Portugal DMC Diaries: Planning the Ultimate Corporate Retreat
You’ve received word from the C Suite that an upcoming corporate retreat is to be planned for a group of 50 people, and you’re on the front line as the event planner. Your work is going to be cut out for you. Corporate events take a lot of planning, have a lot of moving parts, and have a lot of stakeholders.
Add international travel to the mix and the complexity notches up.
Tip #1: Planning
It’s never too early to start pre-planning. Even if you don’t know the exact dates your team is going to visit, it’s better to start the process sooner than later. You’ll need to reserve a block of hotel rooms, meeting spaces, logistics, catering, group experiences and more. While some of these things can certainly be secured with less notice than others, accommodations need to be taken care of as soon as possible. There’s nothing worse than having to choose a hotel based solely on their availability, and not because you’re in love with the space. And while you may not know your exact dates, at least you’ll have some favored hotels or retreats to circle back to as soon as you know more.
In Portugal there are a few seasons each year that tend to be busier than others, and these are the times of year you really need to pre-plan for: summer tourist season (mid-July through mid-September), wine harvest season (mid-August through October depending on the wine region), and Christmas/New Years. Hotels and resorts can fill up fast, rates get steeper the longer you wait to reserve, and meeting rooms can be a challenge to book.
So if you’re reading this now, confirming your dates of travel and pre-planning makes sense.
Tip #2: Portugal’s Varied Regions
Know which region(s) of Portugal you want to explore. Portugal has many very distinct regions, each with their own personalities and you may find that one of these regions is better for your team based on what the team is looking for. Each of these regions are incredibly beautiful, welcoming and worthy of a visit, but they differ in certain ways. Here are a few locales to consider.
Silver Coast - The west coast of the country between Aveiro and Ericeira is (relatively) quieter, has beaches and more beaches, boutique hotels, outdoor activities, water sports, castles, monasteries and palaces, and a microclimate that can keep things interesting.
Alentejo - This interior region is large and can be described as having beautiful cork tree landscapes and rolling hills, wellness spas and retreats, warmer and drier weather overall, and a quieter feel than other regions.
Algarve - The south coast of Portugal has miles of beaches, small seaside towns dotting the coast line, citrus groves, outdoor sports and tours, beautiful sandstone coastline, and more of a touristy vibe.
Lisbon Metropolitan - Portugal’s capital needs no introduction, but it’s here where you can easily go from airport to hotel, hotel to restaurant, restaurant to team building experience. Everything is closer and doesn’t require a lot of time dedicated to getting places. Lisbon is best for sales kick-offs, team building, and corporate getaways that reward teams for great work.
Porto - Portugal’s second largest city, it’s first capital, and a UNESCO World Heritage city, granite architecture, proximity to the Douro River valley, world-class food, smaller feel than Lisbon.
North - This includes Porto but also covers the cities of Braga, Barcelos, Viana do Castelo, and Guimarães. The Douro River valley runs through this region as does the amazingly beautiful Peneda-Gerês National Park. The North region is wine country, history country and travel country. This may be best for teams that want to relax and regroup with a corporate retreat after a challenging work issue. In the North you can unwind and reset.
Tip #3: Knowing the Look and Feel of Your Trip
Decide what feel you’re going for. Some teams are looking to re-energize while others are looking to slow down and reconnect. Others want to be challenged physically or mentally with group synergies, and others want to hunker down and figure out big challenges together. Still others are just seeking a team celebration for having passed an important milestone. If you know the feel you want, you’ll know which area(s) to focus on when choosing locations for your travel.
Tip #4 - Expand Your Horizons
If your team is staying in Lisbon or Porto, dedicate a day or half-day to exploring a nearby region to give your team a more complete experience. There are many places - cities, regions and sights - for your team to see just an hours drive from either city. From Porto; experience the wine cellars of the Douro River Valley, visit a winery and get there by boat or the dedicated train that travels along the banks of the Douro, or visit Braga or Guimarães - two cities with tons of history and architecture. From Lisbon; Visit the town Azeitão for wine and cheese tasting, explore Arrábida Natural Park for green and blue waters, hiking and a picnic, visit Sintra to be blown away by the history and architecture, plan a scenic drive up the coast for some sightseeing that your team will always remember.
Tip #5 - Make Things Easy
Book with RuaMar to have peace of mind from start to finish. We will help you plan every aspect of your travel - whether a fun corporate retreat, a focused sales kick-off, or a company celebration. Our team covers logistics, accommodations, activity planning, scheduling, catering and all the other things that create a unique and easy trip for you and your team.