Building Your Retreats by Kali Love

Building Your Retreats by Kali Love Whether you ve been on tons of retreats or have just been day-dreaming about leading your own, you may be wondering where to even begin. Maybe you love traveling and teaching and are feeling inspired by the perfect way of bringing your two passions together, while getting paid to do so! Developing, coordinating and leading retreats can be a business in and of itself. From creating the vision and content to planning logistics, marketing, sales and onsite event production there s a lot to manage. Having coordinated and produced retreats and events both for the Chopra Center and on my own, I have found that successfully planning every detail is accomplished most easily when the process is broken down into distinct phases. Phase 1: Gain clarity of your vision, intention & objective Phase 1 is about gaining greater clarity of your vision, intentions and objectives for offering a retreat. Before you get started, sit comfortably, close your eyes and ask yourself some questions Who am I? What do I want? What is my dharma? What am I grateful for? Now release those questions and their answers and sit in meditation for the next 20-30 minutes. Sound familiar?! Starting your process with these soul questions and meditation will help you center yourself and gain clarity as you prepare to make some big business decisions. We have these amazing tools and we get to use them even in (especially in) developing our plans for our business. Next take out a journal or paper and pen and jot down any ideas that may have come to mind during your meditation (if none did, don t worry!) followed by a list of your unique talents and skills (if you don t already have this list). Do you enjoy designing and creating? Does creating budgets and spreadsheets and geeking out on numbers tickle your fancy, or does the mention of those tasks make you want to hide in a hole? Take into consideration the Ayurvedic dosha mind-body types and that what may be like pulling teeth for one person, creates sheer delight for another. It s up to you to be honest and realistic with yourself about what you really want do, and what you are willing to turn over or delegate to someone else. If you ve never had prior experience coordinating or managing events, you may consider partnering with or hiring someone who does, at least for your first rodeo. 1

Continue asking yourself some questions: What s the intention/objective for this retreat? What do I want them to come away from the experience with? What is my budget? How much net profit do I get to generate to make this a worthwhile venture? How much time do I have available? Do I want to do this alone or collaborate? What are the demographics of my target audience? Is there anything else I get to take into consideration for this project? Now that you have completed the first phase of retreat development by creating greater clarity about your vision, intention(s), and objectives it s time to begin the development and planning phases of your retreat. Phase 2: Research, Development and Pre-Event Coordination In this phase you ll continue to further identify the specifics of your retreat experience activities for the agenda, location, accommodations, dates, etc. In this phase you ll also want to form your strategic partnerships that will support your intentions & success. If you re not flying solo, you ll want to collaborate with people who you enjoy working with or have great synergy with. Think about who know that has the skill sets to make an excellent teammate for co-creating your vision. Depending on the size of your group and the location of your retreat, you may also require event staff for support at home in pre-event preparation, and/or onsite. These can be folks that you subcontract at the destination, volunteers, or folks who are attending your retreat in trade or on scholarship depending on your budget. As you identify the activities for your retreat agenda, re-visit your intention and objectives. Do you want to pack the schedule full from morning to night, or create the space for rest and integration? Aside from your general session classes, do you want to include extra sessions? If you re offering meditation, will it be basic or Primordial Sound Meditation? Do you want to include yoga classes? If so, how many per day and what level/s? Will you invite special guests or will any of your partners offer classes? Decide whether these will be included or cost extra. A way to keep your retreat price point low while offering valuable services and education (and generating revenue) is to offer add-ons. Some examples: Workshop or private sessions, Spa/healing arts services, offsite excursions. 2

