How to arrange a successful kickoff for your company!

Right after the holidays, it's peak season for kick-offs. And with the right planning, it can become a lifelong memory for your participants. Here, our marketing manager Bibi Rydbacken shares her best tips on how to arrange a successful kickoff in Stockholm.

1. Have a clear purpose and goal.
What should the final result be? Communicate it clearly to the participants so everyone knows what's expected.

2. Choose the location, environment, and setting carefully.
The location for the kick-off is important as it sets the tone and atmosphere. A change of scenery promotes creativity, and getting away from the office helps you relax, focus on the present, and not have to worry about what to cook for dinner.

3. Keep your meeting engaging.
Get participants involved right from the start. Nobody enjoys a one-way communication with a long PowerPoint presentation from the boss. Instead, engage them, for example, by giving them a small task to prepare for the kickoff, like a short presentation on something related to the kickoff's goal.

4. Choose activities carefully.
Pick activities that match the kickoff's purpose and goals. If the aim is for a group of colleagues to get to know each other, the activity should be a team-building exercise, like Marholmen's Masters or Boat Orienteering. If the group is already tight-knit, the activity can be more challenging, such as a problem-solving game like Escape Box.

Please note! Remember that all participants should be able to take part in the activity. So, don't plan a half-day of rock climbing or rodeo riding if anyone in the group has physical limitations or disabilities. And don't pick a quiz about Swedish pop songs for dinner entertainment if some of your colleagues didn't grow up in Sweden.

5. Plan plenty of time in the agenda.
The intentions are good, but often the agenda for a kickoff or multi-day conference ends up being quite packed. Make sure to schedule time for participants to work out, visit the spa, FaceTime their family, or simply recharge their batteries, either alone or with colleagues, for a bit between the day's activities and dinner.

6. Follow up!
Finally, it's important to follow up on the kickoff to see if its purpose and goals were achieved. What can we do even better next year?

We hope these tips help you plan a kickoff that your participants will remember forever.
Contact us and we'll help you plan your next kickoff here at Marholmen!