A retreat is a fantastic way to work closely with some of your ideal clients in beautiful surroundings. Planning them can be a big task but so worth it! You probably have a lot of ideas floating around in your head of how you would like it to be. Retreats are the perfect experience to help individuals become super focused and surround themselves with like-minded people.
Here are 6 tips to help you plan the ultimate retreat that not only benefits your guests so they have the ultimate experience and want to attend future events with you but also to help you during the planning stages.
Who
When you first started your business you would have spent some time familiarizing yourself with your dream client and planning an event is much the same process. You should decide who your dream guest will be so you have a clear idea of exactly how you want to tailor the event.
By knowing the specifics of your dream attendee you will have clarity on their pain points, how your retreat could help solve some of them and the type of workshops you can offer.
Don’t forget to use your email list to generate interest in your event. You could perhaps send out a questionnaire to weed out the people on your list that your event might not be a good fit for and therefore allowing you to set up a discovery call with those who want to know more and might genuinely be interested in signing up.
Numbers
Your retreat could be as little as 6 people making it small and intimate or a bigger event might have 20 -25 people attending. It really depends on you and how many people you would like to work with. Figuring out how many people you would like to host means you can be really specific during the research stages and know exactly what kind of venue capacity and accommodation you need to source.
Set Your Budget
I have talked in the past about setting your event budget and getting it right to ensure everything runs smoothly.
You will need to do your research of how much things are going to cost such as accommodation, venue hire, catering etc and break down the cost of everything so that you are not left with any nasty surprises when the bill comes.
Location
The location should be the next stage in the planning process. You may already have an idea of where you would like to hold your retreat but if not, take some time to carry out research. A far away exotic location for your retreat is a fabulous idea but there will be quite a bit of research needed on your part if you are not familiar with the area or country.
What kind of environment will work best for not only the event itself but give your attendees a wonderful experience?
During this stage, before finalizing the details, be sure to look at everything you will need from the location e.g. accommodation, local amenities etc. The more clued up you are before you confirm and book a location the better.
Depending on where you are going to be holding your retreat you may need to arrange the catering for the whole duration. Some retreat venues may have in house catering as part of the package but others may not. Don’t forget to check about if they cover all dietary requirements.
Itinerary
Some retreats are just two or three day events, some last longer. A 3 day event works well as it is enough time to really get to know everyone and cover a lot of groundwork but also short enough so as to not interrupt people’s working week too much.
Once you have the duration of the event nailed next comes the planning of the timetable. A retreat is not just about what you can teach to your guests but also to allow them to spend some time working on things they never do in their daily routine or struggle to find time with. Make sure to factor this in to the itinerary to allow them to experience the new and have some space to learn.
Pricing your retreat
To set your price you should factor in all of the costs of putting the event together plus your profit. Pricing your event too low is actually counter-productive as people will see the low price tag as an indicator that the event itself is low value.
Be sure to set your price at such a level that you know your attendees will be getting a great deal plus able to afford the ticket. At the same time you should be making a good profit, after all this is your business and they are paying to gain access to your expertise plus this is going to be THE ultimate retreat!
If things get too much for you, think about hiring a professional to help you. I have worked with many individuals to create the most amazing events; I have spent years learning the do’s and don’ts so you don’t have to learn the hard way!
You may also want to download my free guide – How To Plan Your Event For Success which is packed with tips to help bring your dream event to life!
