PA Showcase: Escape the City

Sometimes the most useful thing you can change is the setting

There is a difference between moving a meeting to another meeting room and genuinely taking a team away. A countryside venue gives people a clearer break from the normal working day, while keeping the practical pieces—meeting space, food, accommodation and event support—in one place.

That can be particularly useful for senior teams, planning sessions and retreats where the aim is not simply to deliver information but to create space for discussion, connection and decisions. It also gives a PA or EA fewer separate suppliers and movements to coordinate.

Useful questions to bring with you

• What result does the team actually need from the day: decisions, connection, reward, training or a mixture?
• Would a one-day event be enough, or would an overnight stay create more useful time together?
• How much formal meeting time is genuinely needed?
• Could an activity or facilitated session improve the outcome rather than simply fill a gap?
• Where should food, private dining or an evening element sit in the programme?
• Which parts can one venue team coordinate so the organiser is not managing every handover?