5 facts: Therefore, it is a good business to hold meetings at sea

Are you also considering whether it pays to hold meetings "out of the house", and especially on a ship surrounded by the endless ocean with foam spray and seagulls' wingbeats? It is both easier and cheaper to stay at home, you think.

But if you want happy employees who contribute more to the bottom line, then it pays to try something new.

Here's what research and experience says about moving meetings, conferences and events out of the usual framework.

1. Meetings at sea increase productivity

Most people get inspired and gain energy by traveling and staying in new places. External disturbances, which often occur during a normal working day, are also eliminated.

The phone rings, Facebook entices, a colleague comes in. Innocent distractions that consume valuable time and can be reduced by holding meetings "out of the house".

Because it does not matter where we are when we need to be productive and creative. Humans are affected by the physical environment they are in.

Researchers at Aarhus University have e.g. measured that the heart rate changes and that we produce more stress hormone when we stay in a room with small windows compared to a room with large windows.

On the ship, which sails between Copenhagen and Oslo / Oslo and Copenhagen via Frederikshavn, there are large windows with sea views 24/7 and kilometers of decks.

Therefore, one should consider whether the place where one usually holds meetings, events and conferences contributes to a productive work environment, or whether it is time to move the tent poles up?

2. Meetings at sea are a different experience

It started with the kids when it was found that outdoor school days positively affect physical activity, learning, social relationships and attitudes towards school.

Today we call it Teach Out when we move company meetings, conferences and events outside. If not the whole event, then parts of it. Because:

Teach Out strengthens relationships, makes us sharper and more creative. You can simply use Teach Out strategically to give meeting participants the knowledge they remember. And water has a very special effect in this connection.

The American marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols explains in his book “Blue Mind” what the research says about the beneficial properties of water.

And it does not matter whether you are on the water doing a walk-and-talk on deck or watching the ripples of the sea and the seagulls through the large windows of the ship's conference rooms.

Nature - and water in particular - gives us a cognitive break, which enables us to be more interested and engaged.

3. Meetings at sea provide more immersion and activity

The benefits of BusinessCruises and meetings at sea are high. Why? Because the energy is different on the water than in classic conference rooms on land.

There is room and time for both contemplation and activities. Eg. to go on GPS adventures, where you have to solve tasks together with the technology in hand.

For putting in activities gives the little extra to the individual as to the whole group. A spa trip, museum visit or seafood lunch in Oslo / lunch in Nyhavn in Copenhagen is also an opportunity to bring the participants even closer together.

The conference facilities call for immersion. From the large auditoriums with room for several hundred to meeting rooms of varying sizes. All have sea views (except the auditorium), which allows participants to pause from the artificial blue light of the screen with the colors of nature, but still be able to listen.

On board are experienced conference managers who know the purpose of your meeting and the points of the program and help you get full value for all the meeting days.

4. Meetings at sea are more intensive

Two unique conditions make the meeting experience at sea more intense than meetings on land: Your meeting participants cannot leave the event ahead of time, and the senses are sharpened.

Most people experience some increase in adrenaline in the body, simply because they are out at sea. They become more attentive and more excited, and this can be used to make the meeting experience focused.

Companies that hold meetings on the ship say the same thing over and over again: It's the feeling of being on the move.

The momentum inspires action, and the fact that the meeting participants cannot just slip away from the conference or event makes it particularly binding. It is valuable for the company, because meetings today are about using time fully and forming meaningful connections in a time where most things are digital.

5. Meetings at sea create good relationships

There is a direct connection between the company's bottom line and job satisfaction. A study from the University of Warwick shows that job satisfaction can help increase employee productivity by up to 12 percent. And according to a research report from the Nordic Council, there is a statistical connection between high productivity and a good working environment.

When staying on a ship, the intensity of the presence increases, and it brings colleagues closer together. Many say afterwards that it has lifted the team to get out in such a different setting, and you are more efficient when you are together on a ship. You do not postpone the topics, but get them completed.

When you are home again, there is plenty to talk about, remember and laugh about. And it spreads to the company. Happy employees are just more productive and efficient and generally achieve more in the course of a day.