Company retreat in Greece

Three magical days in Athens

July 20, 2023

A company retreat is always an empowering experience that can help bonding, boost engagement, and a sense of belonging among employees. When producing such an event abroad you should be even more creative and on point. We caught up with Itzik Nahum, HR Business Partner from Go Global who shared with us the details of a particularly successful company retreat in Athens.

Tell us about the company

We are GO GLOBAL, a global technology company in tourism. We provide b2b services to travel agents – who make reservations in a system we developed . We are based in Israel, with 70 employees, and have 24 branches and additional 540 employees worldwide. The company retreat in Greece was for our employees in Israel.

Why did you choose Greece?

We are not a high-tech company in the traditional sense of the word, but we try hard to have the same benefits. We make sure to arrange a yearly company retreat abroad for our employees. Since our time is limited – it was very important to us to find a destination we can reach with a short flight, but at the same time we were looking for a place that would be interesting enough. Athens was the perfect destination for us – the flight is short, and Athens and the surrounding area are full of attractions and plenty of interesting things to do. It is a city that has everything – history, culture, nightlife, amazing food and wonderful weather, especially in the season we were there – spring.

Tell us about the event planning process with Anat and Yonatan

I found Anat and Yonatan through a recommendation. I sent Anat a message and she responded immediately, and from the first moment we had a great connection. Right away I felt that Anat understood exactly what I was looking for. In general, Anat and Yonathan both gave me the feeling of “your wish is our command” and gave me a sense of security from the get go. They asked the right questions, checked what was our budget and made sure we we didn’t spend more, and made sure to be in touch all the time. At first I was not sure when was the right date for us, which created a challenge – Anat and Yonathan suggested what they thought was right and did not argue if I did not agree with something, but offered alternatives. Everything went smoothly with a high level of satisfaction from our part – and the process was really easy, enjoyable and short. It was just really fun to work with them!

Sirtaki :

When Itzik contacted us and asked us to produce Go Global's annual retreat in Greece, we felt immediately that he knew exactly what he wanted. Go Global takes their employees on a company retreat every year, therefore being innovative was highly important and so was creating and excitement and a buzz and the perfect retreat for the company were at the forefront of his mind, and ours.
Athens was an excellent choice. While an urban Greek experience is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Greece, but Athens definitely has its own charm.
As we do in every event, we followed Itzik's guidelines - accommodation in a 5-star hotel, location in the city centre and activities within walking distance of the accommodation.
The importance of the guests' free time is also taken into account in the planning process

What was especially important to you in the retreat?

A few things were especially important to us:

Branding – including branded gifts for the employees – it should be noted that Anat and Yonathan took care of the branding from start to finish!

Team activities – especially bonding activities for our teams – Anat and Yonathan have also planned amazing tours and activities such as the “The run for a Million” for the team.

Culinary – our employees like to indulge and it was important to us that they have fine food, and in abundance. We felt in good hands especially because of Anat’s background as a chef, and we were not disappointed – all the restaurants and taverns, without an exception were excellent, and throughout the retreat there was plenty of delicious food. I’d like to point out Anat’s outstanding job in this area as well.

Sirtaki :

One of our guidelines in creating content for an event is to have a whole story to work around, so that the client will feel the vibe of the place he is at, experience the local community and feel the excitement just like us when we walk around the streets of Athens.
That's why we have put our main focus in every activity, meal and even the branding on Greece!

As the guests arrived at the hotel we organised a Greek style welcome event with a theme of a Greek market with colourful food stalls. We have combined Greek history together with company millstones in The run for a Million race and the culinary tour.
And when choosing the dishes in the restaurants they went out to eat at, we put the emphasis on choosing dishes from the local cuisine

Tell us about the event

Everything was perfect from the moment we arrived in Greece –

As I mentioned – branding was very important to us – and branded buses, together with Yonathan, were waiting to take us to the hotel as we landed. At Anat’s recommendation, we planned in advance for each employee to receive a branded bag and at the hotel an amazing meal supervised by Anat was waiting for everyone., with a whole branded event including booths, merchandise, and a DJ – the vibe was super happy. A perfect opening for a perfect retreat. It felt that Anat and Yonathan really cared, on a personal level, that everything would be just the way we wanted it.

For the teams, The race for a million activity in Athens was an amazing way to see the city together with bonding competitions. At the end of the race we had dinner at the rooftop restaurant – this was an extraordinary experience in itself.

Yonathan was available for us and answered all our needs all along, even when unexpected things came along, and even strange and unconventional requests were answered with a smile.

What was the highlight of the retreat, an unforgettable moment?

Without a doubt – Friday dinner on the rooftop at the hotel’s restaurant. Everything was perfectly arranged – an amazing and festive decor of the place, delicious food and a breath-taking view of the Acropolis – what more can you ask for?

Sirtaki :

For us, the first day dinner at the Greek restaurant with the live band was by definition the coolest event.
We booked a private room with a Greek band that made everyone dance! The food and service were on point and we saw how at ease everyone were and how much fun they were having. This marked the success of the whole day for us!
As Yonathan always says "When I see a client dancing on the table, I have achieved my goal

Any feedback from the team?

Likes after every event – I send out a survey to find out what they thought and if they liked what we organised for them. What were the reactions? All the questions, without exception, received a score of 4.5 or 5 (out of 5). The team enjoyed everything and were delighted. There is nothing to say – just to read it and smile!

What would you suggest a company that wants to take its employees on a holiday abroad?

First of all, I highly recommend Athens. A perfect destination for every kind of activity you want. It simply has everything. Second, I highly recommend Anat and Yonathan without thinking twice! I’m so glad I met them. If you decide to put your event in their hands, you are in the best hands. I have worked with quite a few production companies so far, and Sirtaki is definitely one level above them all!