A four-day corporate retreat filled with Georgian hospitality.

In October 2024, Mara Studio brought together employees from seven countries for a four-day offsite retreat at the Lopota Lake Resort & Spa in Georgia for an international IT company. Our main challenge was turning strategic planning into a true, inspiring Georgian melody rather than a predictable corporate toast.

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A single unified journey 

Ditching formal constraints, we designed the retreat as a continuous game. At the welcome party in the Jazz Club, guests were divided into 13 teams. Throughout the event, they earned colorful beads for completing challenges, ultimately stringing them into necklaces to symbolically unite their shared experiences for the company’s future.

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Strategy, traditions, and movies under the stars 

The program seamlessly blended business sessions with deep shared moments:

• Company Photoshoot: Alongside the morning C-level conference, we arranged a professional photo session to get top-tier portraits for LinkedIn and the company website.
• Wine Harvest: Grape harvesting and stomping at an authentic winery, paired with workshops on making khinkali, khachapuri, churchkhela, and Georgian bread, allowed the team to literally break bread and share wine.
• Cinema Night: An outdoor cinema screened guest-requested films, accompanied by lively discussions, hot mulled wine, and snacks.
• Main Gala Party: A festive dinner at Château Buera winery featuring an awards ceremony, an employee talent show, a Georgian cover band, and a DJ to set the mood.
• SplitRetreat Picnic: A final day filled with outdoor picnics, board games, volleyball, petanque, and prize presentations for the teams with the longest bead strands.

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BY THE NUMBERS

• 135 participants from 7 countries
• 13 teams in a retreat-wide game
• 4 days of adventure
• 1 shared sunrise (nobody went to sleep)

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The Result

From the first airport transfer to the final departure, Mara Studio delivered full-cycle production: we created the concept and visual identity, produced merch, managed international logistics, and coordinated local vendors. The outcome was an immersive retreat — a gentle, emotional journey that brought people closer to themselves and each other, fostering genuine connection without ever feeling forced.