At BookingSync, our teams work 100% remotely. This is a choice we’ve made in compliance with our values:

“The world is full of talents, this is why we have chosen to collaborate remotely to work with the best people, no matter where they are. It brings all of us flexibility, happier lives and better reactivity across time zones.”

So, for the second year in a row, -almost- the whole team gathered for a team retreat week. After meeting up on the Greek island of Sivota in 2017, we arranged to meet in Névache, in the French Alps, at BookingSync’s headquarters.

1. What’s a team retreat?

A team retreat allows the members of a same company to gather in a chosen location, at the same time, for a few hours or days.

It helps create a team spirit, which is even more true when everybody works remotely. It also helps ease off on the pressure and take a step back. It’s a great occasion for each person to be implied in all the company’s projects.

A lot of companies set up such events, such as Buffer, a social media management platform, Youth Ki Awaaz, an youth-focused Indian information website or Stanford Women’s Gymnastics, an American university sports team.

On our side, this week is also an occasion for each of us to exchange ideas and knowledge, and the time to get to know each other better.

2. The BookingSync Team

   a. Our team

BookingSync is more than a French startup, it is above all the meeting of digital nomads coming from all over the world: France, Russia, Poland, Netherlands, Spain, Macedonia, Morocco, Australia, Canada, Romania, Serbia, Hungary, Chile, USA, Czech Republic.

Whether they live in their home country or on the other side of the world, some members of our team traveled up to 36 hours to reach Névache. A total of 29 co-workers on 34 were able to travel to the Alps.

    b. Creating a team spirit

Working remotely offers a lot of advantages, such as being able to work from any place -as long as you have a wifi connection!-, choosing your work hours and own rhythm, and also having the chance to better enjoy your family.

But even though we all interact each day, using tools such as Slack, Skype, Intercom or Zendesk, we don’t have the occasion to meet up personally. This is why we enjoy so much spending time together each year, for a week.

   c. Our week in Névache: workshops, reorganisation, meetups and team building

This 2018 session has been punctuated by several events and meetings:

• An introductory game, during which each of us had the occasion to introduce themselves, a treasure hunt/hint game in the city of Briançon, a hike and picnic in the Vallée de la Clarée and a concert night

• Group and individual photo sessions

• Several workshops allowing team to collaborate and exchange ideas (development, marketing, support, management…)

• A complete work reorganisation, which lead to the creation of new teams and the implementation of a new support tool (stay tuned!)

• Meeting the people who made the BookingSync adventure possible: our loyal investors, some of them living in Névache. We had the opportunity to share an afternoon, dinner and night with them

• More generally speaking, as the 29 BookingSync co-workers were accommodated at the same place, we’ve all had the occasion, each day, to share moments outside working hours: spa, dinners, breakfasts, walks...

3.The BookingSync vision

Team spirit, sharing, tolerance and fighting prejudice: here are some of our core values, which guide us through our vision of a positive company, helping each one feel happy and accomplished. Sébastien Grosjean, our CEO, says:

“Regularly organising team retreats is very important to me. Every year, we aim at gathering our co-workers for a unique occasion of sharing and exchanges, which helps creating a team spirit. Organising this week in Névache, our headquarters, needed several months of preparation, but this was worth it. Today, we’re leaving Névache more motivated than ever, decided to reach our goals!”

See you next year for another destination!

You can see more pictures of us in Névache on our official Facebook page.