Now it s time to draft an agenda and identify your needs for the event setup. Get clear on what type of space is needed (classroom, yoga, meals) and for how many people. This is the perfect time to create an outline of your retreat schedule, which you can finalize later. Roughly identify what times these spaces will be needed. Depending on the nature of your presentations and the size of your group, also identify any needs for audio or visual support. Your budget and target price point will play a big factor in determining the location for your retreat, as well as availability. Will your retreat be local or a destination experience? If you ve never led a retreat before, maybe get your feet wet and start with something local and small-ish (3-8 people). This will help you get a feel for the production experience while keeping it close to home, simple and manageable as you work out the kinks and feel your way through event production. Do you feel comfortable with the idea of going international, or would you prefer to keep it domestic? Having traveled yourself to the destination prior to your retreat is ideal, however not always possible. If it s not possible to go yourself, it is helpful to have a local contact at your destination to do the legwork such as confirming that the venue and accommodations meet your needs and expectations. It s also very important to take into consideration the recent and current political climate for any international destinations and check for any government travel alerts or advisories. Your decision about whether or not to include accommodations with your retreat package also depends on your budget, target price point, and the accessibility for your guests to make their own arrangements. If your retreat will be held locally or in an urban area where there are many easy options for your guests, it s nice to give yourself one thing less to manage. If your retreat is in a remote/international location, your guests will definitely appreciate that it s already taken care of. Some states have specific legislation and licensing requirements regarding the operation of travel businesses. Unless you are a licensed or professional travel agent, I do not recommend including airfare with your package. When it comes to deciding on the dates of your retreat there are many factors to consider. If you have a specific venue in mind, your dates may be subject to their availability. If you re going long-distance international, you might want to include an extra day or two for acclimation and travel or at the least suggest for your guests to plan accordingly. Retreats during holidays may be offensive to some, while for others it may make participation more accessible because of 3

vacation time. Last but not least, make sure that you factor in ample time for your marketing and sales cycle. If it is a small and local retreat over a day or weekend a minimum sixty-day lead time is best. If you re going big with a tenday international retreat in a far-away destination ideally you ll want to give yourself six to twelve months lead time to give your guests plenty of time to plan and prepare. Phase 3: Business Management and Administration Now that you ve figured out your partnerships, logistics and agenda, it s time to handle your business! If you haven t already acquired the necessary licenses and or permits to operate a business in your city/county this is the time. Having professional liability insurance is also essential. Make sure that your policy includes coverage while you are operating internationally (some don t) and covers all of the bases of what you are professionally offering at your retreat. Make it a point to obtain travel insurance that covers trip cancellation, loss and emergency evacuation. I also highly recommend that you require your guests to obtain this coverage for any international retreats. Put this in writing on your waiver of liability form. Bottom line cover your asana! (pun intended!) With your business license you can open a business bank account to keep your retreat business finances separate from your personal. Plan to accept credit cards if your retreat is more than a few hundred dollars and if you have a website consider setting up a PayPal account or online shopping cart for those who want to pay online. Does the sound of this make you clench your teeth? Take a deep breath and relax! Gently place your tongue at firepoint and recognize that this may be another opportunity to hire a subcontractor who can build this into your website for you. Before we move on, here are a few more noteworthy business items to attend to: accounting, contracts, budget, contact management, administrative (record keeping, files, etc.). Phase 4: Marketing & Sales As best you can, strategize and develop your marketing plan. Know who you re marketing to (your demographics), what your message will be, where you want to share it (email, website, social media, print copy etc.), when you will share and how (automated vs. manual, you or someone else). For retreats that require a greater time and financial investment (i.e. teacher training, long-distance international) you may also want to explore the idea of inviting affiliates to help promote your event in exchange for a commission. Before making a financial 4

