Corporate offsites are now a regular planning tool for many organizations, especially those with remote or hybrid teams. In 2024, organizations averaged 2.6 offsite events, while 85% of surveyed employees said offsites strengthened their organizational connections. The figures below show how frequently companies gather, what participants do, how access is handled, and which planning patterns shape attendance.
Contents
- How often companies hold corporate offsites
- Offsite investment and attendance growth
- What participants do during corporate offsites
- Employee engagement and participation outcomes
- Travel, inclusion, and participation access
- Timing, venue, and planning patterns
How often companies hold corporate offsites
The 2024 State of Corporate Offsites survey, based on Talker Research’s survey of 2,000 U.S. full-time employees who had attended a corporate offsite retreat in the previous 12 months, found that organizations averaged 2.6 corporate offsite events in 2024. The survey was fielded November 15–22, 2024. This is a participant-based U.S. survey, so it describes employees with recent offsite experience rather than every organization.
The distribution of events shows that one or two gatherings were the most common pattern. Fifty-four percent of organizations held 1–2 offsite events in 2024, while 34% hosted 3–5. Eight percent ran six or more events, up from 6% in 2019. At the other end of the scale, the share of organizations holding no offsites fell to 4% in 2024 from 16% in 2019. These figures suggest that recurring offsites became more established over that period. The State of Corporate Offsites
Surf Office’s separate 2026 report provides a different view from 90 survey responses combined with internal data from more than 200 offsites. In that dataset, 70% of companies hosted 1–2 offsites per year and 10% hosted quarterly offsites. Eighty-seven percent had previously held an all-hands offsite for their entire team, and 91% used fully remote or hybrid work arrangements. Because the samples and methods differ, these percentages should be read as separate source results rather than combined estimates. The state of company offsites report 2026
Offsite investment and attendance growth
Budget changes point to growing attention to the offsite experience. In the Emburse survey, 59% of companies reported increasing their offsite budgets since 2019. Among high-performing companies, the share was 69%, including 35% that reported significant increases. For those high-performing companies, expanded attendance was cited by 53% as a reason for larger budgets, while 45% cited enhanced accommodations and food service.
Company size also shaped reported budget growth. Sixty-seven percent of organizations with 51–100 employees said their offsite budgets were higher than in 2019. The corresponding figure was 64% for organizations with 251–500 employees and 54% for large enterprises.
These results connect participation planning with capacity and hospitality decisions. A larger invite list can increase room, food, transport, and activity requirements. Better accommodations and food service may also affect whether employees view an offsite as accessible and worthwhile, although the survey figures do not establish that either factor caused higher attendance.
The attendance picture therefore has two parts: companies are holding offsites more regularly, and some are allocating more resources as the expected group becomes larger. A useful planning brief should identify the intended attendance before the budget is finalized, because the event model changes when a gathering moves from a small leadership retreat to an all-hands program.
What participants do during corporate offsites
The average allocation of offsite time in the 2024 Emburse survey was divided across work, connection, and recovery. Work-related activities occupied 36% of the time. Socializing accounted for 25%, team-building for 21%, and leisure and relaxation for 18%.
| Activity category | Share of average offsite time |
|---|---|
| Work-related activities | 36% |
| Socializing | 25% |
| Team-building | 21% |
| Leisure and relaxation | 18% |
The reported primary reasons for offsites among high-performing companies were also varied. Operational meetings accounted for 26%, celebratory events for 29%, and strategic planning for 15%. These categories do not describe every hour of the event; they describe the primary reason reported for the offsite.
Team-building was the primary objective for 85% of companies in Surf Office’s 2026 report. Its offsite dataset recorded an average of two team-building activities per retreat. Meeting rooms were booked by 98% of groups, and 92% had three or more meals at their accommodation. Together, these figures describe a format that combines structured work, organized interaction, and shared hospitality.
Daily rhythm can matter as well. In Foxhills’ 2025 Mindful Mornings, Active Afternoons survey of delegates, 70.3% preferred tackling creative tasks early in the day, while 65.6% preferred outdoor walks to counter the post-lunch slump. These are UK venue-industry survey results and should not be treated as representative of all companies or countries. Team-building tops priorities for 90% of delegates
Employee engagement and participation outcomes
Participation is not only a headcount question; it also includes how employees feel about attending and whether they report a stronger connection afterward. Overall, 85% of surveyed employees reported stronger organizational connections after corporate offsites.
