:00 to 22:00 leaves people
  tired and the last sessions empty.
- Ask about access needs, dietary needs, caring responsibilities and travel limits privately in
  the invitation, and plan around the answers.
- Check your organisation's travel, expense, alcohol and duty-of-care policies before booking.
  This template does not replace them.
- Common pitfall: no follow-up. Decisions made at an offsite fade within weeks unless they are
  written down with owners before people travel home.
- Related templates: Workshop agenda (`meetings/workshop-agenda`), OKRs (`business/okr`),
  Team charter (`project/team-charter`), Event and webinar plan (`marketing/event-webinar-plan`).
-->

## Plan details

<!-- Guidance: One plan per offsite. Status moves to Held once the outcomes in section 7 are recorded. -->

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | [@sponsor] |
| Organiser | [@organiser] |
| Dates and location | YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD, [venue, city] |
| Participants | [number] people |
| Budget owner and limit | [@budget-owner], [amount] |
| Status | [Planning / Booked / Held / Follow-up closed] |

## 1. Purpose and outcomes

<!-- Guidance: Two to four outcomes, each one a thing you can show afterwards. -->

| ID | Outcome | Evidence it is done |
|---|---|---|
| OFF-01 *(Example)* | Agreed top three goals for next half-year | Goals written up and signed off by the sponsor |
| OFF-02 *(Example)* | Agreed on-call model for the new services | One-page proposal with owners |
| OFF-03 *(Example)* | Team members who joined this year know the wider team | Every new joiner paired with two colleagues for a session |
| [OFF-NN] | [outcome] | [evidence] |

**Out of scope:** [Topics the offsite will not cover, such as pay or individual performance.]

## 2. Agenda

<!-- Guidance: Name an owner for every block and link each working block to an outcome ID. Keep at least one unscheduled hour per day. -->

| Day and time | Block | Format | Owner | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1, 10:00 *(Example)* | Arrive, welcome, purpose of the offsite | Plenary | [@sponsor] | All |
| Day 1, 10:30 *(Example)* | Review of the last half-year | Small groups, then plenary | [@lead] | OFF-01 |
| Day 1, 13:30 *(Example)* | Goal setting for the next half-year | Workshop | [@facilitator] | OFF-01 |
| Day 1, 16:00 *(Example)* | Free time | Unscheduled | | |
| Day 1, 19:00 *(Example)* | Team dinner, no presentations | Social | [@organiser] | OFF-03 |
| Day 2, 09:30 *(Example)* | On-call model design | Working session | [@sre-lead] | OFF-02 |
| Day 2, 12:30 *(Example)* | Actions, owners, feedback, close | Plenary | [@sponsor] | All |

## 3. Participants and pre-work

<!-- Guidance: Send pre-work two weeks ahead and keep it under one hour. -->

| Name | Role | Pre-work | Access, dietary or travel notes (private) |
|---|---|---|---|
| [@name] | [role] | [reading or data to bring] | [kept by organiser only] |

## 4. Budget

<!-- Guidance: Use per-person figures so you can re-cost quickly when numbers change. Add a contingency line. -->

| Item | Basis | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Venue and meeting room *(Example)* | 2 days at 1,200 per day | 2,400 |
| Accommodation *(Example)* | 14 people, 1 night at 140 | 1,960 |
| Meals *(Example)* | 14 people, 2 days at 55 | 1,540 |
| Travel *(Example)* | 14 people at 90 average | 1,260 |
| External facilitator *(Example)* | Fixed fee | 1,500 |
| **Subtotal** | | **8,660** |
| Contingency *(Example)* | 10% of subtotal | 866 |
| **Total** | About 680 per person | **9,526** |

## 5. Logistics and wellbeing checklist

<!-- Guidance: Assign every item to a person. Confirm the venue's accessibility directly, not from its website alone. -->

- [ ] Venue booked; step-free access, accessible toilets and a quiet room confirmed.
- [ ] Travel booked within policy; arrival times allow for people travelling from furthest away.
- [ ] Dietary and religious needs passed to the caterer; non-alcoholic options at every social event.
- [ ] Remote option or recording plan for anyone who cannot travel.
- [ ] Emergency contacts, venue address and local emergency number shared with participants.
- [ ] Materials ready: printed agenda, sticky notes, markers, adapters, online board link.
- [ ] Out-of-office cover and on-call arrangements agreed for the days away.

## 6. Risks

<!-- Guidance: Only the risks that would change the plan. -->

| Risk | Response | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Travel disruption on day 1 *(Example)* | Start at 10:00; first block can run remotely | [@organiser] |
| Production incident pulls in engineers *(Example)* | Named on-call cover outside the offsite group | [@eng-manager] |
| [risk] | [response] | [@owner] |

## 7. Results and follow-up

<!-- Guidance: Fill in before people leave. Send the summary within two working days and review actions at the next team meeting. -->

| Outcome ID | Result | Action | Owner | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OFF-01 *(Example)* | Three goals agreed | Publish goals to the company OKR page | [@lead] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| OFF-02 *(Example)* | Draft model agreed, two open points | Close open points and trial for one month | [@sre-lead] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| [OFF-NN] | [result] | [action] | [@owner] | YYYY-MM-DD |

Participant feedback: [summary of what to keep and change next time].

## Standard and licence note

Structure aligned with common team-event and facilitation practice; no external standard
applies. Travel, expenses, alcohol, accessibility and duty-of-care rules come from your own
organisation's policies and the law where the offsite takes place; check them before booking.
The text of this template is original. Template licence: MIT.