Swapping the office for a scenic Airbnb!
In the heart of West Yorkshire, amidst rolling hills and picturesque moors, the Bubble team embarked on a unique overnight getaway. Swapping our usual office setting for a scenic Airbnb, we took the whole team on our first ever workcation! This wasn’t just a regular team getaway; it was an opportunity to blend work and leisure, fostering stronger bonds while continuing to ignite our creative sparks. This blog post takes you through our memorable workcation experience, highlighting the fun we had, the work we accomplished, and the unforgettable memories we created!
Why we wanted to organise a team getaway
In an era where hybrid and remote working has become the norm, we like to ensure that we’re still making time to get together as a team on regular occasions. We believe in the importance of getting the team together to help foster a sense of unity and camaraderie, and also to promote collaboration, bonding, and team building. Occasions like this help to break down formal barriers and allow for genuine connections within the team, allowing us to work better together whilst maintaining the culture and values we have within the business.
We wanted to arrange a workcation to harness the culture within the team, providing a change of scenery from work and home life, a chance to get away and enjoy some time together. With a work and play balance, it was an opportunity to collaborate on new ideas, catch up on projects and workflow and create unforgettable memories as a team!
Choosing the perfect location
When planning our retreat, we had a few key criteria in mind. Firstly, the location needed to be no more than a 2-hour drive for everyone, ensuring accessibility and convenience. It needed to have enough beds for the entire team, a large dining area to allow us to enjoy communal meals together, and have suitable areas to work. We found an Airbnb in West Yorkshire, which hit all the right notes. And to top it all off, it came complete with a games room including a pool table, dart board, table football, table tennis and air hockey table as well as a hot tub and sauna, bringing a touch of fun to our workcation!
The Airbnb we hired was an old pub, which had recently undergone a major refurbishment and was now the ultimate holiday home, kitted out with all the latest mod-cons and a sleek and modern interior! The accommodation boasted incredible views of the moors, taking in miles and miles of countryside which made for the perfect backdrop whilst we worked.
Balancing work and play
Our overnight stay in West Yorkshire was both productive and enjoyable. Ensuring we had a nice balance of work and play, we set up our Macs and worked throughout the day as usual, collaborating on projects, sharing ideas, and holding team meetings. The environment allowed us to experience the benefits of co-working in a relaxed setting whilst maintaining our work structure and ensuring everyone was fully engaged in their work. But it wasn’t all work and no play. After work hours, we indulged in some well-deserved downtime and popped open the fizz shortly after 5pm! Games of pool, table football, and table tennis amongst others sparked ‘friendly’ competition, while karaoke sessions brought out our hidden talents! And of course, the hot tub was a huge hit, especially with the girls, offering a perfect way to unwind after a busy day!
As part of the evening’s entertainment we also held our first ever Bubble Award Ceremony! A brilliant idea from the social media team to give out awards (complete with a winners medal or mini trophy) to every team member to highlight their importance to the team and to celebrate their individuality and their unquestionable talent!
The whole experience provided lots of laughs and camaraderie and created a real sense of togetherness and team spirit!
Food, glorious food
To fuel our creativity, we ensured that everyone was well-fed throughout the day! We put on lunch for the team and ordered pizzas for dinner, providing comfort food that everyone loves! As well as ensuring there was plenty of food to go round, we also made sure there was an ample amount of drinks! With plenty of beers, ciders, wines and spirits we were in the right place with the accommodation being an old pub! When morning came, and with a few sore heads, we fired up the oven and made bacon and sausage sandwiches for everyone which went down a treat with a nice hot brew, taking in the views.
Wrapping up
Our team retreat in West Yorkshire was an unforgettable experience. It showed us that a change of scenery could do wonders for creativity and productivity. Most importantly, it reminded us of the value of spending time together as a team, strengthening bonds, and creating shared memories. Here’s to more workcations in the future!
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