Uplift Labs' Success Story: Planning an Unforgettable Offsite Event with Retreat

Sukemasa “Masa” Kabayama, the CEO and Co-Founder of Uplift Labs, recently teamed up with Retreat to plan their company's employee offsite event in San Francisco. And with a fully-remote team focused on creating innovative solutions for athletes, the importance of establishing meaningful connections and experiences for their team was top-of-mind.

Masa's goal was to create an unforgettable experience for all team members while staying under budget. And given the Bay Area’s high prices, maximizing results on an economical budget is essential. Fortunately, Uplift found the ideal balance by partnering with the team at Retreat to create the perfect corporate retreat.

Read on to learn more about Masa’s and Uplift's experience - and how Retreat helped make their offsite a success using the latest in event planning technology.

An innovative software company, Uplift utilizes 3D motion capture technology and the latest in AI technology to help professional and everyday athletes reach their peak performance.

As an organization, Uplift is committed to providing a great work environment that allows employees to develop and thrive. And with a fully remote team, it’s vital to create meaningful moments that help foster an engaging culture.

Masa brought his experience from leading projects and teams at Apple and Tesla - companies known for their internal cultural focus to Uplift. Masa's goal was to provide a unique experience for employees that would connect them with each other and the company’s culture. 

And with the right partner, he could make it happen.

The Challenge: Planning The Right Offsite Event

When it came to planning Uplift's offsite, Sukemasa faced a dilemma - try to plan the event on his own or hire a partner to help shoulder the burden. He wanted an easy and stress-free process that would still be tailored to the company's needs. However, he wanted to ensure that the event stayed within the company's budget. After much consideration, Masa chose to partner with Retreat for his offsite planning.

After speaking with Jack from Retreat, Masa felt confident that he could have it all - a streamlined planning process, customized activities and packages, and the best services within budget.

Sukemasa decided to give Retreat a try and utilize their expertise for planning the event in San Francisco. And while he was used to creating, planning, and tracking team events on his own, the ability to plan and manage the event with the expertise of the Retreat team was a great relief.

The Process: Partnering with Retreat for a Successful Event

To create an unforgettable event experience, Masa and Retreat worked together to customize activities and packages that would fit the company's budget while still providing an enjoyable and valuable experience.

At the same time, Masa wanted to ensure that employees were getting the most out of their offsite experience. To achieve this, Retreat provided multiple options for the event that strategically placed activities within the allotted timeframe to maximize employee engagement and satisfaction. Part of the plan was to minimize travel time and expenses so the Presidio within San Francisco was selected for the venue. This included the hotel, restaurants, activities, meeting rooms, etc were all planned within walking distance. Also, Masa believed that his overseas employees would especially be awestruck with the majestic beauty of Presidio National Park and the location lends itself well for the perfect group photo with the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge. Retreat handled such details commissioning a photographer for that memorable shot.

However, as Masa worked through the planning process, a few challenges arose - including coping with San Francisco's unpredictable weather conditions. 

Masa had initially planned a biking excursion over the Golden Gate Bridge, but such plans had to be canceled last minute due to stormy weather. Retreat had quickly suggested a number of indoor activities that could still yield similar outcomes of teamwork while having fun. Although all Day 1 team building outdoor activities had to be substituted by indoor ones, the team had a great bonding experience including some of the most popular programs during the offsite.

The Results: A Successful Offsite Event with Retreat

When teams have to plan and pull off their own events, it can be both challenging and time-consuming. But with the help of Retreat, Uplift was able to plan a fully customized offsite event that stayed within budget and gave their employees an amazing experience.

Employees had the chance to build relationships both within and outside their teams. Not to mention, Masa had a great experience with less time worrying about the event planning process. 

He was impressed by the portal, looking forward to further utilizing for his next offsite to make the planning process even more streamlined and hassle-free. Masa appreciated Retreat's level of creativity, which played a significant part in making the offsite event a memorable one. Despite some unexpected challenges and having to cancel some planned activities, the offsite event was still impeccable. And with a more manageable budget, the company was able to enjoy an unforgettable experience.

Make Your Offsite Shine with Retreat

Uplift came to Retreat with a vision, and they left with an unforgettable experience. 

As Masa found out, Retreat is the perfect partner for a successful offsite - offering expertise, creativity, and, best of all, a stress-free process that allows you to create custom activities within your budget.

If you want to make sure your next event stands out, contact Retreat today to make your offsite shine. With the ability to plan globally, you can take your team anywhere in the world and provide an unforgettable experience - all without breaking the bank.

And with the help of Retreat's experts, you'll get a program tailored specifically for your company that maximizes team engagement while still keeping it fun. Let Retreat help you plan your next offsite and make it a success!