At Strategic Media, Inc. we work hard. But when we combine our passion and work ethic with our team spirit—and a dose of fun!—we can accomplish even more.
On September 17-18, SMI held its first company-wide retreat. Employees from all departments headed to Sunday River for two days of structured group work, presentations, and discussions. Nestled in the woods, the Sunday River Jordan Hotel provided a scenic backdrop for team building, conversations, and brainstorming on topics including:
- Processes
- Improving Campaign Performance
- Media Strategies
- Creative Execution
- Dashboard Reporting
- Social Presence
The retreat offered space to step away from the day-to-day routine and think about the company, its goals, and how each person can contribute to the success of our clients. It also gave employees an opportunity to learn about the perspectives and challenges of their colleagues.
“When you put everyone together and try and figure out how to optimize how we work together, you learn a lot about the daily tasks that we each have. You also learn what can make their days smoother, or more difficult,” Andrew Nelson, Audio Production Engineer, said.
Productive morning conversations were followed by fun and relaxation in an outdoor setting. Shared activities like hiking, zip lining, and disc golf heightened the sense of community among staff.
According to National Media Buyer Monica Weeks, the retreat “provided a wonderful opportunity to bond as a team and revisit our company goals,” and the new setting “inspired fresh ideas and spurred new collaborations.”
After two days of rejuvenation in the mountains, employees returned to the office with renewed enthusiasm and lists of action items to ensure the future and growth of SMI.
“It was awesome to get out of the office and be with co-workers in the Sunday River environment,” said Traffic Director Matt Perkins. “Lots of excellent ideas [were] shared during our daytime sessions.”