Corporate events at resort destinations deliver unexpected ROI

The morning sun crests over the Brundage Mountains, reflecting across McCall’s Shore Lodge‘s lakefront boardwalk. At 7 a.m., the first conference attendees are already gathering for sunrise yoga on the dock, coffee cups steaming in the crisp mountain air. Another group laces up their hiking boots for an early morning hike while others take in the views of the lake while networking.

This scene would be impossible to replicate in a downtown conference center, and that’s exactly the point.

Shore Lodge’s 77-room boutique property has become a destination of choice for corporate retreats, medical conferences and state association meetings, drawing business leaders from across the Treasure Valley and beyond. But like many resort destinations across Idaho and the broader Pacific Northwest, Shore Lodge represents a growing trend in corporate events where businesses make a calculated decision to move important meetings away from traditional venues in favor of destinations that promise both productivity and transformation.

The perks and challenges of holding corporate events at resort destinations are moving beyond simple cost-per-attendee calculations to measure engagement, retention and long-term business outcomes. While destination events typically cost more upfront, industry data and resort managers argue the investment pays dividends through higher attendance rates, enhanced networking and stronger team cohesion that translates directly to workplace performance.

The numbers behind the trend

The meetings and events industry represents a significant economic force, with 1.9 million meetings held annually across the United States, resulting in $325 billion in direct spending. Within this landscape, destination events at resorts are capturing an increasingly large share of corporate budgets.

For 95% of events teams, demonstrating event ROI is the top priority, according to a 2024 Forrester study. Yet traditional metrics often miss the intangible benefits that resort destinations provide. Event communications services account for up to 30% of overall marketing spending for some businesses, making the pressure to prove return on investment more critical than ever.

“We measure success by the comments we receive from both attendees and meeting planners,” Shore Lodge President and General Manager Tom Garcia said. “Our meeting planners want to ensure that the agenda goals have been met and the satisfaction of the attendees has been positively perceived.”

Brittany Burgess, Shore Lodge’s director of sales and marketing, added that participation rates tell the story most clearly.

“We definitely see an increase in participation when people attend destination meetings,” she said. “When it’s a memorable experience, people are more likely to attend any unique location, combined with a mix of professional and recreational activities.”

The psychology of place plays a role

Industry experts increasingly recognize that physical environment plays a crucial role in meeting effectiveness. Resort destinations offer what traditional conference centers cannot, which is the psychological impact of removing participants from their daily routines and placing them in inspiring settings.

“The intent or focus of a meeting is truly enhanced with a resort setting,” Garcia says. “Breakouts are usually done in and around the resort, so casual, relaxed get-togethers lead to more thoughtful discussion. Bringing the outside into a meeting space, through windows or on patios, allows for more creativity without even realizing it.”

This environmental psychology translates into measurable business outcomes. According to industry data from Convene Magazine, 93% of senior-level managers agree that a face-to-face meeting improves their ability to close a deal..

Combining workable convention space with outdoor beauty seems to be a winning combination for event planners. For instance, at The Coeur d’Alene Resort, which offers more than 32,000 square feet of conference, exhibit and meeting space across 25 event rooms, the emphasis on location-driven experiences is central to their value proposition. The resort’s signature venue, the Hagadone Event Center, features retractable floor-to-ceiling glass walls that literally bring the outdoors inside, with views of Lake Coeur d’Alene and the resort’s famous floating golf green.

Calculating the true cost

While destination events require higher upfront investment, meeting planners are finding that total cost of ownership often favors resort locations when factoring in engagement and outcomes. The average cost per attendee is expected to increase globally by 1.5% for small and simple meetings to 3% for conferences and trade shows, but resort destinations often deliver participation rates that offset the premium.

“We don’t see a difference in participation between companies that pay for everything versus those where attendees pay their own way,” Burgess said. “Both types of conferences tend to fill up completely.”

The destination effect also extends stays, creating additional value for both attendees and their organizations.

“If the company is paying for their meeting time, we’ll do a lot of pre and post days,” Garcia said. “Family members may come up, and they’ll extend their stay since they’re up here anyway.”

This extended engagement model aligns with broader industry trends. The demand for business-oriented hotels with conference spaces, fast internet and close access to business centers is gaining traction as companies seek venues that can accommodate both professional and personal needs.

Perhaps the most significant ROI factor from destination events lies in relationship building that extends beyond the conference room. Resort settings naturally facilitate the type of informal interactions that strengthen business relationships.

“We have found that once they have this shared experience, trust has increased, and so confidence to express yourself translates to making workplace relationships more comfortable,” Garcia said. “Shared destination experiences can help develop that understanding between personal and business interactions.”

The activities available at resort destinations become tools for professional development. At Shore Lodge, popular team-building experiences include hiking the surrounding mountains, water sports on Payette Lake, and group dinners featuring locally sourced cuisine. Similarly, The Coeur d’Alene Resort offers multiple outdoor adventures, day trips and team-building activities including whitewater rafting on the Spokane River and guided hikes on Tubbs Hill.

“Both outdoor activities and networking events like happy hours and dinners create a more casual environment where you can get to know someone outside of work,” Burgess said. “This really helps break down the silos.”

Addressing the challenges of off-site

Resort destinations, however, face unique logistical challenges that require careful planning and clear communication with meeting organizers. Weather, transportation access and technology infrastructure top the list of concerns for meeting planners considering destination venues.

“We’ll have backup plans and backup plans for the backup plans, just for weather,” Burgess said. “Our team is really flexible. We pride ourselves on being able to pivot and make the event come to fruition regardless of any weather we might have.”

Technology infrastructure is another consideration. While major resort destinations have invested heavily in high-speed internet and audiovisual capabilities, the remote locations that make them attractive can also present connectivity challenges for hybrid events and live streaming.

The Coeur d’Alene Resort has addressed this by offering comprehensive Hybrid Meeting Programs led by their director of events, who is a Digital Event Strategist certified professional, allowing groups to seamlessly blend in-person and virtual participants.

The competitive advantage of more attractive spaces

As the business landscape becomes increasingly competitive, companies are recognizing that destination events provide advantages that extend far beyond the meeting itself. The memorable experiences create stronger employee engagement and can serve as powerful recruitment and retention tools.

“It goes a long way toward building loyalty and retention,” Garcia said. “It just keeps building and building in positive momentum.”

According to Convene’s data, 96% of small business owners think in-person meetings are worth the investment. The trend appears sustainable as well with 64% of planners reporting that their attendees are more interested in networking at events than pre-Covid-pandemic, according to 2022 Skift Meetings research.

As companies continue to evaluate their meeting strategies in an era of remote work and distributed teams, resort destinations are marketing their locations as value that extends beyond traditional ROI calculations. The combination of professional facilities, inspiring environments and relationship-building opportunities creates a formula that many organizations find increasingly attractive.

“People that are up here want to enjoy the outdoors,” Garcia said. “When you come up to a resort and immerse yourself into it, there’s flexibility there. You feel good about it, and participants take it back and bring it back to their families and say, ‘We need to do this. I had a great time up there. Not only did I excel at work, but I also had some personal development.’”

In an economy where employee engagement, retention, and relationship building drive competitive advantage, the ROI of destination events may be measured not just in immediate outcomes, but in long-term organizational success.

This story originally appeared in Corporate Event Planners’ Guide 2025, a publication of Idaho Business Review.