From canyoning and horse riding to sailing and exploring Ronda, X: by micebook – The Second Edition brought more than 100 event buyers and partners together in Andalucía for a three-day programme themed around movement.
With OKU Andalusia as our home for the experience, we invited our X-plorers to embrace the unexpected once again, combining one-to-one meetings with inspiring content, shared adventures and opportunities to discover the region’s hotels, venues and incentive experiences.
This year’s theme explored movement in all its forms, from getting out into the destination to trying something new and changing the way we think.
Our four mindset communities, Scribes, Igniters, Mavericks and Trailblazers, returned for the second edition. Coloured bracelets from Colors for Good identified each group, with the initiative supporting employment opportunities for women in vulnerable communities. Designed to grow with each edition of X, the groups give attendees a community to return to, with more people and experiences joining the story along the way.
The first evening took place at SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort, where welcome drinks and a guitarist set the scene before explorer, writer and documentary filmmaker Lucy Shepherd took to the amphitheatre stage as the sun set.
Drawing on expeditions in the Amazon rainforest and Tanzania, Shepherd brought the movement theme to life through stories of navigating with unreliable maps, adapting to changing conditions and relying on the different skills of her teammates.
Her message was particularly relevant to an industry used to responding when plans change: we don’t need to predict everything that lies ahead, but we do need to be able to adapt.
“Confidence rarely comes before action,” she told delegates, encouraging us to stop waiting until we feel completely ready and recognise that experience and confidence develop through doing.
She also challenged the idea that a strong team should be made up of people who think alike. Recalling how a teammate’s sharp eyesight helped avert a dangerous encounter with a snake in the jungle, she highlighted the value of different backgrounds, perspectives and skills.
“You don’t want someone that’s similar to you on your team. You want to diversify it. You want people with different backgrounds to bring different skill sets.”
Shepherd encouraged everyone to reconnect with their childhood curiosity, question the fears that hold them back and say yes to new experiences over the weekend. And she stayed with the group throughout the event, giving delegates plenty of opportunities to continue the conversation beyond the keynote.
A reception at SO/ Sotogrande’s MarXa restaurant rounded off our first evening before we returned to OKU.
Friday began with a full day of one-to-one X-changes at Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol. Buyers included representatives from AOK Events, Chorus, asembl.group, BCD Meetings & Events, Emota, Nteractive, Black Book, Outsourced Events, Our Secret Lab, BI Worldwide, Sledge, Truffl and Avenue Events.
They met with a mix of international hotels, destinations, venues and DMCs, including Barceló Hotel Group, Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, Destination Toronto, Iceland Travel DMC, PortAventura Convention Centre, Silverstone and many more.
The conversations continued into the evening over relaxed drinks and dinner at our own Social Club, set in Fairmont’s Presidential Villa.
The intrigue for X Day continued to grow, with attendees keen to see who was in their mindset group and guessing what their activity would be. Back at OKU, an in-room reveal finally answered the question of where each mindset group would be getting up to.
The Igniters set off for canyoning, while the Trailblazers explored on horseback. Our Mavericks took to the water for a sailing experience from Sotogrande, and the Scribes headed inland to discover Ronda, followed by an olive oil tour, tasting and lunch at LA Almazara.
Each experience offered a different way to explore Andalucía and spend time with fellow delegates, putting Lucy Shepherd’s encouragement to be curious and embrace the unknown into practice.
The groups reunited at OKU for our final evening, sharing stories from the day over an Asian fusion gala dinner before a poolside after-party brought the second edition to a close.
A huge thank you to our buyers and supplier partners for joining us on the journey, and to OKU Andalusia, Turismo Andaluz, Turismo Costa del Sol, Accor, SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort, Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol and DMC partner maximice events group for helping us bring X: by micebook 2026 to life.
Check out our official photo galleries from the event here
Ready for your next X adventure? Find out more about our inaugural X: by micebook Luxury Edition, taking place in April at One&Only Portonovi in Montenegro, and our third edition of X: by micebook at Viceroy Algarve on 7–10 October 2027.