ESSENTIALS AT A GLANCE
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Campfire Field Notes. Client Retreats
How a leading global PR agency brought together their North America and UK teams for an unforgettable excursion filled with roaring engines, flying falcons and a Co-Founder jamming with the band.
"It's critical that these team members really know each other, trust each other and know how to collaborate," said President Tim Fry, who runs the North American business and leads global integration.
Video calls can only go so far to build that trust. VP of People and Culture Candace Byrdsong, who joined in May, described what gets lost.
"When you have messages that go back and forth, it's really hard when you don't know the person."
Chief Client Officer and Co-Founder Joe Walton named the risk more bluntly. In a high-pressure job, it is easy "to be a bit short with your colleagues, to become a bit of a keyboard warrior."
The mission was to replace screen-sized impressions with real ones by gathering the whole international team in one location over the course of three days for what they refer to colloquially as a FoFfsite.
Walton said the company weighs the cost every year, and keeps paying. CEO Charlie Meredith-Hardy called it "one of the most valuable investments that we can make, because it's an investment in people."
The Core Experience
"As an organizer, it felt easy, it felt relaxed, even though we fit loads in."
Not just fun and games
"I kept saying, 'Trust me, it's going to be so cool.'" Within a few minutes, the room was already playing in sync.
"I wanted to stop and take a video and say, 'My company is so much cooler than yours,'" she said. Fry, who had never had a lesson, heard the same reaction from colleagues afterward: nobody expected to like it that much.
Walton passed along a remark from a Manchester designer, who said the sound made her feel "weirdly emotional."
Another challenge was a bottle-rocket build, in which teams launched homemade rockets made from water and plastic bottles.
"We definitely learned a lot about who's resourceful," Walton joked. Only one team out of a dozen failed to launch, showing that the team of PRs had some solid engineering chops. Fry's favorite moment was quieter: coffee with someone he rarely talks to, learning about their family and hobbies.
"Those are the types of conversations that really help build the relationship and build that trust."
The competition came on quad bikes, which Meredith-Hardy called "horrendously competitive." Walton said one colleague, looked ready to flip her bike with every run and knocked over about 70 cones. Her team finished last. Falconry was also a huge hit among the animal lovers on the team. There was also chocolate making, and a morning squash club that turned out to be just as intense.
People danced to Shania Twain. Scotton said everyone danced both nights.
Campfire believes a retreat needs at least one moment that isn't trying to solve anything. This one had a whole day of that.
Recap
He hopes that colleagues now have "little stories in common" and go back to Slack with a friend on the other end. His favorite sight was people with no shared projects, sometimes thousands of miles apart, "roaring with laughter."
Walton says the effect on how people treat each other is concrete. "If you've had a drink with someone, if you've danced in a big circle to 'Don't Look Back in Anger' with them on the dance floor, it just makes you much more likely to treat people in a more respectful, human way." The agency, he said, always gets a "massive bounce" afterward.
"The reason we keep spending the money on it is because it's all the side conversations that happen, most of which we will never see between people from Boston, Dallas, London, Manchester or Glasgow,” Walton said, pointing to how this helps the international agency build transatlantic bridges of trust.
On the last night, Walton surprised the whole team by jumping up on stage and playing guitar with the band.
"He did his best Chuck Berry impersonation," fellow Co-Founder Meredith-Hardy said. On Friday morning, that moment was all anyone could talk about, and Walton's fingers bleeding on the guitarist's fret board will surely stick out as a core memory from this FoFfsite.
Byrdsong, who is based in the US, expected exhaustion on the flight home. Instead, she said, she's excited to get back to work. "It's rejuvenating. It's been like going to an emotional spa."
"I feel sorry for everyone who doesn't work for companies that invest in their people like this," Byrdsong told Campfire.
