For 3 days in mid-June, team Bumper came together for our second annual Bumper Retreat. This time around, we all met at the glorious Platja d’Aro in Costa Brava, Spain for all things good for the soul – great company, great food, and some vitamin D in the form of gorgeous sunshine.

With activities planned throughout the week, including a surprise event at the end of the trip, this was a fantastic opportunity for the whole company to come together since it has more than doubled since the inaugural retreat in 2022. More importantly, it allowed for teams who solely work remotely to be together in person and strengthen their working relationships.

After coming together from different corners of the world throughout Sunday, Monday morning brought our twice-yearly in-person Company Update – a chance for each department head to present what they’ve achieved in the previous 6 months, and what they have planned for the following 6 months. 

Going into this, we were told we would be starting with an ice-breaker… No one enjoys a cheesy ice-breaker. Enter Robbie (COO) and Dan (Head of Sales), who put together a super engaging and funny ice-breaking session, including a Rock, Paper, Scissors championship, a round of Bumper Bingo, and a Whodunnit quiz about our co-founders Jack & James. 

The rest of the update featured presentations from all teams across the company, detailing their roadmaps for the year, what they had already achieved, and even some special mentions for colleagues who had gone above and beyond so far this year.

The retreat also was the opportunity for the People team to officially launch our new Guiding Principles – an evolution of the company values that were developed by colleagues. These Guiding Principles are there to provide a framework to colleagues for aligning their actions and behaviours with our company Mission and Vision. They are there to act as a map and compass for all decision-making at Bumper, and will help to define and shape our company culture. Everyone at Bumper is encouraged to think critically about how they align with these Guiding Principles, and how we can use these behaviours to all work The Bumper Way. 

On Monday afternoon, we split into groups and went on some planned team building activities; kayaking in the sea, cycling through the old town, and wine tasting in a valley with a scenic view (they required an equal amount of energy…). The kayaking featured a run in with a school of jellyfish and our CEO being chauffeured around. 

The cycling group got to explore the cool shaded woodland and cobbled medieval streets, all accompanied by Ingo’s Bumper cycling shirt; and the wine tasting group had an insightful tour around the winery and then sat on a shaded terrace and sampled the delicious wines made at Clos D’Agon Bodega.

After some free time to chill by the pool, explore the town, or head to the beach, we then embarked on our surprise activity – a boat trip on a Catamaran! Featuring a DJ and a stop to swim in the Balearic Sea, this was the perfect way to round off a great trip, though maybe not for the unlucky few suffering from seasickness.

So what about next year? We’re already thinking about where we would like to go next, with suggestions flooding in such as a forest retreat, a wellness spa, or just simply more of the same. Whatever we choose, we look forward to hopefully doubling in size again, and having another chance to connect and bond with our colleagues in person.