Trust, Refined: QuoIntelligence’s Third Workshop with OnsiteHub

Duration

5 days

Attendees

35

Location

Salamanca, Spain


This was our third workshop that we’ve delivered together. At this point, it had the comfort - and the benefits - of a routine.

You know how it can go with new clients though. It’s professional, measured, and maybe even cautionary. Speaking to a third-time? That is different. It feels like walking into a conversation already in progress. Like calling an old friend.

What Made This One Different

By this point, QuoIntelligence wasn't looking for someone to walk them through every decision or schedule three calls about napkin colors. They just needed a partner who'd handle the logistics quietly, so they could actually focus on each other.

That kind of trust doesn't happen overnight. It takes a few rounds. And this year? You could feel it.

“I don’t see you as an external provider. I see you as colleagues.”

— Antonio, COO at QuoIntelligence

That’s the starting point we were working from.

2 people from DailyDev posing

Why Salamanca

We have a very simple and beautiful rule:

Outline your objectives before you choose your location.

But… rules are made to be broken (sometimes, on special occasions). And by this time around, the QuoIntelligence Crew already had their heart set on Salamanca. Some of them, like their COO lived here before so we also had some in-house recommendations from QuoIntelligence.

And, seeing as trust goes both ways, we built the workshop around that.

A Smaller City Changes the Pace

Major hubs are easy to reach, sure. But they can sometimes feel like one big tourist attraction. Then you’ve got the crowds, the scheduling juggle, and the spaces that feel transactional.

Smaller cities like Salamanca don’t concern themselves with such troubles. Everything's walkable. Coffee → workshop → dinner → hotel. No coordination overhead. People actually spend time together instead of spending time managing time.

2 people from DailyDev posing
2 people from DailyDev posing

And Then: The Personal Layer

For Antonio, this was coming home to a city he knows inside out:

  • The cafés without signs
  • The university courtyards, students cut through without thinking
  • Detailed reports on where to eat the best food that were wildly well-received
  • Las Caballerizas — old stables turned into a cafeteria for the School of Philology, run by Antonio Arias... who happens to share the exact name of the person who chose this location in the first place.

Salamanca was the perfect marriage of practicality and nostalgia.

How We Worked

What’s cool about our partnership with QuoIntelligence is that the organizational superstructure is light and instinctive.

No PowerPoint theater. No endless decision loops. No “circling back next week.”

We kept it simple:

  • One Signal chat
  • Quick, clear decisions
  • Shared context from years of collaboration

“You’re flexible and creative — but also direct. If something won’t work, you say it. That honesty is exactly what we need.”

-Antonio Arias, COO at QouIntelligence

This is what effortless looks like in practice. It’s accumulated trust.
Woman playing a game

The Format

The winning formula for QuoIntelligence was already figured out. Work hard in the morning, let the fun follow naturally. We didn't try to reinvent it this time — we just refined it.

AM: Workshops and focused work.

PM: Padel, cafés, and unstructured city wandering, guided tours.

Evenings: Unrushed dinners and time together, not activities.

And one evening, our event planner, Iva didn’t lead the planning. Antonio did. He took everyone on a pub crawl through some of his old favorite bars. Some charming, some loud, some… let’s say studenty.

This was real nightlife, the way locals actually do it. Authentic in all the best ways. And he was a natural at it. If he ever leaves cybersecurity, we'll happily poach him.

High trust → No over-programming → No burnout.

The Numbers

Organisation
92%
System working as intended.
Work vs Free Time
91%
The balance held.
Team Sessions
91%
Meaningful, not performative.
Social Activities
85%
City exploring  + padel = right mix
Communication
87%
Signal rhythm worked.
Conference Space
70%
More breakout space needed next time.
Pattern: Three years of feedback → every year gets sharper.

What This Workshop Did

✅ 90%+ satisfaction across core workshop elements

✅ People returned lighter, not overstimulated

✅ Team decisions felt easier once everyone was back online

✅ Trust deepened in small, natural ways — not through exercises

✅ Identity was reinforced, not manufactured

2 people from DailyDev posing

“Every time, you prove the experience you say you have.”

-Antonio Arias, COO at QouIntelligence

2 people from DailyDev posing

The Real Takeaway

There was nothing to prove this year. No “big moment,” no showpiece dinner, no attempt at wow. Just people who know each other, choosing to spend real time together.

Your first retreat is a test.

Your second is refinement.

Your third becomes part of who you are.

Effortless isn’t where you start. It's what you earn.

Ready to Make the Complex Feel Easy?

Let’s turn your retreat dream into a plan, with room for you to actually enjoy it.

Start planning today