When a fast-growing tech firm decides to celebrate its people, the planning usually lands on whoever has spare bandwidth. For Automotus, the company fixing curb management to ease urban congestion, that responsibility fell to Kelly Schmandt Ferguson, Chief of Staff, after a tough 2026. What followed shows how thoughtful team retreat planning can turn a simple trip into a culture-building moment.
Why Automotus needed more than a party
Automotus works where smart-city tech meets everyday streets. Their systems help cities manage kerbs and cut emissions in busy urban areas. The work is technical and mission-led, so the people doing it carry heavy cognitive load day to day.
The company had a practical problem many UK teams recognise: remote-first culture had taken root, but it didn’t replace the jump in energy that comes from meeting face to face. When teams gathered in person — whether in London, Manchester or Bristol — ideas flowed and people left recharged. That made year-end gatherings a strategic, not just social, priority.
The real cost of DIY corporate event logistics
Organising a meaningful retreat can easily swallow fifty hours of internal time: researching vendors, negotiating venues, sorting catering, arranging travel and building a sensible schedule. For a Chief of Staff juggling many priorities, that’s time taken from higher-value work.
- Hours lost researching suppliers who may not match expectations
- Long email chains with multiple contacts across businesses
- Mental load carried between other daily tasks
- Risk of a poorly paced day that leaves people rushed or bored
- Missed activities that would have been perfect but weren’t discovered
Schmandt Ferguson realised planning a standout corporate team outing wasn’t the best use of her time. The team needed someone who lived and breathed logistics and knew the right suppliers to build a schedule that actually breathed. That led Automotus to a specialist event design service that lifted the coordination burden and let the internal team focus on taking part.
Choosing the UK setting as a strategic decision
Location matters for more than travel. Where you hold an offsite signals your values and shows you know what your people enjoy. For Automotus, the choice to host in the South Coast and around Brighton rather than a conference centre in central London offered accessibility, outdoor options and the right atmosphere for an active team.
There’s also longer-term sense in aligning retreat locations with operating markets. Hosting an offsite team experience in a city where the product is live — say Leeds or Newcastle for future events — adds practical value: the team celebrates and also sees their work in use on real streets. That link between event and mission strengthens culture.
The PACE framework for offsite design
A simple model to guide company offsite planning is PACE: Purpose, Activity mix, Connection moments and Energy management. It helps avoid two common failures — events that feel like meetings with nicer food, and ones so loose that nothing sticks.
Purpose means agreeing the aim first. Was this a celebration, a planning session, or onboarding? Automotus was clear in 2026: celebrate the year, acknowledge wins, and refresh team energy.
Activity mix pairs high-energy with quiet moments. Their schedule combined beach games near Brighton, a countryside walk on the South Downs, a relaxed brewery visit in Bath and a short values session. Each activity had a social purpose.
Connection moments are the gaps between activities where people really get to know one another. Schmandt Ferguson made time for unstructured conversation and found it was where relationships deepened.
Energy management means pacing days so high-intensity moments don’t pile up. The plan should build to a meaningful close rather than fizzle out.
Applying PACE: a realistic two-day plan
Imagine a 20-person startup team retreat on the South Coast across two days. Day one could open with a group beach activity to break down hierarchy, followed by a long evening meal to encourage real chat. Day two starts with a short values session, then a lighter local activity such as a cycling tour or food walk, finishing with a low-key sunset gathering. Thirty-minute buffers protect transition time so people aren’t rushed.
For practical inspiration and supplier suggestions, teams often find inspiring event ideas that fit different budgets and group sizes.
Common mistakes in retreat planning
Mistake 1: choosing what looks good over what fits
Leaders can feel pressured to pick Instagram-friendly activities that don’t suit their people. A vineyard tour in the South West worked for Automotus because it matched their group’s preferences. But the same idea might feel awkward for a different team. Always choose employee retreat ideas that match who your people actually are.
Mistake 2: over-packing the schedule
Tightly packed agendas leave people more stressed. The value of a corporate team outing often comes from unscripted time. Leaving gaps is intentional design, not waste.
Mistake 3: treating logistics as the main aim
Successful events start with connection, not flawless logistics. Reliable logistics are the baseline; the goal is whether people leave feeling closer and more motivated.
Mistake 4: skipping values and alignment
Automotus included a short session to revisit values. When framed as a reflective part of the celebration, this often becomes one of the most memorable moments.
How to measure a retreat’s success
Proving the value of a 2026 retreat is different from measuring a marketing campaign. Use a mix of leading and lagging indicators across engagement, connection, alignment and energy: participation rates at activities, changes in cross-team communication, clear outcomes from values conversations and sustained signs of renewed effort after the event.
Automotus saw immediate signs: good turnout, positive feedback and new cross-team conversations. The longer-term benefits — smoother decision-making and more discretionary effort — unfolded over the months after the retreat.
If you want case studies and planning checklists to take back to your team, discover more content on the Naboo blog for practical guides and examples.
What this approach teaches about hybrid culture
Automotus shows that remote-first doesn’t mean remote-only. Their hybrid approach honours flexibility while recognising that certain connections form best in person. The question for UK leaders isn’t simply "remote or in-person?" but "what moments need physical presence, and how do we design them well?" Regular, well-planned offsites are one answer.
Delegating logistics to protect what matters
There’s a simple insight here: the people best able to create meaning at an event aren’t always the best people to manage its logistics. Letting specialists handle vendor coordination freed Schmandt Ferguson and CEO Jordan Justus to be participants and culture leads. They set pace and priorities, then trusted the delivery. The team left refreshed, not relieved it was over.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should we start planning a UK startup team retreat?
For a two-day retreat across multiple venues, six to eight weeks is the minimum, and twelve weeks gives more choice. Working with an event designer can shorten that lead time by removing the research phase.
What activities suit a mixed-experience team?
Pair at least one active option with a more relaxed social activity so everyone has a moment to shine. Combining a beach game, a gentle countryside walk and a food or brewery visit gives multiple entry points.
How do we justify the cost to leadership?
Frame it as protecting senior time and building durable collaboration. A well-designed offsite team experience saves internal hours, improves remote teamwork and speeds alignment. The per-person cost is often modest compared with the cultural benefits.
What’s the difference between using a platform and planning internally?
Specialists bring pattern recognition from many events: they spot pacing problems early, know reliable suppliers, and can test an itinerary against likely outcomes rather than guesswork.
How do we include values without it feeling like a meeting?
Timing and setting matter. Put the values conversation in a relaxed spot, keep it forward-looking and short, and frame it as part of the celebration. That way it feels meaningful rather than mandatory.