Should I host a corporate event in Marrakech?

The jewel of Morocco, Marrakech has become a popular holiday destination. The Medina offers visitors an exploration of the old town with narrow streets bustling with souks and artisan sellers.  Yet, there is a more modern side of Marrakech where art, architecture, business and gastronomy are becoming key attractions. It was only a matter of time until we got the opportunity to host an event in this city and 2024 was the year! 

A conference for over 150 delegates and spouses over 2 days, the client was seeking a full package event in the heart of Marrakech with plenty of opportunities for networking and for some memorable and unique experiences too. Planning an event in a far-away place so culturally different is always a challenge but it’s one we threw ourselves into. 

Here’s what we learnt about planning a corporate event in Marrakech -  

How accessible is Marrakech?

As a location, Marrakech can be easily reached from most major airports. It boasts an international airport and direct flights are achievable from multiple locations. However, although Marrakech may appear to be a dense city, it’s not all that easy to get around. Since most holidaying there opt for villa accommodation, the resorts able to accommodate large parties, like ours, were mostly on the city outskirts. 

Public transport isn’t abundant in Marrakech so we did find ourselves using taxi cabs most of the time. When using cabs in the city be sure to use the yellow taxis. Although there are many InDrive cabs around (Uber-type app for taxis), they are technically illegal to use. Many of our activities and venues included organisation of transportation in the service though, which made getting delegates around far easier. 

Once in the centre, Marrakech is very walkable and strolling around this walled mediaeval city is an unforgettable experience. However, it can be a sensory overload, particularly for neurodivergent visitors. It’s also a literal desert so make sure you and everyone in your group carries water everywhere.  

Arabic is the main language here and English is not widely spoken so it can be difficult to make yourself understood. We did find that venues and service providers couldn’t do enough for us and had established relationships with other key suppliers, which helped everything run smoothly. However, there were times as an all-female team when it was difficult to be taken seriously as managers, due to cultural differences. 

Accommodation, venues and food in Marrakech

As mentioned, corporate accommodation is mostly found set back from the centre. This can be quite a blessing as Marrakech itself, though an energetic and captivating city, is not the cleanest and some areas remain quite derelict. 

Stepping into the hotels can be like walking into a different world. However, it’s really worth doing your research in terms of accommodation. This is a challenge because venues and hotels in Marrakech don’t tend to have a big online presence, so site visits are essential and must be thorough. Some hotels appear quite impressive on the surface but are less so upon closer inspection. 

Marrakech offers various options for venues, although most are suited to smaller parties. The climate also allows for open-air venues which can accommodate larger groups. A huge benefit of these outdoor spaces is how eco-friendly they are. In the evenings they’re lit by either LED lights or candlelight which gives them a magical ethereal ambience and the desert location is truly stunning, so it was wonderful that we were able to enjoy many events outside. 

Of all the wonders of Marrakech, we were most won over by the food. It was fresh, healthy and authentic - a real experience. We enjoyed two sit-down meals and one buffet. Vegetarians will find plenty of options and dietary requirements can be accommodated although the language barrier can be an obstacle to this. Be very careful to ensure that any special dietary requirements are fully understood and triple-checked. 

Although the service in Marrakech was of a high standard, time scales are quite relaxed. Padding the agenda is advised to give you some wiggle room for when a somewhat more casual approach is taken to the schedule. 

Is Marrakech a sustainable city? 

We were so pleased to find Marrakech a city that was onboard for sustainable choices. The hotel we used helped us to track our carbon footprint and produced a report for us post-event. This data helps us to assess our event emissions so that we can continue to minimise our carbon impact as far as possible. Food wastage was also not a factor as venues were accustomed to giving excess food to their staff to take home with them. Not every practice is sustainable by default but most venues and suppliers are adaptable. For example, we requested glass water bottles instead of plastic, which was no problem at all.  

Corporate event activities in Marrakech 

Expect all the typical desert location activities in Marrakech. There’s quad biking, camel rides and Hamman spas which are fairly standard options in the Middle East but still enjoyable experiences. In the city, you can also book e-bike tours and walking tours of the medina.  

One thing we wished we’d done was to take delegates to the Atlas Mountains. Usually, we try to keep activities and venues close by to avoid any extra travel taking up too much time. It takes around an hour to reach the Atlas Mountains from Marrakech, so the trip is only worth doing if you can spend the day there, which we were unable to do for this event. However, if you do have the time and your party is likely to enjoy the experience, then the mountains are a great get-away-from-the-city option.

Is Marrakech a good location for corporate events? 

Marrakech is a unique location suited to more adventurous groups. Whilst planning an event in the city certainly had its challenges, the experience for the delegates was very special and provided something a bit different. With exceptional food, a range of activities and a lot to see, Marrakech certainly left an impression on our party. 

We found the value for money in Marrakech also very workable. The food, venues and activities were reasonably priced and the level of service was high. Be mindful though that it is difficult to plan a corporate event here from a distance so make sure your events agency is conducting proper site visits, well in advance. 

Marrakech will likely be unbearably hot in summer so the best time to visit would be spring or autumn. You’ll also want to avoid Ramadan as it'll be difficult to access services and suppliers. Due to the heat, plan your tours and activities carefully to stay out of the midday sun. 

The city is definitely better able to host smaller events and would be ideal for corporate incentive trips or meetings of the board. It’s also a good location for accompanying partners to enjoy. 

All in all, Marrakech is a memorable and often magical place to host an event, but it will require some expertise and detailed planning. 

Would you like to host an event in Marrakech? Get in touch to find out how Dynamic Events can make that happen.