Retreat by the sea

The Yale Conferences & Events team gathered at the Madison Beach Hotel last week for a staff retreat by the sea. Each fall, we come together for an all-day “meeting of the minds” to discuss the challenges and new opportunities that have emerged and that potentially lie ahead.

Show and Tell

Every year at our annual retreat we do a “Show and Tell” where each staff member is a hero in their own right, showcasing and celebrating the good work they do. From Program Administration (both academic and summer programs, conferences and events); Housing Operations (both academic and summer); Marketing & Communications; Administration; and Business and Finance areas - BRAVO to ALL the YC&E team members for all their hard work all year long!

Mini Olympics

This year’s retreat included a challenging and enjoyable “mini Olympics” team-building segment, facilitated by Cornerstones Northeast Team Building. Our facilitator, Jim, separated us into two teams and laid out different challenges meant to test our ability to collaborate efficiently, build trust, and problem solve. From blindfolded obstacles to jumbo Jenga, we had many moments of laughter and left feeling connected after an afternoon of friendly and playful competition. Play can fuel your imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and emotional well-being. It can supercharge learning and connect you to others. It was the highlight of the day!

Kudos to the mini olympics champions, Team #1! Special mention goes to Team #2 for keeping Team #1 honest :).

Mementos

We ended the retreat with a relaxing DIY moment, brought to us by Victoria at Still Waters USA, a local woman-owned business featuring handcrafted sea glass products. We each left the retreat with a beautifully unique starfish ornament as a memento of our retreat AND with a renewed sense of community and motivation for what this coming year will bring!