A global collective of mental health leaders. Four days on a corporate retreat in Portugal to build the connections that actually move an industry forward. Read below what went into organising a corporate retreat for 100+ people.
A global collective of mental health leaders. Four days on a corporate retreat in Portugal to build the connections that actually move an industry forward. Read below what went into organising a corporate retreat for 100+ people.
Some retreats are about getting work done. Others are about something bigger.
This one was both.
Our client brought together nearly 100 people for a corporate retreat unlike anything they’d run before – investors, founders, and senior executives – all working at the forefront of mental health innovation. They came from different countries, different cultures, different corners of the world. Some had never met in person. What united them was a shared belief: that mental health funding and care can, and must, move faster.
The goal wasn’t to run through slides or tick agenda boxes. It was to build something harder to manufacture: genuine trust, bold conversation, and the kind of connections that actually move an industry forward.
They chose Cascais, Portugal, for a four-day company retreat. And they asked Lá Fora to help make it smooth and unforgettable.
What goes into a corporate retreat for 100 People? We started off with our favourite part – an in-depth experience design session with our specialist Tiago, where we set the scene and discover the true objective. Over the course of a year, we always referred back to this. Here’s how it turned out:
The retreat opened with a movement session by Sanctum. Not the typical networking coffee, or an icebreaker quiz, but a guided experience that brought 100 people into their bodies and out of their heads. The perfect way to leave things behind and settle into the week.
Day 1 was all about getting familiar with each other and breaking some barriers. Focused workshops around important topics, a proper Portuguese seafood dinner to bring in some culture, and then the evening that changed the energy of the whole retreat – a private candle-light concert. We took a raw, empty space and transformed it completely. Furniture, candlelight, specialist lighting. A glitter bar and a neon bar that greeted guests on arrival, welcome drink in hand. Then an international artist took the stage.
By the end of the night, people who had arrived as strangers were leaving as a community.
After slowly allowing people to ground into the retreat, then building up a safe space and happy energy with the concert, we believed that now is the best moment to build on the new friendships and create some memories. We split the group across three options: transformational breathwork, Portuguese-style painting, and a coastal bike ride. Something for everyone. Each person found their moment, and had a story to share because of it.
Last day, and it’s time to wind down the energy again and celebrate the connections made. We closed the retreat by bringing the full group into the heart of Cascais, spread across four local restaurants in smaller groups. Fewer people at the table meant deeper conversation. It was the perfect note to end on.
When chaos hits, having an on-site team is just the best for everyone’s nerves.
Just hours before the final dinner, we got word that heavy storms had caused serious flooding in parts of Cascais town centre. Our team got straight on the phones, calling the restaurants, checking in with the municipality to understand how bad it really was. A tense hour later, everything was confirmed and back on track. The team fixed the issue, without any retreat participant even needing to know. The guests arrived, sat down to a lovely meal across four local restaurants, and closed out the retreat happily and peacefully.
This client had a strong purpose and needed a strong focus on experience design to make it right. Together with them, we created a carefully designed safe space for some of the world’s most driven mental health advocates to slow down, connect, and leave feeling more inspired than when they arrived. We built every element with that intention in mind, from the opening movement session to the final dinner in a Cascais side street.
As the client put it:
“Lisa and Tiago approached every request, even some of our more ambitious and unusual ideas, with enthusiasm and a solutions-oriented mindset. Nothing ever felt like too much trouble. Instead of ‘that’s not possible,’ their response was always, ‘yes, let’s figure it out.'”
“We have organised retreats before without their support, and I can honestly say there is no going back.”
Thinking about bringing a big group together and actually making it mean something? We specialise in corporate event planning across Portugal and Europe. We’d love to help.
Want more inspiration? Find out about the best corporate retreat locations in Portugal here
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