Day 1: Arrival & Planning
Settling in and setting the stage
- 14:00–17:00Airport transfers and hotel check-in
- 17:00–18:30Company update and roadmap presentation
- 18:30–19:30Hackathon kickoff and team formation
- 20:00–22:00Welcome dinner by the sea
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1000+
Offsites organized
10
Years of experience
200+
Retreat locations
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Why organize a startup retreat?
As your startup grows, it becomes harder to keep everyone aligned. New hires join, teams expand, and important conversations often get lost in Slack or video calls.
A startup retreat (also called a startup offsite) gives your team the opportunity to reconnect, align on priorities, and create momentum for the next stage of growth. It's also a great way to celebrate major milestones, such as a successful funding round, product launch, or team expansion.
Surf Office helps startups organize productive retreats by handling accommodation, meeting spaces, activities, and logistics from start to finish.
Organize your next startup retreat with Surf Office
1000+ retreats organized ● 10 years of experience ● 200+ retreat locations
Get a quoteSample Retreat Itinerary in Mallorca
Looking for inspiration? Here's an example of a 3-day startup retreat in Mallorca centered around a team hackathon.
Recent retreats organized by Surf Office
Best retreat locations
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Organize your next startup retreat with Surf Office
1000+ retreats organized ● 10 years of experience ● 200+ retreat locations
Get a quoteStartup retreat activity ideas
Looking for inspiration on how to keep your startup busy on the retreat?
Here are some activities that Surf Office has hosted in the past:
Head to the beach
Workday, a people analytics company, hosted its company retreat in Barcelona. The team spent at the beach with activities like stand up paddle, swimming, and a surfing lesson. A beach trip is good for big groups because everyone can do what they want. Some can swim, some can play beach volleyball, and some can veg in the sun.
Take a hike
Get away from the noise and hustle of the city and bring your team for a nature hike. Our destinations in the Catskill Mountains, Zion national park, and Gran Canaria are perfect for bringing your team on a hike for some fresh air.
Treasure hunt
Break up your larger group in small teams and take a walk through the historic streets of Lisbon, for instance. See famous monuments, hidden gems, and learn about the culture of the city on a scavenger hunt. Get to know the city and each other in a fun way.
Host a speaker or Ted Talk
Invite a local expert to speak about something out-of-the-box. Or, have your employees volunteer to give informal Ted Talk-style presentations about something they’re passionate about. This approach leverages internal resources, uplifts individual interests, and shows your support for skills beyond work roles.
Share a meal
EVBox is a company focused on providing charging solutions for electric vehicles. Their group of 200 people joined Surf Office for a company retreat. In the process, we hosted a special dining experience in Lisbon with traditional dishes and drinks. Organizing meals can be a challenge for large groups: read what we’ve learned about making restaurant reservations.
Hackathon
If you want to keep your team bonding business-focused, host a hackathon. Divide the large group up into small teams and work on a project. A traditional hackathon focuses on creative problem-solving – emphasis on “creative.” Don’t be afraid to make the hackathon open-ended to foster innovation.
FAQs about startup retreats
What is a startup retreat?
A startup retreat is an event that brings founders and employees together outside the office to focus on strategy, team alignment, company culture, and relationship building. Startup retreats, sometimes called startup offsites, combine productive work sessions with opportunities for team bonding.
Why do startups organize retreats?
Startups organize offsites to strengthen company culture, improve communication, align on priorities, and create space for deeper collaboration. They are especially valuable for remote and fast-growing teams.
How often should a startup retreat take place?
Many startups organize an offsite once or twice per year. Fully remote companies and rapidly growing teams may benefit from more frequent gatherings to maintain alignment and build stronger relationships.
What should be included in a startup retreat agenda?
A successful startup retreat agenda typically includes strategy sessions, roadmap planning, workshops, team-building activities, and informal networking. The best startup offsites balance focused work with opportunities for employees to connect outside of their daily responsibilities.
How long should a startup retreat be?
Most startup retreats last between 3 and 5 days. This gives teams enough time for meaningful collaboration, planning sessions, and team bonding without spending too much time away from day-to-day operations.
What are the benefits of a startup retreat?
