5 Great Benefits for Your Conference & Event on Gotland
Event Island
Gotland
So, you've found us because you're planning an event or conference, right? It's awesome that you're thinking about Gotland for your team building and meetings – it could even be a fantastic alternative to an overseas trip for your company! Gotland has this amazing mix of beautiful nature, rich culture, and tons of activities that will make your experience super memorable and productive.
Here are five unique benefits Gotland can bring to your event, plus some handy advice and tips if you haven't planned a trip here before.
Planning Help for Gotland:
1. Nature
The amazing nature, the almost untouched coastline, the sea, and the landscape here are just beautiful, inspiring, and magical. It's truly unique and definitely worth sharing with your colleagues – what a stunning setting for an event!
Feel free to get some inspiration here
2. Proximity
It's just a 35-minute flight from Arlanda and Bromma. Or you could enjoy a morning ferry ride, maybe even getting some key conference sessions done before you even arrive! Gotland is super close, really!
We'll sort out amazing accommodation close to nature here, and we're happy to help you with everything else!
We love helping companies and event planners create custom conferences using Gotland's amazing options, making sure everything fits your company's goals for the trip. We can guide you, recommend, or even book fantastic dining experiences, meeting spaces, adventurous activities, or more cultural events. For active fun and exploration, we offer things ourselves or team up with the island's talented event companies, often with our own catering too!
Feel free to download information about our offers for groups. You can also contact our event team, and we'll be happy to help you!
3. Experiences
4. Food
Thanks to all the summer tourists and many groups visiting the island, there's a fantastic range of restaurants with innovative cuisine, serving local ingredients from the island's many farms. Your meal can be perfectly paired with drinks from one of the island's distilleries and breweries, which have won international awards for their products. And these amazing flavors are available on the island all year round.
5. Service
Tourism and events are Gotland's biggest industries. The service here is top-notch, and it's easy to create the right setting and logistics to make even the wildest ideas happen.
Need help budgeting for a future event or conference on Gotland? Or want some more tips on how to easily set things up for your group? We have a guide with pricing, travel times, and more for beginners.
We're happy to share it with you!
Easy-Peasy Conferences on Gotland
Here are some tips to make planning your Gotland event smoother for you and your guests. This includes tips for Vidhave and other great spots on the island.
When Gotland is Absolutely Perfect for Events
Gotland is super popular with holidaymakers during the summer, so it's best to book your group trip either before or after this peak season. For stays here at Vidhave, we highly recommend May until midsummer, and then from mid-August through October. During these periods, you'll enjoy comfortable and beautiful nature, which is perfect for combining with business needs and teambuilding activities with us and our partners on the island. If you're planning a winter visit, most of the best offers are concentrated within Visby's city walls, where you'll find excellent options for conferences and meetings, all close to restaurants and nightlife.
Transport and Logistics
The main difference if you're also planning an event on the mainland is that your planning must include how your guests will get here. Pre-booking a ferry or flight is simply a must! Depending on how you plan your journey, your event could even kick off in Stockholm, Nynäshamn, or at Arlanda. A nice bonus is that your trip will have clear fixed points from the very beginning – the journey and arrival will be sorted out right away!
Also, think about how you'll get around the island and how your group's luggage will be handled. We often suggest bikes, or maybe a nice walk to your event's first stop or accommodation. For any longer trips, buses are a great option – they're cost-effective and eco-friendly. Plus, daytime journeys are beautiful! Gotland's lovely, open countryside, picturesque houses, and numerous churches make every ride an experience in itself. Just make sure to book your buses early!
Accommodation for Groups
Make sure to contact the accommodation providers you'd like to stay with well in advance, and confirm that they can meet your group's size and needs during your planned dates. Remember, the island is quite big, so your accommodation should be reasonably close to the activities and experiences you want to offer your group. Don't be afraid to book accommodation in different spots from where your meetings are held. As long as transport is smooth and not too long, even the journeys can help bond your group.
There are lots of different types of accommodation to consider, from hotels to cabins or hostels. No matter your group's preferences or budget, there are providers on the island who are happy to adapt for your group – just less often in July.
Food & Drinks
Gotland has some amazing entrepreneurs who consistently offer high quality, and they're super creative, happy to adapt both venues and offerings to suit your group. Many restaurants also provide more than just great food, drinks, and entertainment. It's perfectly fine to combine a meeting or an activity with a meal all in the same spot. Just remember to book in advance, especially if your group is large!
Activities for Team Building
We love to suggest a range of activities that, when put together, create a complete experience for your entire event. We're talking about experiences and meetings thoughtfully designed to create a cohesive theme for your trip. These are planned alongside the logistics – maybe an activity could even happen on the way to one of your sights, right?! Once you have an idea for your setup, share it with all your suppliers, and don't be shy about asking for help with where boundaries are drawn and what you need to provide to keep your theme consistent and ensure smooth logistics.
Free Time!
Don't be afraid to plan some free time for your participants. This gives them a chance to experience other parts of Gotland beyond what you've arranged. It allows for reflection and relaxation, creating even better memories of the island and your event. Just don't forget the logistics and to let them know when and where they need to be afterwards.
Dress Appropriately
Visby is one of Sweden's two sunniest spots! But even here, it rains sometimes, and it gets a bit windy more often than that. So, it's really important for your participants to be prepared for all sorts of weather.
About the Team Behind This Guide
Vidhave is right on the northern edge of Visby. Here, our guests stay and dine with the ocean, beach, meadows, forest, and limestone cliffs as their closest neighbors. We're basically right in the middle of Gotland's beautiful nature, but just minutes away from the Hanseatic city of Visby with its fantastic selection of restaurants, culture, and activities.
We're perfect for those who want to experience more of Gotland than just Visby. Our location is ideal for exploring other adventures and activities on the island. We offer a unique accommodation and dining experience surrounded by nature, yet we're still close to Visby's conference and meeting facilities. Or, if you're looking for a complete nature escape, you might just want to stay with us for your entire trip!
