A seminar with partners in Marrakech is a working seminar whose programme provides, during the sessions, a day for the companions, and in the evenings, time together. It makes sense for a leadership offsite, an incentive trip or a company anniversary; it changes three things, the type of rooms, the programme and the budget. Using our calculator’s model, three nights in a 4-star hotel for 20 employees and 20 partners, two working days, a treasure hunt for everyone and an evening in a riad with musicians come to €23,364 to €41,448, or €1,168 to €2,072 per employee, against €14,762 to €27,434 for the 20 employees alone, flights excluded. Here is when to invite partners, how to build the programme and what to check.
When to invite partners, and when not to
Three cases suit it. The leadership offsite, where a dozen people work for two days and an invited partner turns the trip into a stay. The incentive trip, where the partner’s presence is itself the reward. The company anniversary or annual convention, where you want families to see what the company does.
Two cases suit it badly. A dense seminar with sessions from morning to night leaves the companions alone and creates frustration on both sides. An onboarding seminar, where the point is that colleagues talk to each other, loses its purpose if everyone goes off with their partner in the evening. The rule we apply: partners are invited when the working programme fits into two half days or two short days, and when the evenings are designed for everyone.
What it changes in the organisation
Rooms. An employee with their partner occupies a double room instead of a single. Our model counts one single room per person accommodated, so the real budget of a trip in couples is lower than the figures on this page, by up to about half on that line, depending on the hotel’s supplement for the second guest. It is the first question to ask the hotel.
The programme. During the sessions, companions have their own day; in the evening, everyone meets. The working programme is concentrated on two mornings or two short days, and a shared activity is placed on the second afternoon.
Children. A seminar with families needs a hotel with a pool and, for the working sessions, childcare, which we arrange on quotation with a local provider. Every traveller, children included, needs their own passport valid for the whole stay.
Tax. A partner’s costs paid by the company are treated differently from those of an employee attending a seminar. Our article on company retreats abroad and benefits in kind sets out the criteria for French companies; the point should be confirmed with your accountant before invitations go out. Some companies have employees pay the partner’s share, double room and flight, and cover the rest.
Sample three-day programme: 20 employees, 20 partners
| Time | Employees | Companions |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1, afternoon | Arrival, transfers, check-in; welcome dinner at the hotel for all | |
| Day 2, 9:00 to 13:00 | Working session 1 | Guided tour of the medina and the Bahia Palace, or the Majorelle Garden (tickets online only, last entry 5 p.m.) |
| Day 2, 13:00 | Lunch together | |
| Day 2, 14:30 to 16:30 | Working session 2 | Hammam and massage, €30 to €60 per person, or cooking workshop, €45 to €70 |
| Day 2, evening | Shared evening in a private riad, dinner, musicians | |
| Day 3, 9:00 to 12:00 | Working session 3 | Free morning, pool, souks |
| Day 3, afternoon | Shared activity: medina treasure hunt in mixed teams, or quad biking in Agafay | |
| Day 3, evening | Dinner together; for a group that wants a highlight, dinner at the Agafay camp | |
| Day 4 | Breakfast, transfers, flight | |
Morocco stays on GMT all year round; the flight takes a little over three hours from Paris and a little longer from London. An early-afternoon arrival on day 1 leaves time to settle in and avoids working on the day of the flight. Our page on the private hammam and spa for groups describes the rotation system, and our guide to day trips from Marrakech for corporate groups covers full-day outings to the Atlas or Essaouira, best kept for stays of four days or more.
How much does a seminar with partners in Marrakech cost?
The figures come from our calculator’s model: working days and AV for the employees only; nights, dinners, transfers, treasure hunt and evening for everyone. Single rooms in the model, so the real budget in couples is lower. Excluding flights, alcoholic drinks, tourist tax, the companions’ programme (hammam, tours, workshop: on quotation or at the prices given above) and our planning fee; 10% contingency included.
| Scenario, 3 nights, 2 working days, treasure hunt, riad evening with musicians, transfers | Budget | Per employee |
|---|---|---|
| 20 employees alone, 4-star hotel | €14,762 to €27,434 | €738 to €1,372 |
| 20 employees + 20 partners, 4-star hotel | €23,364 to €41,448 | €1,168 to €2,072 |
| 20 employees + 20 partners, 5-star hotel | €34,584 to €59,708 | €1,729 to €2,985 |
| 40 employees + 40 partners, 4-star hotel | €42,768 to €72,776 | €1,069 to €1,819 |
Per person accommodated (employees and partners): €584 to €1,036, €865 to €1,493 and €535 to €910 in the three scenarios with partners; without partners, it equals the amount per employee.
Inviting partners does not double the budget: in the 20-person scenario it goes from €14,762 to €27,434 up to €23,364 to €41,448, because the working days, the AV and the evening venue hire do not depend on the number of companions, and double rooms narrow the gap further. What weighs most is accommodation, €80 to €130 per night per person in 4-star in the model, €160 to €260 in 5-star; that is the line where the double room makes the difference. For a smaller group, a corporate retreat in a private villa is the other option: a Palmeraie villa sleeps ten to twenty in double rooms, with a pool, and the living room becomes the meeting room.
The pitfalls of the format
- Companions’ programme left to chance. Two days of “free time” in a row easily leaves a bad memory. A guided tour, a hammam and a workshop are enough, as long as they are booked.
- Late evenings. Partners have no 9 a.m. plenary, employees do. In central venues, amplified music stops between midnight and 1 a.m. anyway.
- Group flights. A seat block is negotiated for all travellers; partners who book on their own arrive at different times and multiply transfers. Our article on group flights to Marrakech explains the mechanism.
- Guests who have not checked their passport. Ask for it with the invitation.
- High season. From March to May and September to November, hotels and riads go early; for forty people accommodated, block the rooms six months ahead.
What Saphyyr Events does
We build both programmes, the employees’ and the companions’, book the hotel in double rooms, the guides, the hammam and the workshops, the shared evening, the transfers and, for families, the childcare; a member of our team is on site for the whole stay, and is the person companions call while you work. Our seminar in Marrakech page presents all our formats. For a programme and budget matched to your headcount, use our free quote form: reply within 48 working hours.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a seminar with partners cost for 20 employees?
In our model, €23,364 to €41,448 for 20 employees and 20 partners in a 4-star hotel, three nights, two working days, a treasure hunt and a riad evening, flights excluded, and less in double rooms. The 20 employees alone come to €14,762 to €27,434.
What do partners do during the sessions?
A guided tour of the medina or the gardens, a hammam with massage, a cooking workshop, a morning by the pool: one booked activity per working half day, never two days of free time.
Can we bring children?
Yes, in a hotel with a pool or a private villa, with childcare arranged during the sessions, on quotation. Every child needs their own passport.
Is the partner a benefit in kind?
That is a point to confirm with your accountant: a partner’s costs are treated differently from an employee’s seminar costs. Some companies have the employee pay the partner’s share, double room and flight.
How far ahead?
Three to six months for the hotel, six months for a block of double rooms in high season, and the passport reminder with the invitation.