Biscarrosse: the start of the new school year, Slow Village style
Client Tech
Event type Corporate seminar
Participants 180
Date 4 to 6 September 2026
180 staff members from a Paris-based tech team are settling in at Biscarrosse for three days of back-to-work activities.
We turned a quiet village by the lake into our own private party, organised a wild car race, went from stand-up paddleboarding to padel and pétanque, then danced the night away wearing Féria scarves. It was a return to school like they’d never experienced before.
The challenge
Ensuring a successful start to the new working year in September for a Paris-based tech team: setting the tone for the year with a proper kick-off, whilst rebuilding connections, fun and team spirit after the summer.
Teams who spend their days in front of screens deserve a return to work that’s up to the task. Not a seminar in a meeting room overlooking the ring road, not a team-building event that feels like a chore, but three days where work and fun finally go hand in hand, in a setting that really offers a change of scenery.
Our mission
To make these three days a real highlight of the year: a kick-off to set the tone, workshops to drive progress, and, all round, plenty of fun, sunshine and shared moments to let team spirit develop naturally.
Tech teams on stand-up paddleboards, behind the wheel of high-speed cars and dancing in scarves on the dance floor. There was no wrong answer to that.
The Landes has something that few other destinations can offer in September:
What have we built? Our 5 Culture Makers Moments
The privatised ‘slow village’: a village just for them
Not a hotel. A private ‘slow village’ in Biscarrosse, nestled amongst the pine trees, with direct access to the lake. An entire venue reserved for the team, where you can walk from the plenary hall to the water’s edge in just a few steps. The choice of venue as the first editorial decision: here, we don’t come to ‘hold a seminar’; we come to spend three days together.
Kick-off, plenary session & workshops: the highlight of the year, a far cry from the open-plan office
The strategic heart of the retreat. A plenary session to kick off the year, a kick-off meeting to get everyone on the same page, followed by indoor workshops to turn ambitions into action plans. The same high standards as in Paris, but with the lake as a backdrop and minds set free. Proof that we think more clearly when we’ve had a change of scenery.
The wild car race
A real adrenaline rush. Teams behind the wheel in a frenzied race, where strategy counts just as much as driving skill, and where rivalries flare up just as quickly as they turn into fits of laughter. A format that turns the hierarchy on its head, reveals unexpected driving talents and creates memories that no one could have anticipated when setting off from Paris.
Activities to suit all tastes: a playground for everyone
Paddle, padel, pétanque, football, rugby, dancing… or sunbathing by the lake. A tailor-made programme to suit all tastes and all ability levels, because a sense of togetherness cannot be imposed: it is built when everyone finds their place. Sporty types compete, those who prefer to take it easy settle down in the sun, and everyone ends up coming together.
An evening with your feet in the sand
The first evening as a statement of intent. Feet in the sand, the September air still warm, the team gathered together, far from screens and lines of code. A stark contrast to everyday life in Paris and the simplest way of letting everyone know that this trip will live up to expectations. Some moments need nothing more than the right setting and the right people.
Feria-style dance evening
The party in all its glory. On the second night, it’s time to embrace the Féria spirit: scarves tied round our necks, a packed dance floor and that South-West atmosphere that knows no half-measures. The moment when the last barriers come down and the team becomes a proper gang.
Behind the scenes
The ‘slow village’ as a strategic choice for tech teams
Offering a ‘slow village’ to teams who live to the rhythm of sprints, production releases and notifications is a gamble on the power of disconnection. Hiring the venue exclusively means providing a haven where you no longer have to choose between working and enjoying yourself: rooms for workshops, the lake to unwind, and everything else to help you reconnect.
Music that brings people together, produced by the teams themselves
Even before we set off, the adventure had begun. In the run-up to the trip, the teams created their own unifying music, which became the soundtrack to those three days. A simple yet powerful idea: when you create something together before setting off, you arrive already as a team.
From Paris to Biscarrosse: the journey as the first stage
A two-hour TGV journey from Paris, a warm welcome from our teams on arrival in Bordeaux, followed by a coach transfer to Biscarrosse. No time wasted, no logistics to sort out: staff simply need to sit back and enjoy the ride. The trip begins right on the station platform, and that’s exactly how we planned it.
Goodies & photo booth: souvenirs to take home
A cap and T-shirt to show off the team colours, a scarf for the Féria evening, and a photo booth to capture the best moments. Little touches? Not really. That’s what turns a seminar into a shared experience, and what keeps everyone smiling in the office long after they’ve returned.
/
You’re looking for the ideal setting for a seminar that restores as much as it unites.
We know the places that do just that.