Dinner and a Day: How to Plan a Powerful One-Day In-Person Meeting

A one-day meeting, or what we call “Dinner and a Day”, is the perfect blend of in-person connection and strategic focus. It’s built for the real world: with packed executive calendars, tight budgets, and dispersed teams. The idea is simple — everyone arrives in time for a team dinner, spends the next day in a high-impact working session, and heads home that evening.

These meetings aren’t just convenient; they’re powerful. 

For a one-day in-person meeting, the dinner sets the tone; breaking the ice and building connection before the work even begins. And the single day of sessions keeps everyone sharp, aligned, and engaged — without the fluff.

For companies looking to drive clarity, quickly make decisions, or rally their teams without the cost or complexity of a multi-day retreat, a Dinner and a Day format delivers immediate value. But with such a tight window, the logistics have to be airtight. That’s where thoughtful planning and the right tools make all the difference.

How to plan a powerful one day in-person meeting

Here’s how to pull off a one-day in-person meeting that your team will remember for all the right reasons.

Nail the travel timing and logistics 

In a short-format meeting, logistics are everything. If one thing runs late, like dinner, airport transfers, or the first morning session, you risk losing valuable time and momentum. 

But before you arrange the logistics, you must understand who your attendees are and where they’re coming from. Then you can manage travel and logistics more effectively, paying careful attention to arrival and departure times. Your team will feel seen and appreciated when their travel is organized in a thoughtful manner. 

Where your meeting takes place matters just as much as when. Choose a city with direct flights for all attendees whenever possible as it shortens travel time, reduces risk of delays, and helps people maximize their time on the ground. Fewer connections mean less time in transit and more time in making the meeting count.

Use technology to stay organized and on track

When you’re working with a tight timeline, technology can make or break the experience. TROOP takes the guesswork out of planning by helping you organize every detail in one place from meeting times and travel windows to attendee preferences and logistics.

For a Dinner and a Day meeting, you can set the start time to 6 p.m. for dinner and TROOP will surface flight options that get attendees in by 3 p.m. – plenty of time to settle in. Set your end time for 4 p.m., and TROOP helps ensure return flights match your schedule–building in buffers for airport transfers and traffic.. This kind of precision planning keeps attendees stress-free and on time and shows your strategic planning skills to your executive. 

Create the right environment from the start

The tone of your meeting is set well before the first session. It begins the moment attendees walk into the hotel, sit down for dinner, or take in the meeting space. Every space you choose, from the hotel to the restaurant and meeting space, shapes the experience and signals how intentional the day will be.

To simplify the logistics, choose places that are close together. Find a hotel, restaurant, and meeting space that are all within walking distance. Ensure that you share transportation guidance — even if it’s as simple as everyone meets in the hotel lobby at 5:45 p.m. for a short walk to dinner.

Pick a top-rated restaurant that reflects the mood of the meeting, whether that’s energetic, celebratory, or low-key and focused. That shared dinner sets the tone for the next day, helping attendees connect and shift out of day-to-day mode.

Ensure that your meeting space has the needed setup for the day’s work. For example:

• A board room to comfortably accommodate your team.
• Whiteboards, markers, and plenty of supplies for brainstorming and note-taking. 
• Charging stations or extra cords. 

Make the most of the day with a focused agenda

With only one full day together, your agenda needs to be clear, intentional, and packed with the kinds of conversations that simply don’t translate over Zoom. A strong Dinner and a Day agenda starts with a clear purpose and a thoughtful flow. Don’t overload the schedule, but don’t leave space unplanned either.

Create an established, balanced agenda that matches the energy and purpose of your meeting. Prioritize high-impact sessions in the morning while energy is high. Leave the afternoon for collaboration, alignment, and wrap-up decisions. Aim to end by 4:00 p.m. so attendees have time to catch evening flights without rushing.

Share the agenda beforehand so they know what to expect and come prepared. When attendees know what’s coming, they can prep materials, contribute more meaningfully, and arrive ready to engage. It also shows respect for their time and sets the expectation that this day will be focused and worthwhile.

What belongs in your one-day agenda

Don’t let attendees leave thinking that “this could have been an email.”  Be intentional. Make in-person time count by organizing sessions that benefit from real collaboration, not just information sharing. After all, you’re investing capital and valuable time so make it count for everyone involved. 

What to include:

• Roundtable discussions.
• Brainstorming and problem-solving.
• Roadmapping and decision-making.
• Culture building and team bonding.
• Conflict resolution or alignment support (when appropriate).

What to skip, or email ahead of time: 

• PowerPoint heavy presentations.
• Project updates or status briefings.
• One-way lectures.
• Report and data reviews.

It is incredibly important to ensure the one-day in-person meeting is productive. Plan with purpose, protect the agenda, and keep every session focused on in-person value.

Effective one-day in-person meetings boost productivity

There is a time and place for virtual meetings and email threads, but sometimes it’s vital to bring everyone together. This is why Dinner and a Day meetings are a great option. A well-run one-day in-person meeting can bring clarity, alignment, and momentum — without pulling your team away from home for days. Take the time to get the logistics right, set the right tone, and build a focused agenda. Your team will thank you and your meeting will deliver real results.