Giving employees a quasi-vacation getaway is one factor in planning SKOs (and other annual meetings). That's part of the reason my company held its past 3 SKOs in Las Vegas. Before that they held one in Mexico, though that was before I joined.
There's a balance to strike. You need employees ready to focus on the material and take everything seriously. If the trip tilts too far toward being a party it becomes counterproductive. I think that's a big part of the reason my company switched from places like Mexico to Vegas a few years ago. My previous employer had held an SKO in Mexico, too, before deciding it was a bad idea; a few employees had treated it like a boondoggle. They moved theirs to wine country near San Francisco.
I'm almost glad we didn't have to go to Las Vegas this year. The fancy hotels are all much too big— it's like a mile to walk from your room to where meetings are held in the hotel conference centers. And Vegas itself holds little attraction for me anymore. Yeah, the extracurriculars are fun... but just for a bit. I'd almost rather we hold it at, say, the Hilton in Omaha. As long as there's decent food to eat and a few decent bars to gather at informally for socializing at night I'd be good.
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There's a balance to strike. You need employees ready to focus on the material and take everything seriously. If the trip tilts too far toward being a party it becomes counterproductive. I think that's a big part of the reason my company switched from places like Mexico to Vegas a few years ago. My previous employer had held an SKO in Mexico, too, before deciding it was a bad idea; a few employees had treated it like a boondoggle. They moved theirs to wine country near San Francisco.
I'm almost glad we didn't have to go to Las Vegas this year. The fancy hotels are all much too big— it's like a mile to walk from your room to where meetings are held in the hotel conference centers. And Vegas itself holds little attraction for me anymore. Yeah, the extracurriculars are fun... but just for a bit. I'd almost rather we hold it at, say, the Hilton in Omaha. As long as there's decent food to eat and a few decent bars to gather at informally for socializing at night I'd be good.