Planning a company offsite abroad comes down to three decisions: budget per head, destination, and how much you hand over to a local partner. Allow three to six months of lead time for a group of 30 to 100 people, and a budget of 700 to 1,500 € per person for three days in Southern Europe, flights included. Everything else is logistics, and logistics can be delegated.
At Lisbon Event we run offsites for French, German, Spanish and British companies coming to Portugal. The first question we get is never “why Lisbon”. It is “where do I start”. Here is the order we recommend making the decisions in.
Where do you start when planning an offsite abroad?
With the objective, not the destination. A leadership strategy offsite, a product launch and a post-merger integration week have different formats, different lengths and different budgets. Write in one sentence what the offsite has to produce. Everything else follows from that.
Then, in this order:
Headcount. It determines which venues are even possible. Below 30 people almost everything is open. Above 150, the list of plenary rooms narrows quickly in most European cities.
Dates. Avoid trade fair weeks in your target city, hotel rates double. In Southern Europe, May, June, September and October are the busiest months. February and November give you the best rates with weather that still works.
Budget per person. Set it before choosing the destination, not after. It is the only way to get comparable proposals.
The destination. It comes fourth, and that is the right place for it.
What does a company offsite abroad cost?
For three days and two nights in Southern Europe, with flights, a four star hotel, a meeting room, meals and one team activity:
- 700 to 900 € per person for a simple format, hotel outside the centre, short activity
- 900 to 1,200 € per person for a standard format, central hotel, one organised evening
- 1,200 to 1,800 € per person for a premium format, private venue, gala dinner
Those figures include the flight from a Western European hub. For Barcelona or Amsterdam, add 15 to 25 % on accommodation and catering. We broke the calculation down line by line in our article on the cost of a corporate seminar in Lisbon.
How do you choose the destination?
The criteria that actually matter, in the order in which they sink projects:
Door to door travel time. A two hour flight is not two hours of travel. Count the journey to the departure airport, the wait, the flight and the transfer. Past six hours door to door you lose half a day each way on a three day offsite.
Density of hotels with meeting space. A city can be beautiful and still have only three hotels able to seat 80 people in plenary. You usually find that out three months before.
The price gap with your home market. This is what pays for the activities. At equal budget, a destination 25 % cheaper buys you the closing evening.
Weather on your dates. An October offsite in Stockholm and an October offsite in Lisbon do not offer the same outdoor options.
We compared the main European destinations in our destination guide, with flight times, average budgets and the formats each one supports.
How far ahead should you book?
For 30 to 100 people, four months. For more than 100 people or high season dates, six months. Under two months it can be done, but you lose the choice of venues and you pay whatever the flights cost that week.
The countdown we use:
- D-120: objective, budget and headcount locked
- D-100: destination chosen, requests for proposal sent
- D-90: venue and hotel booked, deposit paid
- D-60: detailed programme approved, activities booked
- D-45: tickets issued, named participant list
- D-20: final brief, wet weather plan, emergency contacts
Do you need a local agency?
There are two ways to do this. You organise from your own office and deal directly with hotels and suppliers, or you work through a local destination management company, a DMC.
Organising directly works well for fewer than 20 people on a simple format. Above that, the number of contacts becomes the problem: hotel, caterer, coach company, guide, venue, sound engineer. Six contracts, six invoices, six numbers to call when the coach is late.
A local agency gives you one point of contact, rates negotiated across the year, and above all someone on the ground on the day. That last part is what makes the difference when a flight is cancelled or it rains on the outdoor activity.
What makes an offsite fail
Three causes come up every time.
An overloaded programme. A working day plus an activity plus a late dinner, three days running, and people check out on the second afternoon. Build in free time that is genuinely free.
No wet weather plan. Every outdoor activity needs an indoor version that is booked, not merely considered.
An incomplete brief to suppliers. Dietary requirements, reduced mobility, people arriving the night before: this information travels badly when it is not held in one place.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I budget for a company offsite abroad?
Between 700 and 1,800 € per person for three days in Southern Europe, flights included. The range depends mostly on the hotel and on how much of the venue you privatise.
How far in advance should I book?
Four months for 30 to 100 people, six months above that or in high season. Two months is workable but expensive.
Is an offsite abroad more expensive than one at home?
Not necessarily. Flights add 150 to 250 € per person, but hotels and catering in Southern Europe run 20 to 30 % below Northern European prices, which evens out over three days.
Do I need a DMC?
Above 20 participants, yes. It reduces your contacts to one and gives you someone on site during the event.
When is the best time of year?
May, June, September and October for the weather. February, March and November for the rates, with weather that holds up in Southern Europe.