Startup retreats can improve communication, strengthen company culture, increase employee engagement, encourage innovation, and help teams align around shared goals. Many founders view offsites as one of the most effective ways to keep growing teams connected.
What are the best locations for a startup retreat?
The best startup retreat locations offer reliable infrastructure, inspiring surroundings, convenient travel connections, and opportunities for team activities. Popular choices include Ericeira, Costa Brava, Berlin, Mallorca, Austin, and Bangkok.
Should a startup retreat focus on work or team building?
The most successful startup retreats include both. Strategic discussions and workshops help teams make progress on business goals, while team-building activities strengthen trust and create stronger relationships across the company.
Are startup retreats worth it for remote teams?
Absolutely. Many remote startups use retreats and offsites to create face-to-face interactions that are difficult to replicate online. These gatherings help strengthen culture, improve communication, and build lasting relationships between teammates.
How much does a startup retreat cost?
The cost of a startup retreat depends on factors such as destination, accommodation, group size, duration, and activities. Most startups aim to find the right balance between achieving business objectives and creating a memorable experience for their team.
💛 Wall of love 💛
We couldn't do it without you. You were a huge support for us. We did a feedback survey asking the team how everything was, asking about the hotel, the food, the program etc. and they were able to rate from 1 to 10, & overall we have a 9.5 So it was really really successful!
The expectations were really high. We put a lot of pressure on you since the start, telling you about our last events in the Moroccan desert and in Eiffel Tower. But it was great. The organization was really smooth. The event was beyond expectation!
We did a survey with the guys, we have like mostly 9/10, or 10/10. People were really having so much fun… they were very happy with the choice of the place. The venue, the weather, the team dynamics, it all came together really well.
I really felt having you being part of it was such an asset. Just knowing that you were point in organizing this and then also if there was a question or problem we could just reach out directly was really helpful.
Everybody loved it! We did a post-offsite survey, and it was all vibes! Everything went to plan. One thing that we were all saying internally as well is like - I honestly don't think we would have made happen unless we had Surf Office.
It was great! People loved the balance of free time and activities. They loved that we gave them options on activities.
We have been doing this since 2008, so it was the 17th event this year. And the consensus was that this was the best ever. Everybody was super happy, they had lots of fun. So it was great.
People got together, people got to see each other. We had really good internal sessions, and also a lot of off time sessions. I feel Surf Office thought of a lot of things that one would not think when you're planning an off site in another country.
We have grown so much since our last event, so were a lot of people, and we needed those three days to talk, to interact with everyone... You handled it so beautifully. We did not have to worry about organizing or arranging anything. You guys did an amazing job.
Organize your next startup retreat with Surf Office
Get a quoteHow does it work?
1. Tell us more about your plans
We would like to hear more about your plans and how we can make your next startup summit a success.
Do you have an office in one location or is your team distributed? Can employees bring their partners? Is the retreat going to be more about work or fun?
2. Planning with your dedicated project manager
Even finding and booking one single restaurant for the dinner can be a painful project. Is the food going to be good? Is the price fair? How many of our team members have diet restrictions?
Each retreat is a combination of multiple smaller projects and with a large group the complexity might be scary.
But no worries, we mastered this process and made it fun and easy.
Our experienced project manager dedicated to you will help you with a whole organisation from searching for flights to crafting unique surprise activities for your team.
We will be your one-stop-shop for all of the logistics of your retreat. The Retreat Planner assigned to your group will work with you to book and coordinate everything from A-Z, providing you with peace-of-mind and a guarantee of quality and reliability from our local partners at the best possible prices.
According to our repeat clients and our first-time clients who have previous experience in organizing retreats in-house, this is the greatest value that we bring to them.
3. Detailed plan and schedule of your startup retreat
At the end of the planning process you will end up with the bullet-proof schedule. There is no room for improvisation with a large group.
Everything must work perfectly, all the activities and transfers must be just-on-time.
Sounds like a dream end, right? That’s how we work.
You are ready for your epic startup retreat.
OFF-SITE PACKAGE
Included in the package:
- Private office
- Accommodation
- Dedicated pre-arrival Retreat Planner
- Customized schedule with activities
- Meal reservations
- Online concierge service
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