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When Jason Fried published the cost breakdown of Basecamp’s last eight company meetups, most people focused on the numbers:
What does it costs to gather 55–75 people from around the world, twice a year, for a week-long meetup?
But the real story isn’t the spreadsheet. It’s the system behind it.
By stitching together the discussions on LinkedIn and X/Twitter, you can see a surprisingly simple, highly repeatable approach to planning offsites.
And more importantly, it shows why Basecamp consistently gets this right while other teams overcomplicate it.
This breakdown turns that social-thread gold into a clear planning playbook you can use for your own remote or hybrid team.
1. The Cadence: Twice a Year, Purpose First
Basecamp meets every six months. Not once a year, not “whenever things feel misaligned.” It’s rhythm, not an exception.
- Sunday: travel in
- Monday–Thursday: meetup
- Friday: travel home
- Optional personal days on either side
Notice what’s missing? Justification.
When someone asked if they measure ROI, Jason replied:
“You lost me at ROI. Not part of the thinking.”
This thinking aligns with what remote-culture veterans like Buffer follow (we documented their system here: How Buffer organizes company retreats).
The meetup isn’t a perk. It’s a pillar of how distributed teams stay connected.
Takeaway: Pick a cadence and commit. Once or twice a year is enough to recreate the alignment an office used to provide.
2. How Basecamp Chooses Locations
Jason explained the process in one sentence:
“A few cities are tossed around, we look into them, get some basic costs together, choose one, and go.”
Behind that simplicity are three clear criteria.
a) Easy to reach for a global team
Amsterdam gets repeated praise:
- Direct international flights
- Smooth airport + transit
- Central for U.S. + Europe + beyond
- Consistent value
Finding the right venue for your company retreat → Location Finder
b) Good value ≠ cheapest
When someone asked if Amsterdam 2025 was more expensive because of inflation, Jason said:
“Simply chose a more expensive hotel/venue… better hotel and venue.”
They optimize for quality, experience, and smooth logistics, not rock-bottom cost.
This mirrors what we see across Europe: some cities (Barcelona, Lisbon, the Canaries) deliver incredible value during shoulder seasons and can be significantly cheaper than the US.
c) They don’t optimize for carbon footprint
When asked if carbon impacts location decisions:
“Carbon footprint is not a consideration, no.”
Not every company will make that choice, but Basecamp is explicit about it.
3. Budget and Group Size: What We Can Infer
Across eight meetups:
- Team size: ~55–75 attendees
- Spend: often lands near $5,000 per person
- Biggest costs:
- Flights
- Hotels + venues
- Food & beverage
- Activities (a surprisingly small line item)
Many leaders in the comment threads noted that this is still far cheaper than office rent for a global workforce or executive-only strategy retreats.
For teams trying to design a more cost-conscious version, we built a guide with real examples: 7 ways to cut retreat costs without sacrificing quality
4. What Actually Happens During the Meetup?
The full agenda wasn’t published, but the comments reveal a lot:
✔ Parallel tracks
Multiple commenters loved that Basecamp runs several activities at once, allowing people to choose based on personality, energy level, or interests.
✔ Low-pressure activities
Some called Basecamp’s activity spend “pathetic” — but they missed the point.
The team doesn’t need €200-per-head “bucket list” moments. They prioritize:
- Walks, biking, yoga
- Small workshops
- Creative sessions
- Fun but lightweight stuff (CTF, photo walks, etc.)
This follows the 20–30–50 retreat structure.
✔ Some work, mostly connection
Basecamp is famous for avoiding meeting overload. Their meetups reflect that:
- Light manager workshops
- Optional learning sessions
- Plenty of free time
- Lots of unstructured hanging out
- No “windowless ballroom all-day alignment sessions”
Basecamp’s meetups are not a sprint. They’re a relationship accelerator.
5. Practical Policies: Partners, Travel, and Constraints
A few operational insights surfaced in the threads:
- Plus ones: Welcome, but Basecamp doesn’t cover the cost.
- Travel days built-in: Sunday and Friday dedicated to travel mean no rushed arrivals or 11pm check-ins.
- No rail-only hiring rule: Some companies restrict hiring to train-accessible regions — Basecamp can’t, because they hire globally.
Small detail, huge impact: none of the rules are bureaucratic. Everything is designed around being human-friendly.
6. The Philosophy Underneath It All
If you zoom out, Basecamp’s approach is grounded in five beliefs:
- Remote doesn’t replace in-person time.
- Meetups are operating expenses, not perks.
- Invest in people, not offices.
- Design experiences for adults, not campers.
- Two trusted people can run a world-class retreat.
It’s simple, durable, and repeatable (the mark of a company that’s been doing this for two decades).
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