See how K18 saved 20% on lodging and 80+ hours of planning time while delivering a 115-person retreat with 100% attendee satisfaction.
“"We’re so grateful for the Marco partnership in bringing our offsite to life. Everything went so smoothly that our team could actually be present and enjoy the event - which is rare for the group organizing it."”
Challenge
K18 is a leader in the beauty industry, recently acquired by Unilever. Known for its breakthrough molecular repair technology that's revolutionizing hair care, K18's viral hair repair mask is now in Sephora stores nationwide—making them one of the most talked-about brands in professional hair care.
With 115 employees spread across the country and rapid growth following the Unilever acquisition, K18 needed to bring their full team together for their second annual company offsite. Building on the success of their first retreat (also planned with Marco), the stakes were high: they needed to raise the bar even higher while maintaining the culture that drives their innovative approach to haircare.
The challenge: execute a four-day retreat that balanced innovation, connection, and celebration—all while allowing the organizing team to actually be present and enjoy the event themselves.
Solution
Marco partnered with K18's team: Angela Campbell (VP of People), Laura Rafael (Senior HRBP), and Allison Knight (Executive Admin).
Together, we were able to deliver a seamless four-day retreat at Paséa Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach, CA.
1. Project Management
End-to-end coordination for 100+ attendees
Agenda/itinerary creation and coordination
Decor setup and delivery (western theme setup including hay bales, bourbon barrels, wagon wheels, etc.)
On-site execution and troubleshooting
2. Hotel Management
Secured preferred rates at Paséa Hotel
Managed early arrivals and late check-ins
Coordinated room blocks, room accommodations and special requests
Coordinated all onsite food anecdotes beverage through the hotel
Handled all hotel communications
3. Vendor Management
Sourced and coordinated live band
Arranged mechanical bull rental
Yorba Linda decor and western theme setup
Managed all vendor payments and contracts
4. Attendee Management
Handled RSVPs for 100 participants
Tracked dietary restrictions and preferences
Personalized communication to all guests
Managed travel logistics and arrival times
5. Finance
Real-time budget tracking in Notion and Google Sheets
Transparent invoicing throughout
Post-event variance analysis
6. Product Operations
Coordinated giving back activity with Simply the Basics
Coordinated 100 hygiene kits assembly in person
Assisted delivery to partner location
Facilitated meaningful team bonding
Results
K18’s second annual retreat delivered measurable impact across three dimensions.
💰 Saved Money
20% lower lodging costs vs. original quotes
Vendor negotiations secured better rates
Centralized budget tracking prevented overruns
⏱️ Saved Time
80+ hours reclaimed by leadership and People team
Marco handled hotels, vendors, and onsite coordination
No back-and-forth with hotel ops or external vendors
✨ Elevated Experience
Live band + Western theme created a “concert-like” atmosphere
Signature moments (mechanical bull, line dancing) drove engagement
100% of attendees rated the retreat highly (4–5★)
Giving-back activation: 100 hygiene kits assembled together
Why it worked
Single partner across six workstreams (hotel, vendors, finance, production, onsite ops, attendee experience)
Built on learnings from K18’s first retreat
Clear ownership eliminated coordination overhead
The team was incredible — extremely personable, professional, and organized. I appreciate their passion and areas of genius around creating a fully realized experience for our organization.
The efficiency and savings achieved with Marco's Instant Offsites were beyond our expectations. It transformed our planning process.