and contractual commitment to a retreat venue, you can also gauge and build interest by offering introductory experiences such as a workshop or event. If you have partnered with a co-facilitator, determine in advance who is responsible for conducting sales. Build this into your contracts and if neither of you enjoys doing sales you have a few options bring onboard a commission based sales person or learn to love it! Try on the perspective that sales is really about building and nurturing relationships, which as Chopra Center certified teachers we have become very skillful at doing! Bring your mind and heart back to dharma, how can I help? How can I serve? Moving from that place, selling becomes service. To support your sales, there are a variety of documents that you ll get to create from email templates to registration documents (application, registration, intake questionnaire), participant release and waiver of liability, payment and cancellation policies, sales confirmation and welcome packet - think about all of the emails and documents you receive when you register for a Chopra Center event or teacher training. Phase 5: Pre-event Preparation With your marketing and sales finessed and underway, there s more pre-event preparation before you re ready to take the show on the road. If you don t already have them, develop and print any handouts or training manuals needed. This is a good time to finalize and print your schedules, creating a separate one for your staff that has all of the details and logistics, and a simpler one for your guests. Conduct a pre-event meeting with your team co-facilitators, staff, and/or volunteers to review needs and expectations, go over the schedule and logistics, answer questions and designate responsibilities at the retreat (if this has not already been agreed upon previously). Doing so will get everyone on the same page and well-informed before taking it live, creating a more seamless experience for both you and your guests. In the days and weeks leading up to your retreat keep an eye on the weather, and if going international, the political climate and any travel advisories that may be issued. Know the location of the nearest 24-hour emergency clinic, hospital, and the nearest consulate. 5

Stay in touch with your participants from the time they register until the time of the retreat. Host a pre-retreat conference call/webinar to advise your guests on how to prepare and what to expect or just provide this info in your sales confirmation documents. When possible, host a pre-retreat gathering for your guests to meet and connect beforehand. If you ll be travelling ahead of the group (international or remote) be in communication and let them know how to reach you or someone else if necessary during that time as lots of questions often arise in the days leading up to the event. Phase 6: Onsite Management of Event and Guests It s show time!! You ve done all of the work to prepare for an amazing retreat and now it s your time to shine! If your meeting space requires a lot of set-up, it s best to do the day prior to your start date. If the meeting room(s) is being set for you, do a walk-through at least an hour before you begin in case there are any changes needed. With a larger group, it s helpful to have a pre-designated host (this might be you, or you can delegate some of the responsibilities) that delivers the orientation, talks about agreements/rules, briefly goes over the schedule and makes periodic announcements throughout the retreat, keeps your event on time, is mindful of the overall guest experience and acts as the point of contact to address any needs or situations that may arise. Once your event is at or near completion, give closure to the experience by offering a celebration dinner and/or a closing session. Create the space to acknowledge your guests journey, invite them to share about their experience, provide time for Q&A, discuss how to integrate upon return home, and express gratitude to your team and guests for joining you. This could also be a time where you extend special graduate offers for enrollment into another event or workshop. It s always best to end on a high note and maybe with some inspirational or uplifting music. Following your closing your team will immediately begin any necessary clean-up and tear-down. Phase 7: Post-Event Follow Up After you and your team have had a few days to rest and rejuvenate, have a wrapup meeting to review what you did well, what you can improve on in the future and provide space for your team to offer feedback and suggestions. Within a few days and up to a week s time after your retreat, follow-up with your guests to check in and see how they re integrating. Providing your guests with a survey 6

invites the opportunity for anonymous and honest feedback. Depending on whether or not your guests come from the same local area as you, ongoing group activities such as group meditations, potluck, study groups, workshops, etc. are a great follow-up to offer continued support and keep your guests engaged for next steps future events (remember you get to nurture the relationship!). As you can see, building your retreats requires a lot of planning and coordination. Even if you are a rockstar event planner, most likely having a team to help you accomplish some of the details will allow you to focus on doing the things that you enjoy and do best (hello, dharma!), while producing a highquality experience for your guests that will provide them with powerful tools and create wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. If you find yourself feeling stuck, overwhelmed or anything less than inspired and on purpose, remember to ask yourself those powerful questions, how can I help? How can I serve? And please contact me if you d like to invite me to join your team! Have fun and remember that the journey IS the destination so enjoy every step! 7