Fall tends to fill the calendar quickly.

New projects get underway, year-end goals move into focus, holiday schedules start taking shape, and suddenly finding a free afternoon for the whole team feels nearly impossible.

That is what makes the weeks before the busy season such a valuable time to get everyone together.

A team planning session gives you the chance to step away from day-to-day demands, look at what is coming next and make sure everyone is moving in the same direction. And it does not have to feel like another long day at the office.

In our Manchester event spaces, teams can trade their usual workplace for a dedicated setting designed for conversation, collaboration and fresh thinking, with professional meeting amenities and plenty of opportunities to make the day enjoyable too.

Step Away From The Everyday Routine

Sometimes a change of scenery is exactly what a team needs.

At the office, even the best-planned strategy session can compete with emails, phone calls, unexpected requests and everything else happening around you. Moving the meeting somewhere new gives everyone permission to focus on the conversation in front of them.

Our three recently renovated meeting rooms in Manchester provide private spaces where teams can settle in and give important conversations the attention they deserve.

The Manchester Board Room, Park View Suite and Tower Suite can each accommodate groups of up to 30, making them a great fit for leadership meetings, department planning sessions, brainstorming days and smaller corporate gatherings.

Bring the team together, close the laptops that do not need to be open and make the big-picture conversation the priority for a few hours.

Give the Day a Job to Do

The most useful planning days have a purpose.

Instead of gathering everyone together simply to “talk about the fall,” decide what you want to walk away knowing.

What are the biggest priorities for the rest of the year? Which projects need more attention? Where could the team work better together? What decisions need to be made now before schedules become even busier?

Once you know what you want to accomplish, build the day around those conversations.

Our meeting spaces include A/V hookups, screens and projectors, making it easy to bring presentations, performance reports, calendars and upcoming plans into the discussion. The Tower Suite also features a generously sized boardroom table with charging stations, along with a portable projector and display screen.

Put the plans where everyone can see them, invite ideas from around the table and leave with clear next steps rather than another list of things to discuss later.

Build Breaks Into the Brainstorm

A planning day should not mean sitting around a conference table for eight hours.

Some of the best conversations can happen over lunch, during a coffee break or in the few minutes between agenda items when everyone has a chance to talk more casually.

Full-service catering is available for our meeting rooms, allowing you to build food and refreshments into the day without having to move the entire group elsewhere. Our venue amenities also include free WiFi, in-room projection, vendor access and professional event staff support.

With the practical details taken care of, your team can concentrate on the reason they are there: sharing ideas, making decisions and spending productive time together.

Take the Conversation Outside

When an individuals needs a change of scenery, take the meeting beyond the meeting room. Each of our three meeting rooms provides direct access to seasonal The Patio Manchester, overlooking the home ballpark of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Step outside between sessions for some fresh air. Move a smaller brainstorming conversation outdoors. Enjoy lunch with a view. Or, once the agenda is complete, close the laptops and give everyone time to unwind together.

The Patio offers an easy way to add a more relaxed element to a corporate planning day. Depending on what is happening at the ballpark, you could even time your gathering around a Fisher Cats game or other seasonal entertainment and turn a productive afternoon into a team outing.

A little time away from the conference table can be just what everyone needs before returning to the next conversation.

Make It Easy for Out-of-Town Team Members

Bringing colleagues together from different locations can make a planning session even more valuable, but it can also add another layer of logistics.

The event center is part of Hilton Garden Inn Manchester Downtown, allowing visiting team members to stay close to the meeting itself. The connected hotel accommodations make it easy to combine an overnight stay and corporate session at the same property rather than coordinating transportation between separate locations.

It also gives teams more flexibility. Arrive the evening before, meet over dinner, start fresh the following morning or turn a short meeting into a more productive overnight planning retreat.

Get Ahead of What Comes Next

The calendar is only going to get busier.

Before year-end deadlines, holiday schedules and Q4 priorities take over, give your team a day to focus on what comes next.

A planning session at Event Center Manchester can be as focused or relaxed as your team needs it to be. Start with coffee and conversation, move into presentations and planning, break for lunch, step onto The Patio for some fresh air and finish the day knowing exactly where everyone is headed next.

With private meeting rooms in Manchester, presentation technology, full-service catering, professional event support and connected hotel accommodations all in one place, the essentials are already covered.

All that is left is to bring the right people together.

Before fall gets busy, put a team planning session on the calendar and give your next big ideas the space they deserve.