A two-day company retreat in northern Portugal

The agenda below is a planning example. It is not a priced package or a promise of venue capacity or availability. The venue and programme need to fit your group, room arrangements and the property's permitted use.

Choose the outcome before the venue

“Spend two days together” is a starting point. “Agree our three priorities for the next quarter and give each one an owner” is a brief you can build an agenda around.

For a leadership meeting, protect the best parts of the day for focused work. For a distributed team meeting in person, leave more room for small-group conversations. A shared activity can help people connect, but it does not replace preparation for the working sessions.

Consider the Minho and Viana do Castelo if you want to combine an overnight stay with time in the region. Compare each property's actual location with the team's arrival points. Airport distance alone does not account for every transfer your programme may need.

A sample agenda: two days, one night

Day one: align and connect

• Morning: arrive at the working space, have coffee and agree the purpose of the meeting. Confirm access before the normal check-in time; early access to bedrooms should never be assumed.
• Late morning: hold the first working session around a specific decision or output.
• Lunch: eat together without continuing presentations over the meal.
• Early afternoon: use a shorter session to turn the discussion into actions.
• Late afternoon: allow for an optional activity or free time. A walk, food experience or other programme can be considered with the local team, subject to availability and the needs of the group.
• Evening: dinner and informal conversation. Agree an end time that respects the property rules and colleagues who want to rest.

Day two: decide and leave with a plan

• Morning: breakfast and a short recap of the previous day.
• Closing session: record decisions, owners and next steps. Make unresolved questions explicit.
• Before departure: vacate bedrooms by the agreed time. If work continues after check-out, arrange the separate space and access period in advance.
• After the retreat: share a short summary and set the first review of the commitments made.

Sleeping capacity is not meeting capacity

A villa that sleeps your group may not have a suitable meeting room for the same number of people. Nor does the guest capacity tell you whether everyone can have a private bedroom.

Confirm the room and bed layout, shared bathrooms, seating arrangement, presentation equipment, power sockets and internet connection. Check heating or cooling in the rooms you will actually use, and any accessibility needs. Ask specifically about business use, external suppliers and visitors who will not stay overnight.

A holiday accommodation booking should not be treated as permission to host an event.

Decide the wet-weather plan before you book

If an outdoor activity is central to the programme, agree an indoor alternative that serves the same purpose. A tasting, workshop or facilitated session might be worth exploring. Confirm the provider, space, cost and change conditions rather than treating an alternative as automatically included.

For midweek dates or travel outside summer, request two or three date combinations. Compare the complete programme and terms. Flexibility can make planning easier, but it should not be presented as a guaranteed saving without a quote.

Send one useful brief

Include the objective, preferred and alternative dates, headcount, private or shared bedroom requirements, meals, transport and overall budget. Add the group's space and accessibility requirements. Collect individual dietary information only when needed to arrange catering.

That gives the team something concrete to work with and reduces the back-and-forth of comparing unsuitable venues.

Plan your company retreat with Portugal Active. The team can assess suitable spaces and services, then confirm what is feasible before making a proposal.

Explore company retreats and events for the commercial enquiry, and compare itemised proposals before confirming your programme.

Next: compare team-building proposals with accommodation.