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Plex Retreat in Honduras Turns Into Bonding Disaster

Source: wsj.com

TL;DR

Tech firm Plex took its 120 remote workers on a $500,000 Survivor-themed retreat to Honduras in 2017.
CEO Keith Valory got E. coli from a salad, employees ate a tarantula, faced fire ants, heat exhaustion, power outages, and plane strandings.
Mishaps built lasting team bonds, with many still working together nearly a decade later.

The story at a glance

Plex, a fully remote tech company, sent all 120 employees to a weeklong retreat at a Honduran resort, complete with team-building like military drills and a Survivor-style kickoff. CEO Keith Valory and others suffered illnesses, bug bites, wildlife encounters, and logistical failures amid 100-degree heat. The article recounts the 2017 event now because participants look back on it fondly as a bonding disaster.

Key points

Retreat cost about $500,000, organized by event firm Moniker Partners' Sean Hoff, with activities including beach crawls led by a former Navy SEAL.
Valory fell ill with E. coli soon after arrival, losing 8-10 pounds and needing an IV; buffets served uncooked food, wrong cupcakes, and poorly prepared vegetables.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/workplace/corporate-retreat-gone-wrong-07754741?mod=e2tw)[[2]](https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/workplace/corporate-retreat-gone-wrong-07754741?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqcnzoDoUJQLH5iJNMMjpW30HS0lmgYGziMqHnmstBm6Q_CAX-fZ2p7J&gaa_sig=KPmFdoH23hY_AtKsJPyyqB6kLLeaTYHelwysZgGm3xIKyUAvTlWpvmDMzgnLGRiH95AManmsWVVkoz5jShFXHQ%3D%3D&gaa_ts=69d4566c)
Shawn Eldridge ate a dead tarantula during the kickoff challenge; Greta Schlender sat on a fire ant hill, got hives, and needed an antihistamine shot.
Incidents included a porcupine crashing through Rick Phillips' ceiling into his shower, power and water outages, sand fleas at a beach dinner, and Sean Hoff's heart palpitations requiring an ambulance.
Side trip to Utila island left some stranded overnight after planes couldn't fly in the dark; they stayed at a beach hotel, drank beers, and flew out early amid applause.

Details and context

The group arrived by buses on dirt roads past armed guard towers, unsettling some after the hotel's general manager and head chef had quit beforehand. A heat wave worsened the military drills, causing fainting and forcing a scale-back for the out-of-shape employees. Despite the chaos—like a possible alligator on the golf course and golf cart crashes—Plex employees formed tight bonds; many remain colleagues today.

The "Survivor" theme aimed to unite a dispersed workforce but amplified risks in a remote location with spotty infrastructure. No major injuries required evacuation, and participants now call it one of their most fun trips.

Key quotes

"It was chaos," said Scott Olechowski.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/workplace/corporate-retreat-gone-wrong-07754741?mod=e2tw)
"We bonded over shared misery," Keith Valory said of his illness and the trip's benefits.
"The food was not good," Shawn Eldridge noted after eating the tarantula.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/workplace/corporate-retreat-gone-wrong-07754741?mod=e2tw)

Why it matters

Corporate retreats promise team unity but can expose hidden risks like poor planning and health hazards in exotic spots. For remote workers and managers, it shows how disasters can unexpectedly strengthen bonds without derailing a company. Watch if Plex shares more on long-term remote work strategies, though outcomes vary by firm.