We've partnered with Surf Office on several company offsites, most recently our Engineering Offsite in Šibenik, Croatia, and they've been an incredible partner every step of the way. Sara is absolutely fantastic to work with. She's incredibly responsive, proactive, and consistently goes above and beyond to make things happen. Even with our US/Europe time difference, she's always quick to respond and keeps everything moving seamlessly. One of Surf Office's biggest strengths is their ability to find amazing venues. Whether it's a well-known destination or a hidden gem, they always come back with thoughtful recommendations that create memorable experiences for our team. They're true experts in offsite planning and are incredibly flexible, working within different budgets while still delivering a high-quality experience. Planning global offsites can be complex, but Surf Office makes the process feel easy. We know we can count on them to deliver, and they're genuinely a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend them to any company looking to create an unforgettable team offsite.
-Carolyn Pham, Director of Global Events at BVNK
BVNK builds modern payment infrastructure that helps businesses move money around the world. Every year, its Product & Engineering team comes together for an offsite focused on planning, collaboration, and reconnecting in person.
This year, more than 130 teammates met in Šibenik, Croatia. The goal wasn't to pack every minute with activities. It was to create the right balance between focused work, team building, and enough free time for people to actually connect. Croatia turned out to be exactly that—a warm coastal setting away from Europe's busiest tourist hotspots, while still being easy for an international team to reach. The feedback afterwards confirmed it was exactly what the team had been looking for.
The first day was all about arrivals before everyone settled in for an informal evening. From Tuesday onwards, the focus shifted to product planning and engineering sessions. The meeting room became the team's home base during the day, while coffee breaks and shared lunches created plenty of natural opportunities for conversations outside the agenda.
When the laptops closed, the retreat moved outdoors. One afternoon was dedicated to Beach Olympics, giving people from different teams a chance to compete, laugh, and spend time together outside their usual day-to-day work.
That evening continued with a buffet dinner and a live violin performance by Polina Shoka Matković. As the sun set over the Adriatic, colleagues lingered over dinner and conversations that lasted well into the evening.
The following night brought everyone together again, this time at Ethno Dalmatian Village before heading to En Vogue Beach Club for a private afterparty. It was the perfect way to wrap up four days together.
Behind the scenes, Sara, the team's dedicated Surf Office retreat planner, supported the group from the first planning call through the final day in Šibenik. She was also on site throughout the retreat, making sure the venue, meeting spaces, restaurants, activities, and evening events all ran smoothly. That allowed the BVNK team to focus on the experience instead of logistics.
The response from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. People loved escaping to a warm destination in the middle of summer, while the venue, dinner locations, and overall atmosphere received excellent feedback.
