You’re planning a corporate seminar and hesitating between a format with accommodation or a simple study day? This choice is not trivial: it directly impacts the effectiveness of your event, your teams’ engagement and your budget. Here are the keys to making the right decision.
What is a residential seminar?
A residential seminar takes place over several days, usually in a single venue that combines workspaces and accommodation. Participants stay overnight, share meals and experience the entire event together. This immersive format is particularly suited to team cohesion objectives, strategic thinking or in-depth training.
In practice, a residential seminar lasts between 2 and 4 days. It often takes place in a hotel with meeting rooms, a privatized estate or an unusual venue (Provençal farmhouse, château, seaside resort). Being away from the usual work environment promotes mental disconnection and availability.
What is a day seminar?
A day seminar (or “study day”) takes place over a single day, without an overnight stay. Participants arrive in the morning and leave at the end of the afternoon or evening. This concentrated format suits operational meetings, one-off training sessions or project kick-offs requiring teams to be brought together without committing several days.
The study day can take place at the company’s premises, a coworking space, an urban hotel or a dedicated event venue. It generally includes coffee breaks, lunch and sometimes a closing cocktail.
Criteria for making the right choice
Your objectives
This is the number one criterion. Ask yourself: what do you want to achieve with this seminar?
If your goal is to strengthen team cohesion, create lasting bonds between colleagues who don’t see each other daily, or conduct in-depth strategic thinking, the residential format is essential. Informal moments (meals, evenings, activities) are as important as work sessions in achieving these objectives.
If you’re aiming more at information sharing, targeted technical training or a project milestone, the study day will be sufficient and more efficient.
Program duration
Assess the planned content: how many hours of actual work are needed?
A day allows approximately 6 hours of useful content (excluding breaks and meals). Beyond that, fatigue and declining attention undermine effectiveness. If your program exceeds 8 hours of content, or if you’re planning workshops requiring maturation time between sessions, residential becomes relevant.
Available budget
Let’s be clear: a residential seminar costs more. In addition to room hire and catering, there’s accommodation, evening meals and possibly activities. On average, budget €250 to €400 per person per day for a residential seminar in a 4-star establishment in Provence, compared to €80 to €150 for a study day.
However, reasoning solely in gross cost would be reductive. The return on investment of a well-designed residential seminar (strengthened cohesion, strategic decisions, team motivation) often far exceeds the additional cost involved.
Participants’ origin
Where do your colleagues come from? If your teams are spread across several sites in France or abroad, the residential seminar optimizes travel time. Bringing colleagues from Lyon, Paris or Bordeaux for a single day in Provence involves tiring and inefficient journeys.
Conversely, if your participants are mainly local (same city or region), the study day remains a relevant and practical option.
Comparative summary table
| Criterion | Residential seminar | Study day |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 2 to 4 days | 1 day |
| Accommodation | Included | No |
| Average budget / pers. | €500 to €1,500 | €80 to €200 |
| Main objective | Cohesion, strategy, immersion | Training, information, kick-off |
| Informal moments | Numerous (evenings, meals) | Limited (breaks, lunch) |
| Cohesion impact | High | Moderate |
| Logistics | More complex | Simple |
Our recommendations according to your context
Choose residential if…
- You want to strengthen cohesion in a newly formed or geographically dispersed team
- You’re preparing important strategic thinking (3-year plan, reorganization, major project launch)
- Your participants are coming from far away and the trip needs to be worthwhile
- You want to create a memorable event that makes an impression
- Your program exceeds one day of content
Opt for a day seminar if…
- Your objective is precise and targeted (technical training, project update, announcements)
- Your teams are local and easily mobilized
- Budget is constrained but you want to get out of the usual setting
- You organize regular seminars (quarterly) rather than an annual event
- The program fits within 6 hours of actual work
Oleis supports you in your choice
Since 2006, Oleis Travel Events has been organizing corporate seminars in Provence and on the French Riviera in both formats. Our knowledge of venues and our experience allow us to guide you towards the formula best suited to your objectives, headcount and budget.
We select the best establishments for you: 4 and 5-star hotels with seminar facilities, privatizable estates, unusual venues facing the Mediterranean. And we coordinate all services: rooms, catering, accommodation, team building activities, transfers.
Contact us to discuss your project and receive a personalized proposal.
