Key Takeaways From Our 2024 Company Retreat
We just got back from a wonderful four days in Marseille (and one accidental night in Paris) with new ideas and inspiration, both from the beautiful city itself and from working together as a team in person – something we cherish since our lives are all in different places.
Last year, our trip to Ibiza went extremely well, but we realized it was just too short. We added an extra day this year, but came to the conclusion that it will never be enough time, because working together is a completely different experience than working remotely. We also continued to stay in an Airbnb instead of a hotel, which we have made a staple for any future company retreat due to the ease of work in these spaces.
Despite a hiccup two of our team members experienced trying to travel from Munich to Marseille, we were able to get a lot done. Our original itinerary was to spend one day exploring Marseille, and dedicate the other three days to doing our work (that is why we traveled, after all). Due to our travel complications, we had to squeeze in exploring Marseille around three days of work, so maybe next year we will finally have four full days at the destination, which we think is definitely needed.
From enjoying the sun after a long spring of chilly rain in Germany and Ireland, to admiring the beautiful views from our Airbnb window, to walking around the charming streets of Marseille, to savoring the delicious local cuisine, we can say, despite complications, that our 2024 company retreat was a success because we got to spend time together!
Our Takeaways
We implemented a lot of what we learned from last year’s retreat, which is why we think we have fewer new insights. That didn’t stop us from learning some important lessons.
Traveling difficulties
This year we implemented a no-fly policy for all of our business trips in Europe so that meant we were taking the train from Italy and Germany to reach whatever destination we chose for our company retreat.
We decided to choose Marseille because the time it took to get from Munich and Genoa on the train was equal, so we wanted to make it fair for our entire team, length wise. Our team member traveling from Genoa had a very easy trip, even getting to spend a couple hours exploring Cannes on her four hour layover.
Our team members traveling from Munich, however, faced a number of difficulties. Due to intense rainfall in Germany, the tracks between Munich and Mannheim had completely flooded, meaning that the train our team was on had to be rerouted. This resulted in a three hour delay, thus missing their connecting train from Mannheim to Marseille.
Throughout the delay our team members were searching for other ways to reach Marseille, and even considered booking a flight at the closest airport. Wanting to stick to our policy however, our team took the train from Mannheim to Paris instead, and had to stay overnight in this beautiful city. The next morning, the team got to explore Paris, before taking the train to Marseille in the afternoon.
Trains can be unreliable, especially when the weather is bad and the conditions are uncontrollable. On the way back to Munich from Mannheim, our team member’s train had a 52 minute delay while many of the other trains traveling out of Mannheim were either canceled or delayed by 150 minutes and more.
Despite the weather and other unfortunate circumstances, we still think that taking the train is super easy and fun! There is no security to get through, no packing limits, and usually the train will take you straight into the city center so you can walk straight to your accommodation, without any need for extra travel. We found the train to be great for doing work as well, and it was very romantic to watch the French countryside roll by as we worked. Yes, taking the train was a hassle, but it ended in a fun, spontaneous trip to Paris, and we can’t complain about that!
Transportation Takeaways
Flying can be quicker and easier depending on the destination, but the train is worth the carbon emissions reduction
Easy to get work done on the train
Trains can be super fun and feel more like an adventure
Trains take you right into the city center
Where to stay
We learned our lesson from Ibiza on how great staying at a house is, so we booked an Airbnb right on the waterfront, overlooking the beautiful Marseille Port. The apartment itself had a lot of space for us to spread out, work, and relax. This made it both fun and easy to work together. We also realized how easy it is to communicate with us all staying in one place.
We were able to gaze at the beautiful old city and its stunning architecture while we worked, with the views right outside our huge windows which let in lots of brightness and fresh air. We definitely felt like we were staying in a cultural hub, completely immersed in city life.
Being in the city center meant that we could leave our door and easily discover all of the important sights and explore local places to eat. Staying in an apartment also makes you feel like a part of the local life, going to grocery stores, cooking, and doing laundry. We kind of love that.
We also realized that an apartment is the perfect fit for a work retreat. It allows us to get up, get ready, enjoy a leisurely breakfast while starting work, and ultimately begin our day as a team. It just makes travel so much easier, relaxing, and more efficient.
Why we love staying apartments:
Lots of space
Easy to work together
Feels like a part of the local community
Fits our needs for a work retreat
In person work
Stemming off from the benefits of staying in an apartment and how it lets you work together easily, is how much we love in person work. As we did in our 2022 and 2023 company retreats, nothing is more effective than sitting together at the same table and working together. We feel like it increases our efficiency by 100%. We can skip all the sending of messages back and forth which usually takes hours, and solve problems in literal minutes.
Working together is the main reason why we have these retreats every year. Not only are they enjoyable, but they are just so incredibly productive. In terms of being fun, we also love our team, and we genuinely enjoy spending time together, growing our bond, and building connections. We always come back from these retreats refreshed, happy, and excited for next year’s trip.
Finally, we love the travel aspect to our meetups because they allow us to explore new destinations, build our knowledge of the travel industry, and gain more inspiration for the daily work we do for our clients.
