Offsite / retreat run of show template.
A team offsite mixing working sessions, meals and downtime over a day or two.
Doors at 9:00 AM.
A complete, timed run of show for a offsite / retreat. Every cue has an owner and a duration, so when you edit one, the show clock keeps the rest aligned.
- 9:00 AMArrivals & coffeesetup · Organiser30m
- 9:30 AMKickoff & intentionssegment · Lead30m
- 10:00 AMWorking session 1segment · Facilitator1h 30m
- 11:30 AMLunchmeal · Catering1h
- 12:30 PMWorking session 2segment · Facilitator1h 30m
- 2:00 PMTeam activitysegment · Organiser1h
- 6:00 PMDinner & socialmeal · Catering2h
- Set goals and pick the venueLogistics8w before
- Plan sessions and facilitatorsProgram5w before
- Arrange travel, rooms and mealsLogistics4w before
- Send the agenda and packing listGuests2w before
- Prep materials and activitiesContent1w before
- Share the run of showProductionevent week
6 tasks, timed and grouped.
The weeks before, turned into a clear list with owners and due dates so nothing slips.
A retreat mixes structured working sessions with real downtime, and the schedule only works if that downtime is actually protected rather than squeezed at the edges. A typical day runs a kickoff, two working sessions bracketing lunch, a team activity, and then a gap of a few hours before dinner and social time in the evening, and that gap is not an oversight, it is the point. The most common way a retreat goes flat is letting a working session run long into the team activity, which quietly erases the downtime everyone actually needed and turns the offsite into just a longer meeting in a different room. Because travel, rooms and meals are more complex to coordinate than a single-venue event, that logistics work starts well before the content does, and goals get set before the venue is picked so the location actually serves the work rather than just looking good in photos. A good retreat sends the agenda and a packing list early enough that people show up ready for the format, not just the meetings.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a team retreat be?
One full day covers a kickoff, two working sessions and a team activity, but two days gives real room for both focused work and genuine downtime without cramming everything into a single packed schedule. Anything shorter than a full day tends to feel like an extended meeting rather than a change of pace.
How much unstructured time should be on the agenda?
At least a few hours across a multi-day retreat, ideally scheduled as a visible block rather than left as whatever time is left over. Downtime that is not explicitly protected in the run of show is the first thing that gets absorbed when a working session runs long.
Should retreat working sessions have a facilitator?
For sessions meant to produce a decision or a plan, yes, someone other than the team lead should facilitate so that person can actually participate in the discussion instead of just running it. Purely creative or reflective sessions can work without one, but decision-focused sessions tend to drift without someone owning the agenda in the room.
Use this template in Event70.
Start free and this run of show and checklist are ready to edit on a real event.
See all templates or read the planning guides.