Find a meeting site that reflects your company culture

If you’re a casual bunch, think mountain lodge, dude ranch, or multi-bedroom private home on the beach. If you want a little luxury, consider a small hotel with exquisite amenities. And there’s nothing that says you can’t meet on a cruise ship or at a spa or golf resort or on a catamaran sailing the Caribbean.

I recommend: Check out Colorado lodges, dude ranches, beachfront homes, little luxury hotels, golf resorts, cruise ships, spas with meeting facilities, sailboats.

Find experts to help you plan the details

As they say, the devil is in the details, and attention to detail is critical with a small executive meeting. This is probably not the time to turn over the planning to your part-time receptionist unless he/she is a competent meeting planner.

I recommend: Find a company that specializes in facilitating all aspects of a meeting. Members of organizations like Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives (SITE) carry the credentials that ensure quality services. Local convention bureaus often have meeting planners on staff or look for a qualified Destination Management Company (DMC) at your chosen destination.

Jazz up your agenda with an outside facilitator

Sure it’s your company and you know better than anyone where you want it to be in five years. But you might not be the best person to lead the discussions and create the Big Plan. Sometimes, bringing in outside help smoothes the way to a polished end product.

I recommend: Find a qualified facilitator here

Don’t forget to have a good time

Corporate meetings are serious business but you know what they say about all work and no play. So plan a golf outing, a lobster bake on the beach, a sunset cruise. Hire a private chef and indulge in some interactive cooking. Go high-tech with high-energy team-building.

I recommend: a company that specializes in corporate events and let your imagination run. Plan a golf outing. Play games.