Tips For Planning Summer Get-Together For Your Company

Activities conducted with the workplace team beyond the workplace can be extremely powerful; it is not only a way to unwind and have fun but also a way to enhance workplace camaraderie, which will, in turn, develop relationships and boost workplace cooperation. However, to ensure your team’s get-together is effective, it is imperative that it is planned effectively, otherwise, it may turn out to be an unproductive meeting and a waste of time. This is why the specialists at our Philadelphia ground transportation company have decided to come up with a clear guideline on how to effectively plan your company’s get-together for this summer.

We would also like to recommend contracting the services of our limo service in Philadelphia for all your transportation needs during your get-together. Not only does this guarantee that the team arrives at the venue on time but it also allows the guys a little extra time to bond and guarantees safety on the way back, in case you will be partaking in a little of the devil’s nectar.

Let our professionally trained chauffeurs take the wheel as you all focus your attention on each other and get to know each other better on the ride to and from the venue. Now, without further ado, let us have a look at some of the measures you can take to guarantee that your company’s summer getaway is a success.

Recruit a Planning Committee

Before anything, put together a planning committee for your event. This committee will not only include those planning the get-away but also those who will be in attendance. This ensures that everyone is satisfied; if the attendees feel that they had a say in the kind of get-away they would like and that they influenced major decisions, they will be more likely to be engaged during the actual get-away, which is a necessary ingredient for the event’s overall success.

Top Management/Executives

In order to guarantee that the get-away is successful, it is important to involve the company’s management and top executives. While these individuals may not be in the actual planning committee, they are highly influential and their presence, however passive, will undoubtedly create stronger motivation for the rest of the employees to engage themselves. A getaway that only involves junior employees may not be taken seriously and the junior employees may end up being passive towards the getaway themselves.

Agenda

Prepare an agenda that allows everyone to understand what the getaway is actually about. However, ensure that the agenda or agendas are flexible just in case some of them require more time, or other agendas pop up during the planning process. As much as this is a summer get-away, this is also an opportunity to address workplace issues in an open, non-intimidating environment.

Consider the Company Size

For example, if you are a small company of about 10 people, you are better off organizing a simple get-away such as a camping trip, a retreat at a beach/mountain house, or any other get-away that would be suited for a family retreat. As a small business you should be considering the finances of the company; you don’t want to have a hard time when you’re back because you splurged on a tropical getaway. If you are a large, established company with numerous employees, however, you can go for a vacation-type getaway.

Budget

Expounding on the above point, you should always consider the budget of the get-away carefully. A vacation doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive or held at a faraway destination. After all, the whole point of the getaway is to strengthen the team and enhance workplace cohesiveness. Whatever kind of budget is appropriate for your company, whether it’s just enough for lunch and beverages in the course of a day, or enough to fly the team out to an exotic destination, stay within your financial boundaries to avoid constraints later.

Competitive Activities

Encourage competitive activities during your getaway in order to boost interaction. It may be something as simple as paintball, football, baseball, you name it. A little friendly competition adds fun to the get-away and forces people to actually interact. Do not allow people of the same department to gang up into teams. Mix and match participants; people who would have likely never interacted will use this opportunity to do so, which will, in the grand scheme, enhance inter-departmental relations. To make things a little more interesting have a price in place for the winning teams. For example, dinner coupons for each of the team players to a fancy restaurant with their families.

Food

This may sound trivial or obvious but never underestimate the importance of food. Ensure there is sufficient, quality food at the venue, otherwise, at some point, people will be looking for the exit to go grab bites. If you have to shave a cost from your budget for whatever reason, do not let it be the nutrition aspect. With good food around, however, suddenly everyone is happy to be there. Good food always yields good results.

Celebrate

Most importantly, ensure that the get-away is more about fun and socializing more than it is about work. Summer retreats are a great way to remind the team of all your achievements during the first half of the year. It’s an opportunity to remind the team just how much you value them and all the effort and sacrifices they offer the company. If you go to the getaway and spend half of the time in the conference room your employees will not recognize the difference between the getaway and work; you might as well have continued with work as you were. 

Whether you choose to host your getaway at a local park or your back yard, at a swanky venue or in the Bahamas, it is imperative that your employees feel that it is indeed a getaway, which will encourage them to actually participate in the activities you have planned for the team and guarantee the success of the get-away as a whole.

When it comes to business travel, Philadelphia Executive Limousine is equipped to exceed your highest expectations. We know that every corporate trip comes with a new set of challenges, and transportation is one of them. You can always trust Philly Limo – we have the best solutions crafted to meet the highest expectations of corporate travelers. 

What to Know If You’re Traveling During the Coronavirus Outbreak

As of February 27, more than 31,500 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed around the world.

Starting in Wuhan, China, the virus has rampantly spread to other parts of Asia, Europe and the U.S leading to more than 600 deaths.

As a result, flights and cruises have cancelled their routes and cities are under quarantine. Here is everything you need to know about traveling while coronavirus spreads, courtesy of Travelandleisure.com.

What is coronavirus?

Coronavirus is a specific strain of coronavirus called 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV. It was first discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

“Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats,” according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). And 2019-nCoV is the most recent “novel” version found.

Both Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) are caused by a coronavirus, but not the strain that’s currently circulating.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

The first symptoms of coronavirus feel a lot like the flu. “You’ll get a fever, cough — it’s primarily a lower respiratory virus — general malaise, there may be some gastrointestinal distress,” Dr. Rebecca Katz, a professor and the director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University, recently told Travel + Leisure. When complications of the virus occur, patients could develop pneumonia or kidney-related issues, which could lead to death.

