Last week, the Magenta team flew to Seville in sunny Spain for a two-day visit that included sightseeing, eating and even a bit of brainstorming. With its glorious weather, marvellous architecture and wonderful food, the city did not disappoint. We’re all back in the UK now and miss it terribly, so we thought we’d share some of the highlights from our trip.
- Seville is HOT
Seville is the capital of Andalusia, one of Spain’s southernmost regions. With an annual average temperature of 19.2°C, it is the warmest city in Europe. After an electric bike tour through hot cobbled streets ice cream was more a necessity than a treat.
2. But it is beautiful
Located just 157km from the Strait of Gibraltar, Seville feels like a microcosm of Europe’s rich and storied history. The Guadalquivir river, which starts in the North Atlantic and runs through the city, has served as a vital port for many civilisations and empires over the past 2,000 years. Arabic and Roman influence is visible throughout the city and its streets are full of hidden oases like the beautiful courtyard above.
3. Tapas are delicious
Cured meats, cheese, fish, croquettes, tortillas – Andalusian cuisine has it all and the M-People didn’t hold back. La cuenta por favor!
4. Teamwork really does make the dream work
Even choosing the destination of our summer trip is a team activity. At the beginning of the year, the M-People split into groups and present their preferred destination to the rest of the team (PowerPoint and videos are encouraged). Seville was the third official Magenta summer trip after Barcelona and Lisbon. Where should we go next year?
5. Account management is a vital part of what we do
It wasn’t all sunshine and good food (OK – maybe it was). Getting away as a team allows us to take stock and plan for the future. On the Friday morning Esme, Magenta’s senior account manager, gave the team her top tips on great account management – a pillar of agency life. Among her advice: “Always be in the mindset of buildings a lasting relationship with your client.” Magenta prides itself on being a loyal partner.
6. Content is king
Don’t just take our word for it. According to marketing software giant Hubspot, businesses that produce blog content have 434% more indexed pages than those which do not. Of course, content isn’t limited to blogging – businesses are now using multiple social media channels, producing videos, conducting research, and writing white papers and e-books. Seville gave us an opportunity to reflect on this trend and discuss what we can do for our clients now and in the future.
7. 
Work-life balance matters
It is easy to be cynical about modern concepts like ‘work-life balance’, but team trips to beautiful places like Seville make Magenta what it is. They are an opportunity to plan, have fun and ultimately celebrate our successes.
See you next year!
