Creating a Productive Agenda: Balancing Work and Relaxation at Your Company Event

June 20, 2025
Weddings

It’s 2025—gone are the days when corporate events meant sitting through endless presentations in sterile conference rooms. Today's most successful company events masterfully blend focused productivity with meaningful relaxation—creating experiences that energize teams, strengthen relationships, and deliver measurable business results.

Work vs. Relaxation: Why Both Elements Matter

The ROI of Relaxation

In modern psychology circles, it is widely recognized that downtime actually improves creativity and problem-solving. In 2022, a University of Arizona study identified a “tendency for creative individuals to be more engaged and explorative with their thoughts when task demands are relaxed.”

Essayist Tim Kreider captured this idea rather eloquently in his famous 2012 New York Times piece, The Busy Trap.

"Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence or a vice; it is as indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as disfiguring as rickets," Kreider wrote. "The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration—it is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done."

Beyond increased creativity and performance, a relaxing event atmosphere:

Gives teams the space to develop stronger, more natural bonds
Engages employees on a more personal level
Boosts overall company morale and dynamics

The Importance of Structured Productivity

That being said, unless it’s your annual Christmas party, you’ll probably want to set aside time to swap out your party hats for thinking caps.

Before you begin planning your agenda, you’ll need a clear action plan regarding what you will accomplish (and how and when you will do so). That way, you’ll:

Set accurate expectations for your team
Maintain momentum and avoid distractions
Come away from the event with tangible results and takeaways
Ensure stakeholders see tangible value from the investment

Tips for a Well-Balanced Agenda

First, define a few core goals.

Need to get all staff on the same page about a big company shift? Hoping to leave the meeting with a set of actionable steps to take toward a company growth goal? Want to give your employees a mental reset? Or strengthen team bonds?

Every decision you make about your event day itinerary should reflect your predetermined objectives.
Set the stage with a naturally relaxing venue.

Venues with warm, inviting event spaces and an abundance of scenic beauty (like Spruce Mountain Ranch) will naturally promote a relaxing atmosphere. Features you’ll want to look out for include:
- Lots of natural light
- Captivating scenic views
- Use of warm light and building materials
- Flexible, spacious venue layouts
- Thoughtfully manicured lawn and landscaping
Stick to the 70-30 rule.

Allocate 70 percent of your event to structured time with a clear focus. And the remaining 30 percent? Flexible time for breaks and organic conversations. These brief buffer periods give team members much-needed mental breaks and easy opportunities to socialize and network with colleagues they may not regularly work with.

PRO TIP: Make sure the buffer time is “unplugged” time. Consider designating mingling spaces as “no phone” zones to encourage meaningful connection.
Choose the right time of day.

Have a lot you want to accomplish over the course of a day? Make sure you schedule intensive work in the morning when energy is highest. Then, as the day goes on, plan engaging activities that require less focus (like guided interactive workshops or lighter collaborative work). After about three o’clock, avoid scheduling anything other than casual networking sessions, dinner, and/or a social hour.
Go interactive!

There’s nothing more mentally exhausting than sitting and listening to speaker after speaker…all day. Instead of passive lectures and presentations, consider more engaging alternatives. A few examples include:
- Brainstorming walks
- Company/industry trivia (with prizes)
- Creative team challenges (testing collaboration abilities)
- Innovation hack-a-thon (with incentives for the best new ideas)
- Hands-on workshops (focusing on industry-relevant skills)
- Problem-solving scavenger hunts
Take the party outside on occasion.

It’s amazing what a little fresh air can do for a person’s mood and focus! Whenever you can, try to incorporate time in the great outdoors. We’re talking:
- Open-air networking transitions between sessions
- Outdoor ideation “huddle” zones (for small group brainstorming)
- Optional activities like fly fishing or horseback riding
- Alfresco drinks and dining
Thoughtfully incorporate breakout sessions.

Break up large, day-long events (like conferences) with more intimate, small-group discussions or activities. Unlike standard speeches and Robert’s Rules-style meetings, breakout sessions help maintain complete team engagement and often lead to increased collaboration and innovation.

NOTE: At Spruce Mountain Ranch, our various small offshoot spaces (like our Aspen Room, Colorado Room, or our lovely courtyards) were specifically designed to accommodate intimate gatherings and corporate breakout sessions.
Build in a few “just for fun” activities.

Nobody can go, go, go for a full day without a little something fun to look forward to. Keep the energy high by scheduling engaging activities your team will actually enjoy. Some of our client favorites include whiskey tasting, golf simulation, live music and drinks, and outdoor yoga sessions.
Select a catering menu that’s both enticing & energizing.

Transform a good company event into an unforgettable experience with delicious locally sourced cuisine. Select healthy options that will help sustain energy without crashes, but don’t be afraid to incorporate a little “wow” factor.

Luckily, Spruce Mountain Ranch partners with 11 spectacular vendors who offer next-level event catering experiences—many of which offer menu customization according to your unique taste and style.
Don’t drag it on too long.

If your team has been going at it for 8 to 9 hours straight, they may not be too thrilled about sticking around for some more “forced” fun after typical work hours—that is, unless you first opened doors in the mid-to-late afternoon.

If you do schedule a networking social hour after a long, productive day, consider keeping it short and optional.
Have good contingency plans.

The key to a strong contingency plan? A versatile venue that can easily adapt if you need to relocate indoors or make an itinerary change. Known for our large selection of breathtaking indoor AND outdoor spaces, Spruce Mountain Ranch offers the flexibility you need to pivot quickly during the planning or setup process.

Plan Your Next Work Event at Spruce Mountain Ranch

Looking for the perfect setting for a productive, yet relaxing corporate event? Arguably, there’s no place better to do so than the Colorado mountains. Conveniently located smack dab between Colorado Springs and Denver, Spruce Mountain Ranch offers beautiful, versatile spaces and exquisite vendor partnerships that transform basic company meetings or retreats into impactful occasions that leave teams reenergized and inspired.

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