Our team held our annual convening from the 20th to the 24th of October in Agva, Turkey, and partnering with Surf Office made the entire experience seamless. From the very beginning, their team was attentive, organised, and genuinely invested in helping us create a productive and enjoyable offsite. Throughout the planning and the offsite itself, Surf Office remained responsive and proactive, which took a huge amount of pressure off our internal team. We’re very happy with the experience and look forward to working with Surf Office again in the future.
- Jonelle G., Operations Officer at Amna
Amna is a community-led psychosocial healing organisation, working with refugees to help rebuild a sense of joy, safety, and belonging. Bringing a globally distributed team together matters deeply to how they work - not just for alignment, but for care.
The team arrived in Ağva in Turkey ready to slow down. Set between the river and the coast, the venue immediately shifted the pace: quiet, green, and easy to settle into after travel.
Work followed a simple rhythm. Sessions began in the main meeting room, then naturally spilled into other corners of the venue. Conversations continued by the fireplace, in the café, and out on the deck, wherever people felt most comfortable. In practice, the fireplace setup became the favorite workspace - cozy, informal, and a better fit for how the team wanted to workshop. Nothing felt rushed, and no one was stuck in the same room all day.
Midweek, the team stepped fully outside. The Kilimli Bay trek took everyone along the coast, away from schedules and screens. There was time to walk side by side, stop for photos, and even swim. It became one of those shared moments people kept coming back to.
Yoga brought a different kind of pause. The session was gentle and inclusive — accessible for first-timers and adapted for anyone dealing with injuries. It set a grounded, unforced tone for the day.
Meals became another place to gather. A riverside barbecue stood out, with food cooked fresh and no pressure to sit anywhere specific. Throughout the week, the venue team stayed close and flexible, adjusting plans when needed and quietly handling details in the background.
With Candela, the Surf Office retreat planner, supporting logistics end to end, the offsite stayed focused on what mattered most: time together, meaningful conversations, and space to reconnect as a team.
