Why Every Business Needs to Go on Holiday

People need holidays. To rest. To reset. To be somewhere else- preferably somewhere with slower mornings, better light, and no Slack notifications. Should the same principle apply to businesses?

No, we don’t mean shutting down your operations and flying your company to Ibiza (though that does sound fun). We mean something deeper: every business, like every person, needs time away from its usual environment to reflect, recharge, and reconnect.

That’s where we come in.

Corporate Retreats: More Than Just a Break

Let’s reframe what a holiday really is. It’s not just a time-out. It’s a psychological shift. The moment you step into a different place, your brain starts operating differently. There are so many studies that look at how to boost creativity and it’s why our best ideas rarely show up at our desks, but often appear in the shower, on a plane, or mid-hike.

When you take your team Elsewhere (literally!) you’re doing more than getting away from the office. You’re creating space for ideas to flourish, connections to deepen, and strategy to sharpen.

So, what happens when a business takes a “holiday”? Let’s break it down.

The best ideas rarely show up at our desks

Perspective: The Antidote to Tunnel Vision

Even the smartest teams fall into patterns. Same meetings. Same environment. Same thought loops. Over time, those routines can narrow a team’s field of view and make fresh thinking harder.

A 2021 study published in Harvard Business Review found that employees were significantly more innovative after spending time in novel settings, especially those that stimulated their senses and removed the cognitive load of daily routines.

Taking your team out of the office helps them see the bigger picture. It lets you step back from the weeds and ask: Are we still building the right thing? What’s working? What needs to change?

Just like you come back from a holiday with a clearer head, teams return from offsites with clearer direction.

Connection: Because Culture Doesn’t Build Itself

Here’s the thing about culture: it doesn’t live in Powerpoint slides or brand books. It lives in the space between people. And if you want a high-trust, high-performing team, you need to make space for those relationships to grow.

Offsites - when designed with intention - are the perfect environment for that. No awkward trust falls required. Just time together, in a setting that removes hierarchy and fosters conversation.

According to Gallup, employees who have strong social connections at work are seven times more likely to be engaged. That’s not about flashy perks—it’s about meaningful moments. Shared dinners. Walks through the woods. Laughing over wine after a brainstorm. Those are the memories that really glue teams together.

Recovery: Because Burnout is Real, and Rest is Strategic

In the pursuit of growth, it’s easy to forget that people aren’t machines. Your team’s capacity to solve complex problems, collaborate well, and lead with clarity is directly tied to how rested they are.

Microsoft’s 2022 Work Trend Index showed that burnout is one of the top five reasons people leave their jobs. But here’s the kicker: you can’t workshop your way out of burnout in a fluorescent-lit boardroom.

You need space. Slower rhythms. Environments that support recovery- not just performance.

A well-designed offsite blends deep work with deep rest. Morning strategy sessions followed by afternoon hikes. Intimate fireside chats instead of frantic brainstorming. Space to breathe so you can return to the work that matters, better equipped to handle it.

Recalibration: Realignment That Actually Works

Most strategy meetings happen when teams are already tired- at the end of a quarter, mid-crisis, or in between a dozen other priorities. But alignment only works when people are present, focused, and grounded.

Think of an offsite like a business holiday that hits pause on the noise. It’s not about doing more, it’s about getting back in sync. Realigning on vision. Reaffirming values. Revisiting what success actually looks like this year.

And when that happens away from the office- with fewer distractions, no urgent emails, and a touch of nature- it sticks.

Energy: The Key Ingredient

We talk about this all the time: great teams run on energy. And we don’t just mean enthusiasm—we mean vitality, spirit, momentum. Energy is what fuels risk-taking, laughter, bold decisions, and creative leaps.

Generic meeting rooms don’t spark energy. They sap it.

That’s why at Elsewhere, we don’t do cookie-cutter venues. We love spaces with soul. Historic houses. Design-forward inns. Places where you can hear birdsong, see stars at night, and actually feel the shift in tempo. Because when you change the space, you change the energy. And energy is contagious.

The Elsewhere Philosophy: Go Somewhere Worth Going

If you’re reading this and nodding along, here’s your next step: stop thinking of offsites as a “nice-to-have,” and start seeing them for what they really are—a strategic reset. A cultural investment. A business holiday with a purpose.

And like any good holiday, the key is in how it’s designed.

At Elsewhere offsites, we’re with you all the way through. That means helping you clarify your offsite goals, helping if needed designing a schedule that balances strategy with space, and managing all the logistics so you can focus on your people.

We’ve hosted teams at design-led retreats in Norfolk, ancient farmhouses in Sussex, and private islands a stone’s throw from London. Some come to realign their leadership. Others come to celebrate a milestone or bring new hires into the fold. All of them leave clearer, stronger, and more connected than when they arrived.

Your Business Deserves the Break

Just like people need holidays to rest, reconnect, and refocus- so do companies. Because when you step away from the everyday, the work that really matters comes into view.

And no, it doesn’t have to look like a tropical resort or a week-long hiatus. A few days in the right place, with the right people, and the right agenda, can shift everything.

So the next time your team needs updating, feels stuck, burnt out, or unconnected, don’t just schedule another meeting.

Let’s go on holiday together.

Lets’s go Elsewhere.