This was our second year working with Surf Office, and the reason I came back is simple: they get that for me, retreat planning is about people, purpose, and the experience we’re creating, not just logistics. They took the time to really understand what our team values, what we genuinely love doing together, and how important sustainability and local community impact are to us. The recommendations felt truly tailored, in a “Liveblocks would love this” way. Communication was consistently clear and fast, and I could trust that follow-ups were happening and details weren’t slipping without me having to chase. They also kept the process moving by holding me accountable to the tasks I owned. For us as a very small team, that level of partnership is rare, and it made the retreat easier to plan.
-Alicia Henriquez, Head of People at Liveblocks
Liveblocks enables humans and AI to work together by providing the building blocks and infrastructure to make digital products collaborative. With a fully distributed team, retreats are one of the few times everyone can step away and align.
This year, 11 teammates met in Punta Cana. It was a new destination for everyone. Candela, their Surf Office retreat planner, supported the retreat end to end. She handled coordination with the resort and helped manage the all-inclusive setup.
Working time stayed focused, with the team running three half-day sessions. Topics covered GTM foundations, product direction, and how they want to work heading into 2026. The goal throughout was to debate, decide, and prioritize, while making sure remote teammates were included in the conversations from start to finish.
Outside of the sessions, the pace slowed noticeably. The resort was smaller than a typical all-inclusive, which made it easy to bump into each other, regroup naturally, and continue conversations without planning ahead. Meals were flexible, thanks to multiple restaurants and buffets, and Dominican night stood out in particular, with music, decorations, and a generous seafood spread that brought everyone together.
The main shared activity was a boat tour booked outside the hotel. The team went snorkeling, spent time in shallow water, and even took turns on a slide built into the boat. Lunch was cooked fresh on a separate kitchen boat, and the experience quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the week.
Another highlight was the Values Award dinner, held in one of the resort’s restaurants. The setup was simple and personal, and every teammate received at least one nomination, which made the evening feel like a genuine celebration of the people behind the work.
Sustainability and local impact were also part of the planning. The resort reduced single-use plastic by providing glass water bottles and reusable coffee cups, and the team visited the coral lab to learn about reef restoration efforts. After the retreat, Liveblocks donated to the Mariposa DR Foundation, supporting their work in girls’ empowerment and environmental education in the Dominican Republic.