The Emburse results show a difference between high-performing and underperforming companies. Seventy-two percent of employees at high-performing companies expressed excitement about upcoming offsites, compared with 49% at underperforming companies. After offsites, 90% of employees at high-performing companies reported strengthened company connection, compared with 71% of employees at underperforming companies who reported some degree of strengthened connection.
Negative anticipation was reported by a minority in both groups, but it was lower among high-performing companies: 3% expressed dread about upcoming offsites, compared with 7% at underperforming companies. These results are associations within the survey; they do not prove that offsites alone produced company performance or employee sentiment.
Program design varied across high-performing companies. Team dining was reported by 73% of those companies’ offsite programs, and wellness activities by 46%. These figures can help planners check whether a proposed schedule offers more than meeting blocks, while leaving room to adapt activities for different mobility, dietary, health, and social preferences.
For participation planning, the strongest signal is the difference between a mandatory calendar entry and a well-designed shared experience. A program can reserve time for work while still giving participants meaningful opportunities for team-building, socializing, leisure, meals, and wellness. The available data measures reported outcomes and program features, not a guaranteed result for every event.
Travel, inclusion, and participation access
Travel arrangements can influence the practical accessibility of an offsite. In the 2024 Emburse survey, 48% of corporate travelers flew business class or above for offsite-related travel: 31% in business class and 17% in first class. Twenty-two percent still flew economy. The source also reported that 43% of employees prioritized airlines offering loyalty points for corporate offsite travel.
Expense handling varied considerably. Forty-six percent of organizations handled all offsite bookings and payments for employees. Twenty-five percent gave employees corporate cards to pay offsite expenses, while 29% required employees to pay expenses upfront and seek reimbursement. A planner comparing these arrangements should distinguish employer-managed access from employee-funded access, since reimbursement timing can affect who can comfortably participate.
Partner attendance was another reported access policy. Fifty-five percent of companies allowed employees’ partners to attend non-meeting offsite events. The figure applies to non-meeting events and does not mean that partners attended every activity or that all travel costs were covered.
International location planning also appeared in the Surf Office data: 62% of companies had hosted an offsite outside their team’s primary country. That report’s dataset is distinct from the U.S. employee survey, and the percentage is not a global participation rate. It is a reported characteristic of the companies represented in Surf Office’s survey and internal data.
Timing, venue, and planning patterns
Surf Office’s 2024 booking data found that September accounted for 18% of offsite bookings. Bookings for retreats in the December–March low and shoulder seasons rose 21% from 2023 to 2024. The source identifies these as booking comparisons, not a forecast of future demand.
Lead time increased with group size. Offsites for fewer than 100 people were typically confirmed 17 weeks in advance, while larger groups were typically confirmed 23 weeks in advance. The average offsite booking process took about six weeks. Location selection and venue sourcing were identified as the biggest retreat-planning challenge by 51% of companies in the 2026 report.
Venue choices ranged from conventional accommodation to distinctive spaces. In Surf Office’s 2024 internal data, 31% of offsites were held in distinctive venues such as villas, castles, or palaces, and 17% secured a full venue buyout. Offsite venues averaged 158 rooms in 2024, while 85% of groups opted for single rooms at their accommodation.
| Planning measure | Reported result | Period or scope |
|---|---|---|
| September share of bookings | 18% | Surf Office 2024 data |
| Increase in December–March bookings | 21% | 2023–2024 |
| Confirmation lead time, under 100 people | 17 weeks | Surf Office 2026 report |
| Confirmation lead time, larger groups | 23 weeks | Surf Office 2026 report |
| Average booking process | 6 weeks | Surf Office 2026 report |
| Location or venue sourcing as biggest challenge | 51% | Surf Office 2026 report |
These planning figures give event teams concrete checkpoints. A smaller group may still need roughly four months between confirmation and the event, while a larger group may need more than five months. Venue sourcing can itself take about six weeks on average, and larger room blocks, single-room preferences, meeting space, meals, and activity requirements can all affect the practical search.
The overall participation pattern is clear across the supplied source results: corporate offsites are commonly recurring events, often serve hybrid or remote teams, and combine work with social and team-building time. Attendance planning works best when the invitation, travel policy, expense process, room configuration, food service, and activity schedule are considered together. The percentages describe specific surveys and internal datasets from 2024–2026, so they are useful benchmarks rather than universal participation targets.