Taking 120 Employees to Honduras: An Adventure Beyond a Retreat

An Unexpected Start

In 2017, Plex brought 120 of its remote employees to Honduras for a week-long Survivor-style retreat, with a staggering cost of $500,000. However, things nearly fell apart before anyone even arrived. The hotel’s director resigned just three weeks prior to the event, casually saying, "Good luck with your retreat."

To make matters worse, the head chef quit just three days later. As if that wasn’t alarming enough, the road leading to the resort was unpaved, and there were lookout towers with armed guards along the way. Everyone was warned against eating salads due to concerns about the water used to wash the vegetables.

Unbelievable Days

Plex's CEO, ignoring the warnings, insisted on having vegetable dishes. The consequence? On the very first day of the retreat, he contracted E. Coli. Additionally, a Navy SEAL was invited to lead team-building activities, but unfortunately, he was just a soldier and had never encountered a team so unfit.

With temperatures soaring to 38 degrees Celsius, the new chef at the resort had never catered to a group of 100 before, resulting in undercooked or even raw meat being served.

Unexpected Incidents

The staff embarked on a trip to a remote island, but with only a small 8-seat prop plane, not everyone could return before dark, leaving 20 people stranded. Senior executives at Plex hoped to provide their employees with a fantastic experience, but instead, it turned into a series of unforeseen mishaps.

Rather than engaging in fun team-building activities, employees were subjected to bizarre challenges like eating dead tarantula spiders. A hedgehog even fell from the ceiling! Many ended up with allergies after accidentally stepping on fire ant nests. All these incidents turned the event into a beachside HR meeting.

Reflecting on the Experience

Despite the event not resembling its promotional image, some employees still remember it as a bonding experience and a company legend. The shared challenges fostered a sense of unity among the staff.

For me, company events are usually lackluster, but perhaps "what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger." This certainly rings true for those who endured the hardships of this trip.

Memorable Lessons

The warnings were clear from the start – from the loss of key leaders to the remote location with poor infrastructure, and even the harsh weather. With so many vulnerabilities, one issue can easily lead to another. The reality is that when a dreamer leads an event like this, they may force others to participate, especially when no one feels empowered to question or challenge them.

One takeaway is to avoid organizing overly ambitious activities, but another is to turn difficult situations into opportunities and foster that culture within the company. As Matt Levine said, "One thing to remember – that both investment banks and Navy SEALs know – is that people bond in adversity."

Valuable Memories

"Perhaps one day, reminiscing about these experiences will bring joy," a product manager fondly remarked. The notion that hardships will transform into cherished memories in the future certainly resonates with many of us, including those who have remained loyal to American Airlines and Marriott, even as we await rewards from those experiences."