You gathered in person. Now what?

Hello, hello,

If you’re new here, welcome.
And if you’ve stuck around while I’ve been shaping this newsletter toward supporting remote teams. Thank you.

I’ve just returned from Łódź, Poland, where I was moderating at Urban Future. A conference that doesn’t feel like a conference. It’s built for city changemakers, and this was my second year in a row. It’s playful, human, and gives me permission to do what I love most: turn traditional moderation on its head and facilitate big group workshops that spark energy and insight.

While most of my work is online, I occasionally say yes to in-person events like Urban Future. I also design and facilitate a number of company offsites. And, it’s there that I keep bumping into the same problem.

Big in-person gatherings are all well and good...

But what happens next?

There’s a lot of energy in the room. People feel connected. Strategy is shaped. Trust is built. Everyone walks away with that “offsite glow.”

And then?

The calendar fills up.
The to-do list takes over.
And the momentum quietly disappears.

I remember one offsite in particular: a three-day gathering in Amsterdam for 50+ leaders flown in from across Europe. Before every offsite, I try to speak to a few participants in advance: someone new, someone known as a team champion, and someone who might be seen as a blocker.

All three of them, in this case, said the same thing:
“This will be a nice few days. But nothing will happen after.”

Ouch.
That sentiment showed up in the pre-offsite survey, too.

We mirrored this back to the leaders, offered to design meaningful follow-up moments, even set a post-offsite gathering date.

Then silence. The leadership never followed through. Reinforcing a culture of talk over action.

And that’s where we’re missing a huge opportunity.

When I think about the rhythm of how we gather, I picture it like a tree:

🌱 The roots are your in-person gatherings.
These are where trust is built, vision is clarified, and strategy is co-created. These experiences ground us. But they’re not enough on their own.

🌿 The branches are your online gatherings.
They carry the work forward. They reinforce shared values, invite collective wisdom, and create the space for culture to grow—across time zones, departments, and silos.

Without the branches, the tree withers.
Without online follow-up, the offsite becomes a moment, not a movement.

So let me ask you:

✨ What do you wish would happen after your next offsite?
✨ What follow-up moment would help your remote team keep the momentum alive?

Reply and let me know, I’d love to hear.

Curiously connecting,
Always,
Perle

p.s. I will be co-hosting a masterclass in facilitating big groups online in September. Join us.