Programme Management
One point of accountability in a complex destination.
End-to-end management of corporate programmes in Cuba, from budget construction to post-programme reconciliation.
Why it matters
In most destinations the buyer is managing cost. In Cuba the buyer is managing uncertainty, and the two need very different answers. What a client is really asking for here is one named partner who holds the whole programme, so they are not coordinating eleven suppliers across a communication gap.
The question that decides whether a Cuba programme goes well is asked at the start and sounds administrative: who is accountable when something moves? Flights shift, a venue loses power, a performer is double-booked. None of that is unusual anywhere. What is different here is that the fix depends on relationships and presence rather than on a supplier portal.
So the structure comes first. One contract, one decision calendar, one named person on the ground, and a written fallback for anything that would stop the programme. The creative work is better for it, because nobody is improvising logistics while trying to deliver an evening.
What we manage
The work this covers.
Programme planning and critical-path timeline
A schedule that works backwards from delivery, with the long-lead items identified early enough to matter.
Budget construction and cost tracking
Line-level visibility, with the items that must be committed early flagged as such from the beginning.
Supplier contracting and coordination
One contracting relationship for the client, however many suppliers sit behind it.
Risk register and contingency planning
Named alternatives for every critical element, agreed before travel rather than improvised during it.
On-site operational delivery
A programme manager present for the duration, not a handover to a local partner on arrival.
Post-programme reconciliation and reporting
Final accounting against the approved budget, with variances explained rather than absorbed.
How we approach it
The order the decisions get made in.
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Step 1
Establish the decision calendar first
Build the approval schedule assuming communication latency, so no decision becomes urgent by default.
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Step 2
Separate the committed from the flexible
Make it explicit which parts of the budget lock once contracted and which can still move.
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Step 3
Name the fallback for every critical item
A contingency that has not been written down is not a contingency.
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Step 4
Close the loop after delivery
Reconciliation and debrief are part of the engagement rather than an afterthought.
What this means in Cuba
The part a global agency cannot write for you.
- Cuba's supplier landscape splits between state tourism entities and the private sector of paladares, casas, and independent artists and musicians. Knowing which side can actually deliver a given element is most of the job.
- Payment is cash-weighted and several categories are committed well in advance. Programmes are budgeted with that reality visible rather than discovered late.
- Approval timelines are built assuming communication latency. A schedule that works in Frankfurt does not survive contact with a Havana supplier chain.
- Every critical element carries a named fallback covering venue, transport, performer, and power, agreed in writing before the group travels.
Scale
What size this works at
From a 15-person single-day meeting to a five-night, 120-delegate programme across two cities.
Ideal for
- Organisations running a Cuba programme for the first time
- Clients who need a single contracting relationship
- Programmes with a compliance or audit requirement
Where this happens
Destinations this service most often runs in.
Destination
Havana
Cuba's capital is the emotional gateway to the island, where heritage, street life, music, and architecture all live close together.
Destination
Trinidad
A colonial city with cobblestone streets, colorful facades, and a cultural atmosphere that rewards slow exploration.
Destination
Cienfuegos
A coastal city known for elegant architecture, a waterfront setting, and a calmer urban character.
Works alongside
Services that usually run with this one.
Programme Management
Delegate & Group Logistics
Registration, arrivals, transfers, rooming, and daily movement for groups travelling in Cuba.
Groups of mixed travel experience
Explore this serviceProgramme Management
Venue Sourcing in Cuba
Venue mapping, assessment, and contracting across Havana and the island, from colonial courtyards to convention-scale space.
Events needing a venue that reads as unmistakably Cuban
Explore this service
Programme Management
Permits, Compliance & Documentation
Entry documentation, permits, customs, and supplier due-diligence support for organisations bringing groups to Cuba.
Organisations with an internal compliance review
Explore this service