Our first m&i forum in a long time was a memorable trip. It isn’t every day you get the chance to explore meetings and events spaces in Ibiza (especially with such wonderful weather) and as such, this was one trip we just couldn’t say no to. Indeed, Ibiza is a destination we had not yet had the chance to visit and explore as a destination for our business, which made the prospect of visiting that much more appealing.

The hangover from the pandemic has meant we haven’t been on nearly as many trips to explore new sites and destinations as we would have liked by now. However, Ibiza is a destination that everyone knows a little about before they arrive, although, not necessarily what makes the island such an attractive proposition for event travel, and there is a very simple reason for this. Ibiza is a party destination.

Now, on our trip, we arrived the week before everything kicks off, just before the end of April. As I mentioned earlier, we were not only blessed with great weather to sell the island as a destination but also, we were blessed with a relatively quiet island which wasn’t overwhelmed with tourists. Ibiza, as we learned, is a destination for tourism throughout the year, but, in the absence of the nightclubs and beach bars being open, who exactly is visiting the island the rest of the year from October to April?

A Conference Destination For The New Age

After arriving on a flight from London City Airport courtesy of the British Airways City Flyer program (an excellent way to get around for anyone close to City Airport for both the service and destinations offered), there was the customary welcome evening with a stunning mixer hosted in the grounds of our home for the trip, Hotel Torre Del Mar.

After conversing with a few colleagues, it became apparent that the Island is a popular destination for counter-culture travellers or, as our hosts dubbed them, hippies.

Yes, Ibiza holds an appeal to not only old-school ravers but new-age travellers as well, with several hippie communes dotted all over the island, many of which have existed since the 1960s. We took a road trip in some appropriately retro vehicles (well, some of us at least)but I have to say, I was not particularly convinced by the marketing, I was beginning to appreciate another side to Ibiza.

Yes, there are the beach bars and clubs which are all fabulous to hang out at and lounge around in. Yes, the sea is an incredibly rich coral blue and is deliciously refreshing to escape the heat of the day by diving in. Yes, you can enjoy some exceptional music nights, either with the latest house music or find yourself at a trance throwback night. You can do all of this, throughout much of the year but, you can do none of this when the fun stops after September.

And it’s brilliant.

As soon as the clubs shut their doors and the tourists, whether they be teenagers and twenty-somethings, or families of four and retirees soaking up the sun on sun loungers everywhere between San Antonio and Ibiza Old Town – the island goes quiet. During those quiet months, the weather is often favourable, with temperatures occasionally climbing into the 20s during a particularly warm October and late into March and, most importantly for meetings and events happening in Ibiza at this time, you can do anything you want.

Is Ibiza a good destination for meetings and events?

Ibiza is a beautiful island. Whilst not particularly mountainous, it’s often been referenced in history for its beautiful trees that cover most of the island’s interior, with crystal clear waters and coves dotted all over the coastline. However, Ibiza isn’t a particularly big island. It’s dwarfed by neighbouring Mallorca and with no major urban centres to speak of, does this mean it isn’t fit to host larger events?

Well, yes and no. Whilst most of the hotels on the island don’t sleep more than 200-300 guests, you will find that some of the larger hotels have spaces that can be converted for events that host up to 500 people. One of the best bits about attending different forums like those run by m&i, is the opportunity it grants you to see local hotels and venues, and this forum was no exception when it came to getting the inside scoop on where to go if you want to host a certain event.

Over three days of meetings, I was offered the chance to walk around and explore several notable properties on the Island, including one of those co-owned by the world’s greatest footballer, Lionel Messi. Naturally, the schedule did not afford me a lot of time to take up any of these generous invitations (but there is always next time) but, these meetings and our excursions out in the afternoon and evening, perfectly demonstrated how viable Ibiza is for any kind of event.

I mentioned earlier that we arrived the week before party season kicks off and that we were blessed with particularly good weather. This would seem like the ideal week to me, to bring any number of guests, delegates or employees, out for an event whilst the island is relatively quiet, and you have the freedom to explore and use it as you see fit. In all honesty, coming at any other point of the year for a larger company or event, just might not be possible.

Most of the major hotels close their doors after the end of the party season. This will be a significant issue for anyone looking to bring a few hundred guests and delegates out for a bigger event. Will some hotels be willing to keep their doors open a bit later into September or, open up a bit earlier in April for the right price? I asked this question to several local agents and received a mixed set of responses. A shrug, a nervous “maybe” and a few outright no’s, might put a dent in any grand designs one may have for bigger conferences happening in Ibiza out of season.

This is unfortunate, as there is almost no chance you’ll be able to pull off an event of considerable size on the island during the busiest months of summer. Ibiza, quite frankly, is just too busy for any other events during the summer, unless your budget is considerably high. Neighboring Mallorca is much more viable as a year-round destination for year-round events but, Ibiza still has its appeal.

The Best Events In Ibiza

So, Ibiza most likely won’t be where you bring a big conference or major event, and you most likely won’t be running any events over the summer on the island but, does that mean you shouldn’t go at all? Not. This is a beautiful island filled with some wonderful hotels and venues for events (the best of which will be outdoors like we experienced) and there is no reason not to visit with smaller groups.

Ibiza is a short flight from most major European Airports. Transatlantic travel is very easy thanks to flights to Barcelona, London and Frankfurt airports. For anyone based in Central London, flying out of City airport is a godsend. You and your team can leave the office at 5 pm, board a flight an hour later and touch down on the white island for dinner a mere two hours later.

With flights available throughout the year, you might not always be guaranteed scorching temperatures and sunny weather if you visit out of season but, you will have the chance to play around, relax and explore, one of the world’s most enticing islands. The island is a fantastic destination for team building, incentive travel and remote working with smaller offices, or for throwing a party for a hundred or so people.

You don’t need to be the biggest of businesses or throw the biggest of events to make the most out of visiting Ibiza. As we discovered on our trip, the island has more than enough to surprise you when it comes to incredible spaces for an event, as well as plenty to offer you outside of meetings to keep you entertained, even if the clubs aren’t open. We can’t wait to go back there again for an event of our own.

How soon will that be? Well, that depends on you. If you want to see some incredible properties and spaces in Ibiza or, talk to us about booking an event there in the future, get in touch now and let’s make your next event happen.

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