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“Ibiza was amazing. It felt like being on holiday with a group of friends rather than colleagues!”
We heard that from several colleagues afterwards, and it pretty much sums up our trip. From the first glass of bubbly to the karaoke, we had a lot of fun together. With plenty of freedom to explore the island or just hang out by the pool.
We’d made a deal: hit our annual target, and we’d take the whole team on a workation. And of course, we’d choose the destination together. We put up a big map of Europe in the office, and everyone could pin their favourite spot. Once the votes were counted, the choice was clear: Ibiza, here we come!
After months of looking forward to it, we were finally all at the airport together. We’d had XXL boarding passes made for Bjarne and Calvin, which attracted plenty of attention. Luckily, the airport staff saw the funny side. And more importantly, the passes actually scanned!
Kelly, Mynouk, Bruno and Tijn had taken an early flight that morning to get the shopping done and everything ready for our arrival. Thanks to them, the rest of us could settle straight in with a glass of bubbly. We were staying in a finca, a traditional Spanish country house, with plenty of room for everyone, two pools and even an outdoor cinema.
That first evening, a group of keen partygoers headed to UNVRS for the DJ Top 100 awards. Others stayed at the finca for sangria, games and a late-night swim. Not a bad way to spend an evening either!
Rain put an end to our hiking plans the next morning. A shame, but it turned out we were perfectly happy without a schedule. We spent time at the finca, went out for dinner and did whatever we felt like that evening.
Which turned out to be a game of sardines. It’s hide-and-seek in reverse: one person hides, and everyone else goes looking. When you find them, you keep quiet and squeeze in alongside them. The hiding spot gets more crowded until the last person finds the whole group. Just try keeping a straight face when you’re crammed into the bushes with a bunch of your colleagues!
Karaoke proved that football loyalties don’t take a holiday. One club anthem followed another, with MVV Maastricht, NAC Breda, PSV and Feyenoord all getting a turn. The Ajax supporters, though, were suspiciously quiet.
Between the swimming, dancing and games, we also made time for our quarterly meeting. As always, that included celebrating colleagues’ work anniversaries. We also checked in on our goals: what had we achieved, and what did we need to focus on next?
Then we got together to brainstorm topics affecting Moonly, our clients and the wider industry. AI was a big part of the conversation. We talked about its role in our development process, what it means for our clients and how to put its possibilities into practice.
We also looked at how we work together. How can we make it easier to reach out to one another internally and build stronger working relationships with our clients? We have these conversations at the office too, but it’s different when you’re caught up in the day-to-day. A week like this gives us time to talk things through properly.
We rounded off the day with a black-and-white party! There was no shortage of musical talent, as Moonly has its very own DJ crew. Ryan, Thijs, Roy and Lars all took a turn behind the decks. And DJ Bart made his much-anticipated comeback, playing bangers by the likes of Zangeres Zonder Naam, Raymond Hermans and The Village People!
On our last full day, everyone was free to make their own plans. We split into two groups: one headed out to explore the island, while the other went to the beach.
It soon became clear that most of the beach crowd couldn’t sit still for long. There was an attempt to break the team record for keeping a ball in the air in the water, along with some fiercely competitive pickleball.
Both groups agreed on one thing: whether you were exploring or playing sports, there had to be time for tapas. We were on a Spanish island, after all.
Later, everyone met back at the finca for burgers. By the evening, everyone was pretty much done, and not just the burgers. Plans for one last big night soon gave way to a film night in front of the big screen.
What started with a few football matches ended with the latest Jackass film. Out came the blankets and duvets as the evening cooled down, which only made it all a little cosier.
The next day, it was sadly time to leave. Tired, a little hungover here and there, but mostly with an even greater appreciation for one another.
Of course, Ibiza, the pools and the music all helped. But what made this trip feel like us? The colleagues who flew out early to get everything ready. The football rivalries that resurfaced during karaoke. Our own DJ crew behind the decks. And the chance to talk about Moonly’s future without making the whole trip feel like work.
So we headed back to Best, proud of what we’d achieved together and the team we’d done it with. And ready to get stuck in again and make an even bigger impact for our clients!
From strategic thinking to hands-on development, we turn vision into reality.
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