Should we gather at one point or organize each branch separately?

It depends on the goal. If you want to strengthen connections between branches, gathering at one point is more effective. If you only need bonding within each branch and want to save travel cost, organizing each place separately makes more sense.

Should the company pay all the travel costs for staff from distant branches?

It should, if the company chooses to gather at one point, because that travel serves a work purpose and isn't the staff member's personal choice. Not covering it fully makes staff at distant branches feel shortchanged.

Should the venue rotate between years to be fair to each branch?

It can be considered, especially if the company has many branches of similar size, to avoid one branch always staying home while the others always have to travel.

Team Building for Multi-Branch Companies: The Gathering Problem

A company with branches in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City faces a problem that a single-office company never has to solve: whether to spend the money to bring all staff to one place, or to organize separately for each branch.

Two main approaches

Team building for multi-branch companies usually goes one of two ways. The first is to gather all or most branch staff at one shared venue, usually where the head office is or a central, easy-to-reach location. The second is to organize separately for each branch, each with its own team building program in its own area and no long-distance travel.

When to choose one gathering point

A single gathering point suits when the company's main goal is to strengthen connections between the staff of different branches, which is especially useful for companies with many projects that need cross-branch coordination but whose people rarely meet in person. It is also a chance for leadership to meet directly with staff at branches far from head office, who usually interact only through online meetings all year.

The obvious downside of this option is cost. Include travel and lodging for staff from distant branches as well as the cost of the event itself. For a company whose branches are hundreds of kilometers apart, this cost can take a larger share than the team building activity itself.

When to choose organizing each branch separately

Organizing separately for each branch suits when the main goal is bonding within each small team and the budget doesn't allow bringing everyone to one place. It is also more flexible on timing, since each branch can choose a time that suits its own work rhythm, without syncing the calendars of all branches at once, which is usually much harder than first imagined.

The downside is missing the chance to connect across branches, and if you aren't careful, the programs can differ in quality between branches when each handles its own budget and organizes in its own way, leading to unnecessary internal comparison.

A combined approach: rotate year by year

One way to balance the two directions is to alternate by year: this year everyone gathers at one point, next year each branch organizes separately, alternating continuously. This keeps a regular chance for cross-branch connection without creating constant travel budget pressure every year. For a company with many branches of similar size, also consider rotating the gathering venue among the cities where branches are located, to avoid one branch always being the host while the others always have to travel.

Pick a central, easy-to-reach venue when gathering at one point

If you choose to gather at one point, favor a venue with convenient transport links, near an airport or train station, to cut travel time and cost for staff from distant branches. Ho Chi Minh City, as the economic center with a transport network connecting well to many provinces, is often a sensible choice for companies whose branches stretch from the Central region to the South.

The role of each branch manager in preparation

Whichever direction you choose, each branch manager should be brought into the planning from the start, instead of only receiving notices from head office. They know best the real staffing situation at their branch, for example how many people can arrange time off at once, or whether the branch has new staff who need time to settle in before joining a shared activity. Ignoring this role easily leads to a plan that looks good on paper but is hard to carry out evenly at each specific branch.

Think about the company's real bonding goal for the year before you decide the direction. Repeating the same format every year, or looking only at the available budget, tends to lead you to the wrong choice.