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We hosted our AI Summit with Campfire - nearly 500 attendees - and from start to finish, the experience was outstanding. Ideas, execution, responsiveness, commitment, hands-on effort: everything was exactly how you'd hope it to be. It's such a relief to know you can rely 100% on a team that consistently finds solutions and makes the right calls in the moment.I've worked with a lot of agencies over the years, and Campfire genuinely stood out. The on-site team was warm, professional, and - what I appreciated most - proactive. They didn't just "run" the event; they lived it with us.
We recently used Campfire to host our company IRL in Berlin and honestly couldn't recommend them more highly.Leti and Mari were absolutely exceptional. From the first conversation to the final day of the event, nothing was ever too much hassle — they were organised, responsive, and genuinely went above and beyond at every turn. In all the events we've run as a company, we've never worked with organisers quite like them.The proof is in the results — this was our highest rated IRL yet. If you're looking for an events team who will make you feel like you're their only client, look no further. We'll be back.
Campfire has been worth their weight in gold. I am so grateful for everything they have done for our company retreat. From the first contact, to saying bye at the end of the stay, I know they have been there for us. They’ve been a constant, calm, companion in what could be a stressful and complicated few days.
Campfire organized an outstanding retreat for our company in Sicily, accommodating around 200 participants. Everything was top-notch, from the shuttles to and from the airports to the food, accommodation, workspaces, and even social areas. Letizia and her team were incredibly responsive and practical whenever we had new requests or needed changes throughout the week. This was our second experience working with Campfire, and we hope it won't be our last.
Just came back from a team retreat in Sicily and what can I say, Letizia and Francesca were amazing organisers! Wish it lasted longer and looking forward to many more!
We partnered with Campfire for our company's annual retreat. As a UK-based company, this was the first time the company went abroad for it and finding a partner that could help us sort out all of the details, spoke the local language and plan a truly memorable event was vital to its success. Over several months we worked closely with Letizia and the Campfire team to brainstorm and plan every last detail for the retreat in Italy. They were well organised, great at communication and always reachable when we had any questions. They ensured our team of over 30 were well taken care of at the venue and made sure that every request was handled in a timely manner. They helped us pull off the event beautifully and we definitely recommend them for corporate retreat planning!
Great working with these guys. Letizia and Flo have helped us plan two successful retreats now, always a pleasure. Great attention to detail, brilliant venues and locations. Love the outdoor/nature themed ethos of the company, these folks get it!
All activities during the week where very well planned, our guide was very nice and attentive. She took care of all the things that came along and made our company trip an excellent experience for all of us!
Francesca and Mariona made our company trip to Spain truly exceptional. From the beginning, they were always there to ensure everything ran smoothly and our needs were met – no matter how big or small. Their attention to detail, quick response and friendly approach made the planning process enjoyable. Thanks to their incredible support, the event was a huge success. We couldn’t have asked for better partners and would absolutely recommend them to anyone planning a team event!
We used Campfire for the first time this year, and our annual company offsite turned out to be the best one yet. I had the pleasure of working with Letizia and Francesca, who were both incredibly understanding and accommodating. They took the time to listen to our needs and offered thoughtful suggestions for activities, which ended up being the highlights of the trip. Thank you both again for making it such a great experience!
Leider gibt es nur 5 Sterne zu vergeben. Gern hätte ich mehr vergeben für die großartige Organisation, Flexibilität und hervorragende Zusammenarbeit mit Marica. Sie hat uns bereits zum 2. Mal betreut und unser Teamevent zu einem unvergesslichen Ereignis gemacht. Ich kann Campfire uneingeschränkt empfehlen, wenn es um die Organisation und Durchführung von Teamevents geht.
Great organized trip to Portugal. Every small issue was addressed as best as possible. Additionally, our local guide was just amazing, dealt with everything and was still able to find a few minutes for everyone to learn some more things about our location and Portugal in general.
Huge thanks to Campfire for organizing such a wonderful retreat! Everything was so well thought out, and we truly appreciated the experience. Looking forward to the next one!
