Gobi Partners brought 73 colleagues from across Asia and beyond to Cebu, Philippines, for a 3-night company retreat focused on team bonding and alignment. With Midstay managing the entire experience, the retreat combined structured work sessions, immersive team-building activities, and shared cultural moments in a beachfront setting. From internal conferences and collaborative challenges to sunset dinners and celebrations, the Cebu retreat helped strengthen communication, reinforce Gobi’s “ONE Gobi” culture, and build stronger connections among a globally distributed team.
“You wouldn’t find anyone better than this, trust me. In terms of efficiency, quality level, handling unexpected occurrences – Midstay has all to cover any unexpected happenings during your stay.”
– Fifi, executive director of People and Admin & Hilmi, manager of People and Admin, at GOBI Partners
About Gobi Partners
Gobi Partners is an Asia-focused venture capital firm with their headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. It was founded 2002 and since then Gobi has expanded to 15 locations. With a diverse and globally distributed team, working in different countries and time zones with limited face-to-face interactions can come with challenges. To handle these, Gobi Partners partnered with Midstay to organize a transformational team retreat in Cebu, Philippines for their global teams.
Why Did Gobi Partners Need a Team Retreat?
The global setup has a lot of benefits but it also comes with challenges to it. Many team members never meet in person which can create miscommunication and disconnect where employees struggle to understand each other’s style of working. To solve these issues and reinforce Gobi’s company culture of “ONE Gobi”, a team retreat in Cebu, Philippines was the perfect tool. Their goal was to strengthen personal connections, enhance communication, and align their team members.
Therefore, we aimed to create a team experience that would:
1. Create improved team bonds
2. Improve communication across global teams
3. Enhance understanding of each other
4. Align the team members
How Did Midstay Help?
Planning a multi-day international retreat for 73 employees coming from different countries can be tough for any HR-team. Therefore, Midstay ensured the experience was seamless and stress-free by handling all the logistics, end to end:
- Flights, visa, transfers, accommodation, itinerary, activities, meeting sessions, meals.
- On site support from our concierge team 24/7, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable team retreat.
Gobi saved countless hours of planning this team offsite, which allowed them to focus on improving team connections and employee alignment rather than the logistics.
Cebu: Our New, Ultimate Retreat Destination
Gobi Partners chose Cebu in the Philippines as their retreat destination. It’s well-connected, offers beautiful environments and has everything a business needs to perform longer work sessions in an inspiring setting. This encouraged inspiration and genuine interactions, which aligned perfectly with the retreat’s objectives.The team stayed at our venue partner Shangri-La Mactan Cebu – a luxurious beachfront resort with business amenities, team-building opportunities and comfortable spaces. It offers on-site restaurants, swimming pool, private beach, and meeting rooms, perfect for a balanced retreat with both work sessions and team activities planned.
Itinerary Made for Maximum Impact
Our team retreat specialists designed the retreat itinerary to ensure an ultimate blend of work and team-bonding. This is what the agenda looked like:
Day 1: Ice-breaker, Sunset drinks and Welcome Dinner
The retreat began on February 25 with the participants arriving in Mactan Cebu International Airport and checking into Shangri-La Mactan. The members had some time to settle in and explore the resort before the retreat started with an ice-breaker session to better get to know each other. In the evening they enjoyed a sunset cocktail and welcome dinner at Sky Deck Restaurant.
Day 2: Internal Work Day and Beach Night Dinner
The next day focused on internal meeting sessions. After a team breakfast, employees attended their internal conference with multiple work sessions and speakers throughout the day. It finished off with a Beach Night Dinner at the resort’s private beach.
Day 3: Squid Game Activity and Farewell Dinner
The focus shifted to team bonding and collaboration with engaging activities. The team had an exciting Squid Game-inspired team-building challenge that encourages teamwork and communication in a unique way. After this, they had lunch at Buko Bar and got time to enjoy the resort’s facilities and improve personal connections. The retreat concluded with a dinner at Nu Star Restaurant.
Day 4: Breakfast and Departure
By the morning of the fourth day, the retreat wrapped up with a final breakfast and departures.
The Success of Gobi’s Retreat
The impact of this company retreat was significant. Team members left with improved connections, enabling them to work more effectively together remotely. By meeting in person, employees gained a better understanding of each other which fosters a more collaborative work culture.
Improve Team Work With a Midstay Retreat
If you’re looking to strengthen relationships, improve collaboration, and enhance team morale within your company, we help you design the perfect retreat specifically for your needs and objectives.Insert your unique requirements in our budget calculator to receive a free estimation of a retreat. Our team retreat specialists and concierge take care of you and your team throughout the full process and experience.
