Next Week, We Retreat!


It’s that time of year when WebDevStudios (WDS) team members from near and far gather together for one week of bonding, co-working, brainstorming, sharing, caring, and creating memories. Known as WDS Camp, this company retreat takes place next week on Lake Lanier in Georgia.

We will be out of office April 22-26, 2019.

Our offices (including Maintainn and Pluginize) will officially be closed during this time, but we hope you follow us on Twitter because there may be shenanigans reported on social media. There usually are.

As the remote work model continues to increase among companies, a culture that we adopted and incorporated upon the launch of WDS, we know all too well the importance of a company retreat. Our first was in 2014 in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania (aka Poconos).  Since then, we have continued to hold company retreats annually.

A photograph of 15 team members from website design and development agency WebDevStudios standing together and looking up at the camera for the first-ever WDS Camp company retreat.
The first-ever WDS Camp!

Collaborate. Learn. Plan.

This year, our goals with WDS Camp are to get together, recharge from a busy 2018 (and an already busy first quarter of 2019), collaborate across all teams, and build relationships. We’ll also discuss the new things happening at WDS in 2019 and 2020. As such, we created three tracks to set the tone for our company retreat, much like organizers do at WordCamps:

  1. Collaborate with teammates to improve our services.
  2. Learn new things.
  3. Plan for initiatives.

It’s work, but it’s fun!

The way we see it, a company retreat is the perfect chance to bring together an entire remote working team, a group of people who do not ordinarily see each other, and fraternize in real life while also strengthening relationships in a relaxing, comforting environment. Director of Client Services, Jim Byrom, agrees, saying that he is looking forward to seeing the team at Maintainn and collaborating in person. An avid fisherman, he’s also got his eye on beautiful Lake Lanier for some fishing. Project Manager, Ashley Harrison, says she just can’t wait to see her teammates for interaction and good times.


In the past, we have learned that our own WDS Camp company retreat offers inspiration and energy. Oh sure, it’s work, but it’s still fun! Again, it’s that in-person, in-real-life participation where all the magic happens. There’s just something wonderful about face-to-face engagement that can really boost motivation.

However, a company retreat is a two-sided event that requires employee involvement, as well. There is only so much the employer can do—only so many activities the organization can create and schedule. It’s up to the team member to get off the computer when necessary, talk with other teammates, and have an optimistic attitude in order to get the most out of a company retreat. And, by the looks of our current WDS Camp Slack channel, it appears everyone at WDS aims to do just that.

April Williams, Director of Operations

If you’re planning a company retreat of your own, WDS Director of Operations, April Williams, offers this advice: “The biggest tip I have this year is to delegate clear goals to your planning team and trust in them to get their tasks done!”
 
 
 
 
 
 

We will return.

On April 29, 2019, WebDevStudios and our entire family of companies will resume our regular office hours, 9:00 a.m. EDT to 5:00 p.m. EDT. We look forward to getting back to work feeling refreshed, recharged and ready to build amazing websites.

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