MikMak recently hosted our first hybrid company offsite at The William Vale Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY. This is the first time the company has met in person since going remote in March of 2020, and now we’re nearly quadrupled in size. Last month, over 120 MikMak employees gathered in person and virtually to participate in three days of team building, fun, and professional development.
An Offsite for MikMak ANYWHERE
Offsites help build trust among a team outside of the workday, and are particularly important for MikMak as employees are from across and outside of the United States. With this being the case, the goal of our offsite in March was to build lasting relationships, one of our core values as a company. We designed this offsite to allow MikMak employees to learn about each other’s roles, develop trust, and build friendships among their peers.
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What goes into planning a hybrid offsite?
Hype, information, and logistics. Aside from physically getting everyone to the offsite and participating in activities, we wanted to make sure there was company-wide enthusiasm leading up to the event. Our People team kept employees excited and informed by launching a special offsite landing page – similar to what you might see on a wedding website. This included photos of the venue, a FAQ page that gave employees information on booking and travel, and the agenda.
Of course, in proper MikMak fashion, we prepared “swag bags” for employees which included branded sweatpants, note-taking material, and a book that we are reading as a company (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team).
Pay equal attention to virtual team members. We knew that not every employee would attend in person, and the spirit of MikMak ANYWHERE meant that remote attendees were prioritized and engaged as in-person attendees. To make this happen, we set up television screens in all of the rooms so that MikMak employees could interact with the people in that room virtually. By incorporating breakout rooms on Zoom, conversations on Slack, and planned activities on Miro, virtual attendees experienced the offsite activities as close to being there in person as possible.
Stay safe. Although we have the opportunity to finally gather after so long due to loosened regulations, we are still in a pandemic. Keeping our in-person attendees safe and healthy was a top concern. That’s why before the offsite, we required a confidential vaccination confirmation. Employees tested before meeting their fellow employees for daily activities. Everyone also had copious hand sanitizers, MikMak branded face masks, and enough at-home COVID tests for employees to test each day. This allowed us to feel safe interacting in the same space with our team members.
Making It About MikMak and MikMak’ers
We wanted the offsite to be fun for everyone and showcase MikMak employees. Here are some things that made our offsite uniquely MikMak:
- A cocktail party featured live music from MikMak Account Manager, Ray DiPerro’s band Remo & Friends.
- “Choose their own adventure” breakout sessions, including improv classes, discussions on diversity, equity, and inclusion, scheduling tips, and more hosted by MikMak’ers
- A scavenger hunt focused on meeting different MikMak’ers
- A panel to get to know the MikMak leadership team personally and professionally
Every activity was modified so the virtual participants could take part in ways similar to in-person
I loved being part of the planning team for MikMak’s Q1 offsite! Are you planning a hybrid offsite too? What worked and what didn’t?
