For an international organisation full young For professionals, a company retreat is about more than just a few days away. It is a time to celebrate successes, get to know colleagues better outside the workplace and recharge your batteries together.
Each year, our client organises an all-inclusive weekend abroad for the entire team. Following our extensive search for a new hidden gem, this year the choice fell on something special: a private island off the Croatian coast. A destination where almost 250 colleagues stayed together for three days, without any outside distractions.
That was precisely what made this incentive so special. Not only because of the location, but above all because everyone was completely together for three days. No packed schedule, but plenty of scope to get to know each other in a different way.
Why a private island makes such a difference
Upon arrival in Croatia, the trip began in historic Šibenik. There, the group first had the chance to have lunch together and explore the charming streets of this UNESCO city. The participants then boarded a boat that took them to Obonjan: an exclusive island entirely dedicated to this incentive trip.
What makes this destination so special is not just the location itself.
As project manager Simone so aptly puts it:
“All the sessions were able to take place on the island, so we didn’t waste any time travelling back and forth.”
And that was precisely where the strength of this year’s company weekend lay.
Normally, on a group holiday, you tend to spend quite a bit of time travelling between hotels, restaurants and activities. On Obonjan, everything is within walking distance. This has led to something that’s almost impossible to organise: more spontaneous encounters, more time for one another and more space to really be together. As the entire island had been hired exclusively for this group, the various planned get-togethers could be organised at a range of unique – and constantly surprising – hotspots.
The freedom to organise your own day
Although there was a wide range of activities on offer, this company retreat wasn’t all about sticking to a tight schedule.
Participants were largely free to decide for themselves how they wanted to spend their day. Some opted for a game of football or basketball, whilst others grabbed a SUP board, canoe or go snorkelling to explore the island from the water. Those who preferred to relax sought out a sun lounger by the sea and enjoyed the sun.
It was precisely because everyone was able to set their own pace that the most wonderful encounters often happened naturally. Colleagues who normally rarely work together bumped into one another on the beach, during an activity or later in the day over a drink.
That is precisely the power of an incentive: connections are forged not only during organised activities, but also, and indeed particularly, in the moments in between.
A pub quiz that only this group could take part in
The moments spent together were also given a personal touch.
After dinner on the first evening, the group gathered in the open-air theatre for a pub quiz entirely dedicated to the organisation. As night had already fallen, everything was beautifully lit and decorated with decorative cushions. A truly unique setting The questions weren’t just about general knowledge, but specifically about colleagues, projects and shared memories.
The quiz sparked enthusiasm, lots of laughter and plenty of conversation. Precisely because the content was so personal, it became much more than just a game. It brought colleagues together in a different way.
The final evening turned out quite differently. The whole group came together again for a barbecue and a party with a DJ at a unique venue, which had been tastefully decorated and lit up with fairy lights. With summery beats and the sunset in the background, the company trip in a festive way completed.
Engagement does not happen by itself
At goMICE, we believe that connection isn’t created by packing the programme as full as possible.
It happens when people are given the opportunity to share experiences together. To chat for a while after an activity. To bump into one another by chance at breakfast, on the beach or over a drink at the end of the day.
That is precisely why this interpretation worked so well.
The beach games, group dinners, the pub quiz and the party night brought the group together. But just as important were the moments in between. Because everything took place on a single island, conversations and encounters arose that you’re far less likely to experience on a traditional group holiday.
That is exactly what we mean by Serious Engagement. Not a programme for the sake of a programme, but creating an environment in which connections form naturally.
Three days that feel like much longer
What ultimately made this incentive so special was not just one spectacular activity.
It was a combination of everything.
The convenience of a private island. The freedom to make your own choices. The group dinners. The pub quiz. The beach games. The impromptu pool parties. A cracking night out. A relaxing afternoon by the sea. And, above all, the time colleagues spent together, without the distractions of day-to-day work.
Precisely because of that, a long weekend felt like much more than three days.
To also convey the real Croatian feeling, the UNESCO cities of Šibenik visited on the way there and Trogir on the way back for a lunch stop and a final get-together in a cosy bar by the harbour of Trogir.
Want to organise an incentive that brings people closer together too?
Whether you choose a private island, a vibrant city or an extraordinary destination in the middle of nature: we develop impactful group travel that goes beyond just a great itinerary.
Journeys where connection happens naturally, because everything is just right. From the destination to the experience.