Three offsites. Three outcomes. Meetings that move the needle
Across Australia and New Zealand, business events are on the rise and so are expectations. In 2026, the brief is less about filling an agenda and more about creating outcomes people can actually carry back into the business, clearer priorities, stronger alignment and decisions that stick.
Jack Ukil, Senior Director and Country Head of Cvent Australia, notes the shift is being driven by “innovation, sustainability and an unrelenting focus on creating more immersive and impactful experiences.” That is another way of saying the experience has become part of the value. Teams want the time away to feel worthwhile, focused and intentionally designed.
That is why venue choice has become more than a logistical decision. In IACC’s 2025 Meeting Room of the Future report, the emphasis is on experience led event design and the value of live meetings. Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC, notes, “Since the launch of our first Meeting Room of the Future report ten years ago it’s exciting to see the industry embracing bold approaches to event design, experimenting with dynamic formats, and investing more in delegate experiences, all of which are driving greater value in live events.” When teams do make the trip, the setting needs to reduce distraction, support focus and make connection easier, which is exactly what most teams are trying to achieve.
What is shifting in 2026
In 2026, the brief for business events is not just to be memorable. It is to be defensible. Costs are rising, and internal stakeholders are asking harder questions about value. What changed as a result of the offsite. What decisions were made. What momentum came back with the team.
That is pushing planners toward more outcomes led programs. Many teams are leaning into clearer objectives, stronger measurement, and a tighter rhythm on the day, while still protecting the one thing technology cannot replicate. Human connection.
AI is also becoming part of the operational toolkit. It can streamline planning, communications, and post event reporting, but it cannot create trust, alignment, or psychological safety. Those outcomes are built in the room and they depend on the environment as much as the agenda.
There is also a continued shift toward experience first design. Delegates have less patience for generic venues, and more appetite for settings that help them arrive mentally as well as physically. At Willinga Park, award winning architecture, gardens and public sculpture create natural transitions between focus and reset, which supports better conversation and stronger engagement across the program.
Sustainability and values alignment are another growing expectation. Organisations want venues that reflect what they stand for, not just what they need. When sustainability is built into the infrastructure, it becomes part of the experience rather than a box to tick.
Willinga Park aligns naturally to these shifts. It is designed for meeting flow with dedicated conference spaces, high quality in room technology, and an onsite experience that keeps people connected from the first session to the last conversation. Conference facilities are powered by an award winning solar system and accommodation, dining and downtime are integrated so teams spend less energy on logistics and more on the work that matters.
That is why the right setting matters. When accommodation, conferencing, dining and downtime sit in one place, teams can stay in flow and focus on the work that matters.
In 2026, the strongest offsites are being designed like working sessions, not presentations. Teams are choosing fewer topics, more decision time and clearer follow through. The agenda is no longer about filling hours. It is about creating momentum that survives the trip home.
Below are three recent offsites, each with a different goal, a different rhythm and a different outcome. They’re a practical way to see how the right setting supports the kind of gathering people remember and a program that actually lands.
Two night reset with a fast start
Designed for teams who need alignment, energy and a clear plan, fast.
The group arrived in the afternoon and we welcomed them at the Conference Centre with afternoon tea and barista coffee before they checked into their Pavilions, our onsite accommodation. Each Pavilion is self contained and generously sized, giving delegates the ease of a self service stay alongside the comfort and privacy to reset between sessions, take a call, or keep conversations going in a more relaxed setting. From there, the first “session” wasn’t a slide deck. It was time on the grounds. After a couple of hours exploring the gardens and sculpture walk together, they returned to refresh before dinner in the Grand Prix Lounge, set as a seated three course dining experience.
Day two kicked off with a healthy breakfast and more coffee, then it was straight into a productive block of work in the Conference Centre. Their day delegate menu reflected the team’s preferences (mostly vegetarian with gluten free options), with plenty of healthy snacks to keep energy steady through the afternoon.
