Budget 700 to 1,500 € per person for three days, so 35,000 to 75,000 € for 50 participants, including accommodation, meeting rooms, meals and activities, flights excluded. Hotel category and catering level alone account for half the gap.
Why such a wide range?
Because “a seminar for 50 people” means nothing until you say which hotel and which season. Two files of the same size can differ by a factor of two without either being badly organised.
Here is what sits behind each end of the range.
- Around 700 € per person: four star hotel outside the very centre, meeting room included with the accommodation, two dinners in restaurants rather than private hire, one half-day activity, November to March.
- Around 1,500 € per person: five star hotel or private quinta, dedicated room with technical production, private gala dinner, two activities including a regatta or an exclusive venue, May, June or September.
How does the spend break down?
- Accommodation, 2 nights: 35 to 45 %
- Catering: 20 to 25 %
- Activities and evening: 15 to 25 %
- Rooms and technical: 8 to 12 %
- Transfers: 4 to 6 %
- Coordination: 8 to 10 %
Accommodation always dominates. That is where the real trade-offs happen, ahead of the activities people think of first.
The five levers that actually move the number
- The season. The same hotel costs markedly less in February than in June. On 50 people and two nights, it is the heaviest lever in the file.
- The day of the week. Sunday to Tuesday, Lisbon business hotels are less stretched than Wednesday to Friday.
- The hotel category. Dropping from five to four stars in the same district shows on the invoice, much less on participant satisfaction.
- The dinner format. A privately hired restaurant costs far more than a reserved room in a good restaurant. On a group of 50 the perceived difference is small.
- The number of activities. Two activities across the stay is the right calibration at three days. Three, and the group is tired before the last session.
What is not in these figures
Flights, which depend on your departure cities. As a reference, Lisbon is about 1h20 from Madrid, 2h35 from Paris, 2h40 from London and 3h from Frankfurt non-stop.
Cancellation insurance, if you take it. Participants’ personal extras. And any overrun from a headcount revised upwards after contracting.
How long does a costing take?
We answer within two working days with two or three costed scenarios, not one. Seeing three options side by side is what helps most.
For a larger group, see the budget for a 100-person seminar. For what the services cover, see corporate seminars in Lisbon and team building.
Frequently asked questions
Is the quote firm or indicative?
Both stages exist. The first costing is a range per scenario. Once you pick a scenario and confirm the dates, we move to a firm quote.
Is there a minimum group size?
We work from 15 people. Below 20, the cost per person rises mechanically, because coordination and meeting rooms do not divide.
Can we pay in instalments?
Yes, a deposit on signature then a balance before the event. The schedule is set out in the contract.
What does the coordination line cover?
Sourcing and negotiating suppliers, building the programme, following it through to the day itself, and being on site during the event.