Harvest Hosts and Escapees RV Club Marketing Off-Site Retreat

The end of October had the Harvest Hosts Marketing Team and the Escapees RV Club's Event, Magazine, Design, Marketing, and Education Teams coming together for a few days to get to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere to talk about the future of the Escapees RV Club and plan how we’ll collaborate to bring our best for the members of each organization.

Day One:

Being a 100% remote workforce, most of us had already met via Zoom calls since Harvest Hosts’ acquisition of the Escapees RV Club. But meeting in person is always so much better! We just don’t see each other in person very often when we’re all spread out across the country and why we all need these retreats every so often.

The Escapees group shared hugs with each other separately and the Harvest Hosts folks did the same. Not surprisingly, there were then more hugs passed around as we reintroduced ourselves and mingled around the room on the first day, realizing that this collaboration is going to be a strong one between two very dedicated teams.

After everyone had some time to settle into their accommodations, we met back up for games and icebreakers. While we didn’t have to do any trust falls (iykyk), there were a couple of other games to help us get to know each other even better. We learned about each others’ personality types and what our guilty pleasure song choices were. The laughter was contagious as we tried to match the person with the music and stories told about each song choice. Even people who knew each other were surprised by some of the facts they found out!

Sharing a meal meant we got to just relax and have those casual conversations about ourselves with those seated near us. We laughed some more, asked more questions about each other, and simply became more acquainted. As people finished eating, the ping pong table attracted some as others wandered around together in the lodge as new friends and colleagues.

At the end of the first night, a group gathered around the campfire outside to roast marshmallows and make s’mores. By then the jokes were plentiful and flowed freely as we all became comfortable with each other. We knew this was going to be a fun team of professionals to work with.

Day Two:

Day two had us back up and at it with breakfast to start the day. The coffee flowed as we got together for another fun game where we tried to guess the person with a life event. Some were silly, others were adventurous, and others were simply incredible. Learning even more about each other began to solidify the connections that had formed the first day.

This retreat wasn’t all fun and games, though. A work session was also part of day two. During this session we had the opportunity to brainstorm ideas to blend the best of both the Escapees RV Club and Harvest Hosts. With brainstorming, anything goes so we were shooting for the moon. We all wanted the ideas to benefit our membership so we put everything out on the table, knowing they will be scrutinized and molded over time to create something to be proud of.

Once the brainstorming was over, we had lunch then were on our own to hike, explore the nearby town, finish any lingering work projects, or simply relax. Many of us ended up at a local ice cream shop for the multitude of delicious ice cream flavors! You just can’t go wrong with ice cream and can count on it to bring people together even more! Back at camp, we met up again for dinner and beverages and more social time to wrap up another productive and fun day.

Day Three:

Day three was a travel day for everyone so we all had breakfast together, visited some more, and bought our souvenirs.

As you might expect, there were hugs all around as we trickled away from camp headed for the airport and our separate work spaces across the country. Promises of “I’ll Slack you for X and Y,” and “I’ll reach out about the new project,” were given as the newly formed, more connected, and much bigger team all left.

As time goes on, this new team is sure you’re going to notice the upgrades and improvements to Escapees RV Club and Harvest Hosts. We truly want the best for our members and to give you all an RV community you can count on with benefits and services you’ll surely enjoy.