Step Away From the Fish Eyes...
10 Tips for Planning Retreats Abroad
Event Solutions Magazine | November 2005 | Web Extra!

When asked which country was the most challenging to plan an event in, Jenna Mack, principal of Washington, D.C.-based Event Emissary, hesitated for a fraction of a second and then responded: “The United States!”

We think it’s because she’s just so good at planning international events. Here are her top 10 tips for planning corporate retreats abroad.

1. Always bring a translator or hire one when you arrive. The farther outside a major city you are, the greater the need for someone who speaks the language. It’s worth every penny to have a translator—the reason we’re hired is to fix the problems, and you can’t fix a problem efficiently if you don’t speak the language!

2. Understand the culture you’re walking into by talking to the local equivalent of a Convention and Visitors Bureau or asking someone at the hotel. When it comes to gratuities, what’s appropriate? Are there times during the day when everyone takes a three-hour lunch? This should be done at the very beginning of the planning process—and you should do as much research as possible on the country. (Anne Thornley-Brown, president of Executive Oasis International, a consulting firm offering executive retreats, also suggests that you find out if there are any hot buttons or issues that you should avoid. For example, in some countries, eating with the wrong hand can be highly offensive, so ask about body language!)

3. Be nice to your international partners. You get so much farther and you can negotiate so many more things to your benefit if you negotiate on their terms. It makes your life 10 times easier if you’ve made their life easier!

4. Make friends. The first thing we do when staying at a hotel is become good friends with the concierge and make sure that the person is prepared and understands that he or she will be compensated for helping us.

5. Educate yourself about the local cuisine. In Scotland, for example, you have to be very cautious, as their gourmet food is the equivalent of a mid-level American restaurant. Knowing what to expect will also help you guide your guests away—or toward, for the adventurous—such local delicacies as that famed adversary of the American palate, haggis.

6. Catering has different meanings in different countries, so know what questions to ask. Are there surcharges or taxes? Is equipment included? Scrutinize every detail of the contract. The last thing you want is to be at an offsite in Mexico and find out on the day of that the catering didn’t include tables or chairs. This is another case in which having somebody on your side who understands the culture and the language is invaluable.

7. Educate your guests about what to expect. You can’t get people to cater to your needs everywhere, and part of going abroad is immersing your guests in the local culture—but you have to prepare your guests so that they understand what to expect. I don’t recommend going to Asia and feeding your guests fish eyes. That’s just not going to go over very well.

8. Provide information to attendees in their program of events or when they arrive about what to expect. We provide every guest with a program of events before they go that includes everything from what the weather is like to attire to any special cultural considerations that they need to be aware of.

9. Visit the locations beforehand, if possible. In a perfect world, we would do a full site inspection for every program, but when your budget is limited, arrive a few days before the program and walk it through step by step. You will still have the time to fix any challenges not previously anticipated.

10. Remember that response time is different in foreign countries. Besides any time difference, the immediacy we expect in the United States—that we will have a response within a day—doesn’t necessarily exist in other countries, so be patient. It’s often easier to use e-mail, at least to make preliminary contact. Additionally, although they know English in European destinations, this is not necessarily the case farther outside of major cities—but that shouldn’t stop you from going outside these cities and creating a unique experience!