What should you do to prevent coronavirus?

You can protect yourself from catching coronavirus the same way you’d protect yourself from catching any other virus. Wash your hands regularly, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze and be sure to thoroughly cook all meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with people you may see coughing or sneezing.

Which countries are impacted by coronavirus?

As the virus has affected the world, professors from Johns Hopkins University have developed a real-time map to track confirmed cases of coronavirus as it spreads.

Conditions in Wuhan, where the virus was first detected were likened to a wartime scenario this week. The city has been completely quarantined from the rest of China, with transportation links cut. Streets and shelves are empty as residents are urged to go outside only for essential supplies. There have also been two makeshift hospitals put in place to accommodate all patients.

While museums are closed until further notice, China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration has put much of its collection online for visitors to peruse.

The region of Macau has completely shut down for two weeks and none of its famous casinos will be open.

The doctor who first discovered this strain of coronavirus and alerted authorities, Li Wenliang, has died at age 34 of the disease. China has launched an investigation into his death and as to why according to a statement released by the official Xinhua news agency.

Taiwan announced Thursday it would no longer process online or landing visas for citizens of Hong Kong or Macau. The suspension will continue indefinitely.

In Japan, a total of 25 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed. It is the most affected country outside of China; however, no deaths have been reported. Japan’s response to the coronavirus outbreak has been laxer than other countries. Tokyo has only imposed an entry ban for travelers who have been to the Hubei Province within the last 14 days or those who have a passport issued from Hubei. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was adamant that the outbreak will not affect the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this summer.

The other most affected Asian countries are, in order, Singapore, Thailand and South Korea.

Australia closed its borders to foreign arrivals who have been in China within the past 14 days. Australians who are arriving home from China are being met with additional health screenings. There have been 15 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia.

Australia flew out 243 citizens who wished to leave Wuhan and transferred them to quarantine on Christmas Island in an immigration detention center, according to the New York Times.

The U.S. has confirmed a total of 12 coronavirus cases since the outbreak The borders have been closed to anyone who has been in China within the last 14 days. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) now requires airlines to ask passengers on inbound flights if they have visited mainland China in the past 14 days.

If they have, they are rerouted to screening centers at one of several airports around the country, including New York JFK and Los Angeles International. If passengers show no symptoms during their enhanced screening, they are rebooked to their final destination — although they are asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.

How are airlines responding?

Airlines around the world have halted service to mainland China amid warnings from the World Health Organization.

In a statement, Lufthansa Group (including Austrian Airlines and SWISS) said they will not accept new bookings to China through the end of February, however the airlines will continue to operate flights to Hong Kong. British Airways announced an “immediate” suspension of flights to mainland China. Reuters reported that there are no flights available to China with the airline through the end of February. Air Canada has also temporarily suspended flights to Beijing and Shanghai.

United, American and Delta have all suspended their service to China, citing low demand. The longest of these cancellations is with Delta, who have suspended mainland China service until April 30.

All airlines will continue to monitor the situation and could change their schedules should there be any change in the situation in China. Many airlines are still operating flights to Hong Kong. Travelers should contact their airline directly for more information.

Airlines are also looking out for their employees as flight attendants on Cathay Pacific were first told to wear masks while working and have now been asked to take three weeks of unpaid leave between March 1 and the end of June, due to a “significant” drop in demand for flights.

Thai Airways is practicing extreme precautions as they are spraying down cabins with a disinfectant after each flight.

How are cruises responding?

While cruise lines have released their own safety in how they’re handling the outbreak, isolated incidents have occurred on various ships.

At the time of this writing, at least 61 passengers on a Japanese cruise ship have been diagnosed with coronavirus. The ship was initially quarantined when an 80-year-old passenger boarded in the Japanese port of Yokohama after having been diagnosed. Sickened passengers have been transported to a hospital on the mainland for treatment.

A ship in Italy couldn’t offload passengers last week for fear that two of them had contracted the virus.

On Friday, February 7, a Royal Caribbean cruise docked in Bayonne, N.J. — 20 miles away New York City — with passengers that will be assessed for coronavirus as they deboard. Four passengers have been sent to the hospital, according to NorthJersey.com.

Should I cancel my trip because of the coronavirus outbreak?

Earlier this week, the U.S. State Department issued a Level 4 — its highest level — warning, notifying Americans not to travel to China. The CDC also issued a warning against all nonessential travel to China. However, this does not include Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan.

The State Department hasn’t issued any health-related travel advisories against any other Asian countries.

To ensure any upcoming travel plans, calling your hotel and airline directly as well as monitoring updates and alerts will give you the current information.

Organize your ground transportation service ahead of time.

If your travel takes to the Greater Philadelphia Area and you need corporate transportation services such as airport limo service or any other business travel arrangements, please contact Philadelphia Limousine Service. Whatever your travel requirements, Philadelphia Limousine Services has everything to meet and exceed them. We offer a wide selection of the newest models of luxury sedans, SUVs and mini coach bus rentals, for you to choose from. Enjoy the convenience of online ordering and a one call/one bill service for corporate transportation. We’ll get you to your destination in a timely manner so you can focus on one thing and one thing only — the business you need to handle on your trip. Your clients are precious, and we understand you can’t be late for an important meeting. When your company selects Philadelphia Limo as your preferred corporate transportation provider, we become a part of your support team. To setup a corporate account with Philadelphia Limousine, call (215) 485-7265. From the moment that we answer your call all the way through reaching your final destination, Philadelphia Limousine is luxury travel done right.