ESR

480+ corporate events · 5 years

Leadership Development Programs Held as Offsites

Take your leadership development programs out of the office for a few days where managers actually think, talk and decide. Your facilitator teaches, and we run everything around the sessions, so nobody spends the offsite fixing a projector.

A group of managers in a breakout session at a mountain lodge

Why leaders learn better away from the office

Out of the office, nobody gets pulled into the next meeting, and the conversation goes deeper.

A leadership offsite takes a team out of its routine for one to three days. The program mixes working sessions with time to talk informally.

The content belongs to you or to the facilitator you hire. The days around it are our job: the room, the agenda flow, sound and screens, transfers and an evening that brings the group together. If you're in HR and planning the full year, see our events for HR teams.

Corporate training programs that run off site

You bring the topic and the people. We build the days around them.

  • One-day intensive. A morning of sessions, an afternoon challenge and dinner. Good near your office.
  • Two- or three-day offsite. Sessions in the morning, breakouts after lunch, free time and one group evening.
  • Executive planning session. A small group, a private room, a facilitator and long working blocks.
  • New manager cohort. A larger group with a fixed curriculum and team exercises.

Offsites that are more rest than training fit our corporate retreats format better.

Sales training events with a competitive edge

Sales leaders like a score. We add a short contest between sessions: a timed race or a challenge on our simulators with a live leaderboard. It gets people talking about pressure, speed and decisions before the next session starts.

A presenter speaks to a seated room with speakers on stands along the rows
Our technician tests a microphone while flip charts are set before a leadership session

What we run around your leadership program

  • Venue. A hotel, lodge or meeting space with a main room and breakout rooms.
  • Session setup. Room layout, sound, microphones, screens and flip charts, checked before each block.
  • Agenda control. One person keeps sessions, breaks and meals on time.
  • Group activities. Challenges from our team building programs or our simulators, placed where the agenda needs energy.
  • Networking tools. A matchmaking format that pairs people by what they can offer and who they want to meet.
  • Meals and evenings. Breaks and meals timed with the venue, plus one dinner out the group remembers.

One team runs everything outside the content, so your facilitator and your leaders stay focused.

Our event lead and a facilitator review a draft agenda and venue options

What shapes the quote

You'll see the full cost before anything is booked. Every offsite gets a custom quote.

  • Number of participants and days.
  • Venue type and location.
  • Rooms: one main room or several breakouts.
  • AV for each session.
  • Activities, contests and evenings.
  • Travel for the group and our team.
How a quote comes together

Parts of an offsite we've already run

These events show the pieces we bring to an offsite: the session room, the networking and the contest.

Our technician runs the mixer beside the stage during a seated session
Session room

Audio Support for an Indoor Presentation and Seated Program

A seated program in a hall with hard walls and a high ceiling. We placed speakers on stands along the seating and the side area and checked sound before guests came in, so the presenter was clear in every row.

Los Angeles, CA

Guests compare their AI meeting matches next to a networking screen
Networking format

AI Networking Matchmaker and Racing Simulator at TEC6, Culver City

At TEC6, we built an AI Networking Matchmaker from registration data and a short questionnaire: what each guest can offer, whom they want to meet. Leadership cohorts can use the same format to start the right conversations on day one.

Culver City, CA

What an offsite can look like

These shots show the rooms and moments we plan.

  • Speakers on stands beside a seated audience
  • A presentation screen and seating set before a session
  • Colleagues watch a race between sessions
  • Managers work in small groups at round tables in a breakout room
  • A facilitator writes on a flip chart in front of a small executive group
  • A group dinner on a lodge terrace at dusk

Venue paperwork

Your venue gets what it needs from us before setup day.

  • We send insurance documents to venues and organizers on request.
  • We also agree room access, AV setup times and any building rules with the venue ahead of time.

Why offsites fall flat

An offsite can fail on logistics even when the content is strong. Here's what each mistake costs.

  • Agenda packed wall to wall.

    Leaders sit through eight hours of slides and remember none of it. We plan breaks, walks and short activities.

  • Poor sound in the room.

    People at the back stop following. We test sound from the last seat.

  • No breakout space.

    Groups squeeze into hallways. We book enough rooms for every exercise.

  • The organizer runs logistics.

    The HR lead spends the offsite on the phone. One of our people does that job.

  • Nothing after dinner.

    People drift to their rooms. We plan one evening the whole group shares.

How we plan it

You'll know who does what, from the first call to the last session.

  1. Step 1: You share the goal

    • Who's coming, what they should leave with and your dates.
  2. Step 2: We talk to your facilitator

    • Session formats, room needs and timing.
  3. Step 3: You get options and a quote

    • Venues, a draft agenda and the full cost.
  4. Step 4: We book and plan

    • Venue, rooms, AV, activities and travel.
  5. Step 5: We set up

    • Rooms, sound and screens ready before the first session.
  6. Step 6: We run the days

    • Agenda control, room changes, activities and evenings.
  7. Step 7: We wrap up

    • Photos, materials and notes for the next offsite.

Who runs the offsite

You join the sessions. Our team runs the rest.

Event lead. Plans with you and your facilitator and stays on site the whole time.

AV technician. Sets up and runs sound and screens for every session.

Operators. Run the contests and simulators.

Facilitator. Yours, or one we help you find.

An event lead reviews the agenda with a facilitator before a session

Leadership offsites anywhere in the U.S.

We have two bases, Los Angeles and Orlando, and run events nationwide. In Orlando, our office and warehouse are at 310 N Orange Ave. Our team and equipment travel to your venue, whether it's a lodge near your headquarters or a resort across the country.

Two bases

Los Angeles and Orlando

West CoastEast CoastAll 50 states

Florida and the East Coast are part of our working region. Orlando resorts with large meeting floors, such as the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, give a cohort a main room and breakout rooms under one roof.

Orlando office: 310 N Orange Ave, STE. 201, Orlando, FL 32801

Questions

Do you provide corporate trainers?

We don't teach leadership courses ourselves. Bring your own facilitator, or tell us the topic and we'll help you find corporate trainers who run sessions in that area.

How long should a leadership offsite be?

One to three days is common. One day works for a focused planning session. Two or three days leave room for deeper work and an evening together.

Can you host it at our office?

Yes. We can set up your own space for sessions and bring the activities to you.

Can you run a meeting for the top executives?

Yes. For larger meetings of senior leaders, see our executive summits page.

How much does an offsite cost?

Every offsite gets a custom quote. It depends on group size, days, venue and activities. Send us the basics and we'll reply right away.

Plan your next offsite

Send us the dates, group size and what your leaders should leave with. We'll come back with venues, a draft agenda and a quote. Share the event type, dates, city, number of participants and budget. Add your facilitator's name if you already have one. Or call +1 213 912 1010