Why we love in person work:
Efficiency
Building relationships
Expanding our horizon
Gaining new insights for clients
Marseille as a Destination
We enjoyed exploring Marseille by foot and by boat. Discovering its history, staying in the middle of the city, and savoring local cuisine, we loved getting to know southern French culture. Plus, our spontaneous trip to Paris was a great way to discover some northern French culture.
Culture and history
Exploring the history and culture of Marseille was extremely easy because of the location of our Airbnb. We stayed in the middle of the city, right on the beautiful port of Marseille, where we had amazing views of many important cultural sites. From the window of our work space, could see La Citadelle de Marseilles built in 1660, the Abbaye Saint-Victor built in the late Roman period, and the Basilica of Notre-Dame of la Garde – the church which the women of Marseille would pray to, to keep their fishermen husbands safe.
To fully explore the city, we decided to walk everywhere, from the activities, to the restaurants, we wanted to immerse ourselves in the city on foot. This allowed us to discover beautiful alleys, shops selling locally made soaps and other products crafted with lavender of the Provence region, and the most delicious pastries in authentic boulangeries. We did take the bus once and it was super easy – just simply tap your credit card and hop on! We took part in an array of cultural and historical activities from boat tours, to museums, to floating art galleries.
On our first day in Marseille, the team hoped on a boat tour to explore the famous calanques, the rugged, wild coastline around the city. Steeping in history and culture, the tour took us to small hamlets with beautiful villages – some without electricity and running water – as well as to many important landmarks of the region. We passed by cliffs with underwater caves filled with ancient cave paintings. We saw Chateau If, the famous castle written about by Alexander Dumas in his epic novel The Count of Monte Cristo. We also passed by the beautiful Palais du Pharo, a castle built by Napoleon III for his wife in 1858. The guided tour was full of informational gems, allowing us to really get to know the history of Marseille and its surrounding region.
We also explored its local museum where we learned how Marseille was founded in 600 BC by the Phoenicians. Within the museum, we saw lots of items collected from dives around the cliffs of Marseille which belonged to the ancient civilizations that once populated the region. Part of the museum, the Fort Saint-Jean, was built in 1660 by Louis XIV, another fascinating part of Marseille’s history.
We were lucky enough to be there at the same time that the Art Explora, the largest catamaran in the world with an art exhibition inside, came to dock in Marseille. Their art exhibition is a project funded by the EU, to make art accessible to everyone. Mixing art with technology, local culture, and communities, the Art Explora is an unforgettable experience.
We also explored the gorgeous Marseille Cathedral. Originally built in the 12th century in a very simple style, the Cathedral was rebuilt in a Byzantine and Roman style by Napoleon. The grounds have been the site for the main church of Marseille since the 5th century. It was absolutely majestic to walk through the stunning Cathedral.
Culinary experiences
Marseille is full of delicious, sustainable, and locally owned restaurants. We visited Bouillon, La La Mercerie, and Regain, each bursting with the flavors of locally grown and sourced produce. The menus of each restaurant change every day or week, depending on what local farmers give the restaurants.
Our personal favorite was La Mercerie, which offers a set dinner menu. Every course was absolutely delicious. We were so impressed with the quality of the food, the unique flavors of French cuisine, and most importantly, how accommodating all of the staff were at our selected restaurants.
Paris (as a side note)
Our visit to Paris was unplanned, but we are so happy it happened because we had an amazing time exploring the beautiful city. We booked a last minute hotel, Le Pigalle, in the popular Pigalle neighborhood. This hotel had an amazing vibe, with every aspect of it being locally sourced, from the art, to the food, to the flowers, and even the furniture. The logos and typography was created by local artists as well as the rest of the art in the hotel. Being a boutique hotel, we find them to be more sustainable and more special than staying at a chain.
Large hotel chains usually establish multiple relationships with international suppliers for their food, furniture, and decor, small hotels usually purchase locally. This keeps the carbon footprint of guests lower, while supporting local businesses. Local suppliers not only give travelers an authentic experience, but they also are essential to support when wanting to travel sustainably, as you will directly impact the local economy. Therefore, we will always pick the boutique hotel over the chain.
Exploring Paris was so easy, it was very walkable (we ended up walking 20 kilometers in one morning) but also easy to use public transportation. We also met some nice people who tried to talk to us and understand us. Despite not knowing any French, we were somehow able to communicate with them, which highlighted the bond that exists between every human no matter what culture you are from. Paris was also extremely central, with regional trains to Marseille leaving every two hours. This made Paris a breeze to take the train from.
Conclusions
Was the train travel exhausting? Yes. But did it feel good to finally implement our new no-fly policy? YES! So in the end, taking the train was worth it, and if you ask Natascha and Quinn if they would do it again, they would both say yes!
We loved our time in Marseille (and Paris). Exploring both cities was a very welcome surprise. Moreover, we enjoyed spending time together, discussing work as well as our personal lives, and collaborating as a team.
Organizing a company retreat for a team that lives in different parts of Europe can be complicated, but in the end it was totally worth it. If your team is remote, we definitely recommend giving a company retreat a try – nothing can beat in person work!
Hopefully our 2025 company retreat will result in four full days at whatever destination we choose. We are keeping our fingers as we already look forward to next year’s trip.