2024 Vila Galé Convention

ANNUAL CONVENTION IN CEARÁ

Vila Galé held its 12th annual convention, attended by 4,700 employees from Portugal, Spain, Brazil, and Cuba, divided into face-to-face and virtual meetings. For the first time, the event took place in Brazil, at the Vila Galé Cumbuco and Vila Galé Fortaleza hotels.

To celebrate the growth of the chain, which now has 44 hotels and a total of more than 9,800 rooms, the theme for the event was “Destination Vila Galé: a journey of success”, providing a reflection on the company’s trajectory.

“It is very exciting to be holding the convention here in Ceará. 24 years ago, we arrived in Brazil with Vila Galé Fortaleza, on Praia do Futuro. Today, we have many other achievements to celebrate. This is a very important moment for us to discuss important issues. The whole team has done an incredible job”, said the chain’s founder and president, Jorge Rebelo de Almeida.

The first convention was held in 2013 with the aim of promoting communication between the directorates, central departments, and administration. For five years now, the Vila Galé Convention has also been broadcast online so that all employees can participate. This year’s novelty was the broadcast of some moments to the general public on the YouTube channel and the inclusion of sign language interpreters.

“We are committed to being ever more inclusive and to ensuring fairness for all employees. We welcomed 40 employees from other countries in person, which was very important for cultural exchange and strengthening the company’s culture. We are very proud to be part of this story”, explained selection and recruitment coordinator Marina Mendonça.

The programme included corporate presentations from Vila Galé’s different departments and talks on relevant topics such as Generative Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability. There were also special guest speakers, such as Carlos Antunes, director for the Americas at TAP Air Portugal, and Oliver Zahn, CEO of Portimar, who contributed to a round table discussion on promoting the new Vila Galé destinations.

Also noteworthy was a talk by Ana Navarro, corporate manager at Três Corações, on the importance of Emotional Intelligence in the strategic development of companies.

During the event, the projects planned for Brazil, Portugal, and Cuba for the coming years were unveiled. In Brazil, the Vila Galé Collection Sunset Cumbuco will open on 28 November this year and the Vila Galé Collection Ouro Preto, which will start operating on 25 April 2025.

The convention’s closing party was held at Cervejaria Portuguesa, a beach restaurant belonging to the group and located opposite Vila Galé Fortaleza. In addition to the almost 100 employees in attendance, travel agents, operators, authorities, journalists, influencers, friends, and partners of the hotel chain were also present.