How to Choose a Retreat Theme That Resonates (and Actually Works)

By Christine Courtney

Whether you're planning a team offsite, a leadership retreat, or a multi-day strategy session, one question always comes up early in the process:

"What should our theme be?"

It seems like a small decision—but in my experience, the theme is one of the most powerful tools you have for shaping energy, purpose, and connection.

When chosen well, it becomes more than a slogan. It becomes a thread that pulls people in, guides your flow, and helps your team leave with something that sticks.

1. Anchor in the Why

Before you brainstorm words or phrases, pause. Ask:

Why are we gathering?

Is it about recalibration after a major change? Building trust in a new team? Sparking creative momentum for what’s next?

Your theme should reflect the emotional undercurrent of this retreat. If the team’s been running on empty, maybe your theme centers rest and realignment. If you’re launching a new phase, think activation, ownership, or future vision.

Pro tip: I often have leadership teams fill in the sentence:

“By the end of this retreat, we want people to feel ____ and understand ____.”

Those words often lead us right to the theme.

2. Choose a Story, Not a Slogan

A great theme is more than a buzzword—it’s a story waiting to be told.

Instead of choosing “Innovation” (which is broad and flat), choose something like:

• “Rewrite the Rules”
• “Build the Bridge”
• “The Next Chapter”
• “Spark and Sustain”

Each one invites curiosity and emotion. It opens the door to metaphor, activity design, storytelling, and even visual motifs. And it gives you flexibility across different sessions while still keeping a cohesive arc.

3. Use the Theme as a Thread

The theme should show up more than once. Weave it throughout the experience—visually, verbally, and emotionally.

You might:

• Open with a story that anchors the theme
• Use it as a through-line for breakout sessions
• Invite participants to reflect on how it connects to their own leadership
• Close the retreat with a moment that ties back to it

When the theme becomes a thread, not just a title slide, it deepens meaning and builds shared memory.

4. Check for Lift, Not Just Logic

I’ve seen teams pick themes that make sense on paper but fall flat in the room. Don’t just go with what sounds strategic—go with what feels alive.

Say it out loud. Picture yourself saying it to open the retreat. Does it spark something? Or does it sound like a corporate memo?

Ask yourself:

• Does it invite engagement?
• Can people see themselves in it?
• Is it flexible enough to meet us where we are—and where we’re going?

5. Involve Your People (Early)

If time allows, give your team a chance to weigh in. Even asking for input around what people are craving from the retreat—connection, clarity, courage—can spark insights that shape your theme.

When your theme speaks to what people really need, they’ll come in with more openness, more buy-in, and more energy.

A Few of My Favorite Themes We've Used

• “Reclaim the Spark” – After burnout, we used this theme to help a team reconnect to purpose and each other.
• “One Bold Move” – A future-focused theme that centered courage and momentum.
• “Together, Again” – A simple, powerful theme for a post-COVID in-person gathering.
• “What Now, What Next?” – Designed to guide teams through reflection and forward motion.

6. Build Your Theme Around Big Ideas + Books

One of my favorite ways to create retreat themes that resonate—and last—is by anchoring them to a book or big idea. Whether it’s something the whole team has read or a concept you’ve been exploring together, these sources provide a shared language for learning, reflection, and growth.

When you choose a theme connected to a powerful framework or quote, it helps shape the tone, structure, and outcomes of the retreat. It gives everyone something to hold onto—before, during, and after the experience.

Here are some examples we’ve used:

• 📘 The Question Behind the Question → Theme: “Own the Moment”
  Focused on personal accountability, agency, and curiosity-based leadership.
• 📘 Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast → Theme: “Culture First”
  A reminder that healthy culture drives sustainable performance, especially in times of change.
• 📘 Rework → Theme: “The Power of RE”
  An energizing prompt to Reimagine, Reignite, Retreat, Refresh, Rethink, and Redesign.
• 📘 Essentialism → Theme: “Back to Basics”
  Perfect for teams looking to clear the clutter and return to what matters most.

Pro Tip: Tie the theme to pre-reading, open with a quote from the book, or frame your breakout sessions around its core ideas. It turns the retreat into a living classroom—and the theme into a guiding lens.

In Closing: Story First, Always

Themes work best when they’re rooted in story. That might be a personal anecdote, a company moment, or even a metaphor that mirrors the moment you’re in.

Start with the story. Then let that story shape the experience.

Your retreat theme isn’t just a detail. It’s an invitation. Make it one your team will remember.