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Our tips for a successful seminar
In order to make your seminar at Châteauform’ the Home of Seminars as productive as possible, we’d like to share some of the comments made by our clients at the end of their stay.
Schedule some unstructured time
Let participants have time to take their time: ‘I don’t see why we came on a residential seminar: we were just as rushed as in the office and hardly set foot outside.’
Leave some time slots for participants to meet up informally to chat and exchange best practice or just to relax. A massage, a visit to the kitchen garden, a ping-pong match, a walk in the woods or an extended break will make your meeting more productive as it will be less frustrating for participants.
Arrive the evening before
Don’t begin your meeting feeling stressed: ‘I got up at 6 am and took the car to make sure I got there on time. I arrived half an hour late because of traffic jams. I had to make a presentation that morning and I was already stressed out.’
If your budget and schedule allow, it’s preferable for you and your teams to arrive the evening before. A good dinner and an initial chat around the bar or fire will ensure that you start on time with everyone present and alert. You’ll be all the more productive.
And why not wrap up at 4.30 pm on the last day to let everyone go home for dinner?
Include some leisure activities
Make the most of a residential stay to build team spirit: ‘I travelled from the USA. I didn’t know my European colleagues. I networked by playing football and taking part in your mini-Olympics.’
Whether during the day or in the evening, we can organise a host of activities that will help your team get to know each other better, improve cross-cultural communication, foster a spirit of co-operation and/or or competition and celebrate achievements. If you’re staying five days, why not organise a cooking competition with our chef on the third and fourth days? Who’ll be the winner? If you’re staying three days, think about organising a mini-Olympics on the afternoon of the second day... There are lots of ways for you to encourage team building.
Let us organise your transfers
We can organise your airport transfers: ‘If I’d known, I would have let Châteauform’ take care of everything as they suggested.’
Airport taxis don’t know the whole of the Ile de France. After going round in circles (with the meter running), they will bring your participants in late. Leave it to us, and in any event, be sure to give each participant the map that we send you.
