Why the “nature” seminar is the idea of the century

We’ve all been there, usually around January or mid-year: a meeting room in a “nice” place, a poorly prepared cup of coffee, first-price madeleines at the entrance and a department head dressed to the nines, ready to explain to you what indispensable challenges must be met for the good of the company. In everyday language, we call it a “company seminar”. It has become increasingly important over the years, all the more so in the world of start-ups, which have already gone to great lengths to try and bring about structural change: less “pure” work, more moments of cohesion with English names like “ice breaker” or “team building”? And more games.

Let’s not forget that, in 2020, the world of work is in for a structural shock: the explosion of telecommuting. As we now know, there will be no return to previous organizational modes, at least not at the same level of presence. Some see it as a sublime boost to the so-called Quality of Life at Work (QWL), while others see it as an open door to a collapse in productivity. With 68% of companies increasing their event budgets to compensate for teleworking(CoachHub, 2023), the seminar has never been so strategic. But with 70% of employees bored by traditional formats, the real challenge is no longer to bring people together – nothing could be easier than setting up a meeting with the whole department – but to give teams a chance to breathe. Changing zip codes, OK, but for what substantive purpose? Bon Air Club has some ideas for you.

Did you know? The office is an arena where many power stakes are at play. Open spaces, back offices, floors, informal discussion areas, all blend with the titles that give a place to each person who walks these halls. This double layer of symbolism, which sociology has repeatedly analyzed, can only be erased in a place that is totally free of the symbols of the working world.

Scots pine chic? Unlike your office neighbor, he’ll never take offense when you change your title on LinkedIn following a promotion. What’s more, when faced with a small challenge – a climb on a trail, a ford to jump over on a hike… – we’re all in the same boat. Those who can meet these challenges more easily will be expected to lend a helping hand to others, regardless of their level in the organization chart. An ideal breeding ground for trust that room 36B on the 5th floor could never generate for you.

All the studies point in this direction, and we feel it on a daily basis: time spent in front of over-stimulating content or performing high-frequency tasks in front of the blue light of screens, all this puts our brains to shame. The shared observation that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to mobilize our cognitive capacities, particularly in our free time, needs to be heard and turned around.

Look hard for a better place than nature to soothe your senses and regenerate your attention: there isn’t one. Ditto for repairing sleep and mental disorders(Brain Research Foundation, 2024). What’s more, the outdoor environment quite naturally imposes a form of general slowing down, thanks to the relative silence that reigns there and the rhythm of its inhabitants. Allowing ourselves a “meditative break”, which we don’t impose on ourselves during a timed session before going to sleep, but rather as a latent, constant state in our attitude, reopens the creative flow and authorizes the emergence of new ideas and initiatives, which finally have the soil in which to germinate! Not to mention the natural light, which literally re-energizes and indirectly boosts our ability to solve complex problems. Yes, mixing in-depth brainstorming (sand overdoing it) with real time for letting go is a fertile and audacious choice!

It’s no coincidence that most of us shudder when we hear the term “team building”. Why? Because the activities traditionally associated with this practice, which is all about creating shared memories and strengthening bonds, sound a little too much like a bad vacation camp: laser games, ping-pong, imposed sporting challenges… In short, things we find ourselves obliged to do, regardless of our tastes, personality or relationships with our colleagues. And in this game, leaders always come out ahead of introverts, who have to struggle through moments that are not designed for them.

Obviously, at Bon Air Club, we think there’s more to it than that: by making experiences accessible, while making them suitable for everyone, all in a natural setting, there’s much more chance that they’ll be lived more strongly, and above all truly shared.

Soft moments”, such as spending an evening outside looking at the stars, roasting marshmallows, taking an impromptu run or morning walk before the first meeting in the morning, are experiences that are not forced, and whose universal setting of Nature is much more likely to do good to 100% of the humans who take part. Far more than any motivational speech, these kinds of moments will help to establish a real human culture within the company, for a good reason: we remember what we felt, together.

Access to nature is a real quality-of-life issue, and at Bon Air Club, we firmly believe that companies have a predominant role to play in this quest. Your well-being is important to us, and we know how fundamental the “professional sphere” is to the quality of everyday life for each and every one of us. That’s why we’re planning to reinvent access to nature… and make it a collective experience that really counts.

We’ll be waiting for you at base camp. The coffee’s ready, and the view is breathtaking!