Known as a party island to some and a unique MICE venue to others, Ibiza has many different faces but whichever one you’re after, the Balearic Island never fails to deliver. Away from the busy nightclubs in Ibiza Town and San Antonio, MICE professionals can delight in sunset hikes, take trips to the Old Town and enjoy its meeting room offerings. To get the lowdown on the real Ibiza ahead of M&I Private, Ibiza 2023, we spoke to Sergio García, the Associate Director of Sales for Ibiza Gran Hotel.
Being an island comes with its benefits, perhaps the best is the miles of rolling coastline, intercepted with rock faces, beach clubs and glistening marinas. For a peaceful atmosphere and a beautiful sunset head to Benirrás in the north of the island, and if snorkelling is on your agenda add Cala Xarraca’s topaz waters to your list.
Formentera, as Sergio tells us, is a must because, ‘despite it being a different island, it’s always been considered an ‘extension’ of Ibiza due to it closeness’. Ideal for an incentive trip or a small group, a short ferry to the island is essential to show guests the beauty of Ses Illetes – one of Europe’s best beaches as ranked by Conde Nast Traveller.
(Regent Porto Montenegro)
One of Ibiza’s many unique selling points is the stunning views accompanying its meeting and event spaces. In fact, our very own host hotel, Hotel Torre Del Mar, offers a convention centre with a 600-person capacity across two floors. The first floor, measuring 600 sq. m, can be split into five different rooms while the ground floor measures 240 sq. m – both are complimented with a striking sea view. Find a range of other options such as TRS Ibiza Hotel with a space measuring 365 sq.m and Aguas De Ibiza for a gala dinner complete with a marina view.
It’s no secret that Ibiza has a reputation for its bohemian vibe. Sergio explains that before the arrival of the clubs and ravers came the arrival of flower power on Ibiza’s shores.
‘Back in the sixties, Ibiza was home to many Americans and Europeans that looked for a free place without rules where they could be themselves.’ He continues, ‘since then Ibiza has been known as the hippie island and a few years later, in the eighties, the Flower Power movement was established.’
The island offers several hippie markets, but Sergio’s recommendation, and the island’s most famed, is Punta Arabi in Santa Eularia – ‘a must-visit market if you want to be transported to those hippie years.’ Generally, Ibiza’s “hippie” areas reside in the northwest side of the island and can act as a fun activity for small corporate groups.
Once used as a lookout for pirates, the pirate towers in Ibiza today provide a fantastic view of the countryside and an interesting activity for incentive trips. Visitors can find these ancient fortifications, protected by UNESCO, dotted around the island on raised ground and on the small islands off the coast. Their history dates back to 1235 when Ibiza and Formentera were recaptured by the Catalans. In an effort to regain control, the former exiled rulers made many attempts to take back what they felt was theirs. It was in the aftermath of these attacks that the towers were built, to stave off invaders for good.
Ibiza Town can be split into two: the new and the old. The Old Town, Dalt Vila, dates back 2,500 years and was once one of the most important coastal cities in the Mediterranean. Its walls were designed in the Renaissance period under King Charles I and King Philip II of Spain to protect the town against the French and the Ottomans. Within its walls, groups will find plenty to do, from sampling local rustic cuisine to visiting medieval cathedrals and chapels.
No work trip to Ibiza is complete without a spectacular sunset at the end of a long day. While you could choose to view it from a beach or cliff face, we recommend watching it with a cocktail in hand. Sergio recommends Hostal La Torre – ‘a little boutique hotel in San Antonio’ – for the best sunset view on the island. And if you’re in search of a ‘hippie ambience’ he swears by Kumaras, also in San Antonio.
If you’re not whiling away the hours in Ibiza’s clubs, then you may as well spend those hours eating your way through the island instead. Over the years, Ibiza’s food scene has gained serious notoriety. From fine dining to a quick bite, you can expect to find an array of options for every budget. If you’re after a sensory experience like no other, make sure La Gaia is on your list. Situated in the Ibiza Gran Hotel, it’s the first hotel restaurant on the island to gain a Michelin star. For Mediterranean farm-to-table dishes, make sure you head to Can Mimosa in the picturesque Santa Gertrudis, or simply try out the poolside menus at any one of the many beach clubs.
Sergio García is currently the Associate Director of Sales for the Ibiza Gran Hotel. With over 10 years’ experience in the hotel industry, he’s a seasoned supplier and an M&I Private veteran.
‘M&I Forums have become the most well-known MICE Forums in the market. Being part of M&I is a must in the industry because you can meet the buyers you’ve been unsuccessful in meeting previously. And, even better, you can hang out with them during dinner. I must say that the smaller the better – that’s why I love M&I Private Forums!’
(M&I Private 2021, Dubrovnik)
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