Morning was designed for alignment and speed. We started with a clear purpose check in, then a fast review of what had changed since the last quarter, what was stuck, and what needed a decision. The group moved into a strategy working session focused on three priorities, what to stop, what to double down on, and what needed resourcing. After lunch, the tone shifted into execution. Owners were assigned, timelines confirmed, risks surfaced early, and a simple one page action plan was locked in before the day ended. The final hour was reserved for communication, what would be shared with the broader team on Monday, and what support leaders needed to make the change stick.
As dusk settled, we shifted the pace. The campfire was lit by the pool, the chef cooked a BBQ dinner and canapes were served to start the evening. The change of setting did what it always does. It softened the edges of the day, and the conversations got better.
On the final morning, after breakfast, a smaller group used the Boardroom for a short meeting while the rest of the team opted for a walk up to the Willinga Park lookout before departure. Everyone left with the feeling they’d had a reset and also a head start.
Multi day retreat with wellness in the mornings
Designed for bigger groups who want performance and connection, with space to breathe.
This group arrived by coach at midday and started with an outdoor lunch by the pool before checking into their onsite accommodation. Their first work session began in the Conference Centre that afternoon, followed by a casual cocktail party in the Grand Prix Lounge with canapes and grazing stations for dinner.
Each morning began with a gentle reset. Yoga and breathwork in the gardens, followed by a hearty breakfast and then two full days of conferencing. Breaks weren’t confined to a foyer. Morning tea and lunch were served in the sunny courtyard or along shaded garden walks, giving people the chance to stretch their legs, clear their heads and come back into the room sharper.
This retreat followed a rhythm that is becoming more common in 2026. Short reset moments early, deeper work mid morning, then collaboration in the afternoon. Day one focused on reconnecting the team, clarifying the year ahead, and mapping priorities against capacity. Day two went deeper, with breakouts on customer needs, operational friction, and culture. Each stream came back into the room with clear recommendations, then the group worked through trade offs together to land on what would actually be delivered. The final session was about follow through. Leaders committed to what would change in the next thirty days, and what would be measured to show progress.
Evenings were intentionally light. We helped build in activities that suited the group, trivia, fireside chats and karaoke, the kind of relaxed moments that turn colleagues into a team. A shuttle bus was organised to move delegates around the property and between Pavilions and key locations in the itinerary, so the whole experience felt seamless.
One day decision day
Designed for executive teams who need clarity, confidentiality and speed.
A small leadership group booked our Boardroom for a one-day decision session. After a warm welcome in The Stables Restaurant and fresh barista coffee, the team moved into the Boardroom and dialled in additional attendees via video conferencing technology.
Because the schedule was tight, morning tea was served inside the Boardroom, with individual coffee orders taken and delivered to keep things flowing. A hot lunch buffet was served in the courtyard, giving the team a true reset break. Fresh air, clear heads, then back to the table for the afternoon stretch.
The day was structured for clarity and speed. We began with a decision frame, what must be decided today, what information was already known, and what would be parked. The team worked through options, stress tested assumptions, and surfaced risks early. Before lunch, they locked the preferred path. After lunch, the focus moved to implementation, resourcing, dependencies, and a communications plan. The final forty five minutes were used to confirm owners, timeframes, and the first three actions that would happen within forty eight hours.
At the end of the day, the group had the option of an onsite dinner or heading out to a nearby restaurant, before returning to their Pavilions for a good night’s sleep. The outcome wasn’t “we had a meeting”. It was “we made the decisions we came here to make.”
Design your next offsite
Every offsite looks different at Willinga Park, because the goal is different each time. Our role is to help you design the rhythm of the day, not just the room hire, so the experience supports the outcome you’re chasing.
As Amy Calvert, CEO of the Events Industry Council, said, in-person experiences can be “a catalyst for the change we envision.” That’s the standard we work to. Gatherings that leave people clearer, closer and ready to act.
If you’re planning a conference, strategy retreat, leadership offsite, board meeting or product launch, send through your dates (or a month window), headcount, and what you want the day to achieve. we'll come back with a tailored proposal and a few Willinga Park ideas to elevate the experience.
Contact Manuela: bookings@willinga.com.au | (+61 2) 4405 5666