How to Plan a Retreat
Easy steps to making the most of a retreat with your organization
by Joy McCauley
Looking for a way to get your team out of their usual routine? Want to bring them together, bond, or tackle a big project? Plan a retreat!
But most people who are planning a retreat for their company or organization are not event planners. You are probably just the staff member or volunteer who had this great idea (pat yourself on the back) and has now been charged with planning. You may not know where to start, what to look for, what questions to ask.
Don’t worry, we got you!
So you’re planning a retreat for your organization
First you want to think about the purpose of the retreat. Ask yourself and your team:
- What do we want to accomplish while we are together?
- How long would it take to accomplish this? Or how long can we give to this retreat?
- Are there any specific activities that we are wanting our team to complete or participate in?
- Will meals need to be included?
- What does our budget look like? (Don’t forget to include the space, food, and any supplies you might need during the retreat.)
Questions like these will not only help shape what you are hoping to accomplish. They will also lead into what your schedule for the retreat will look like, and will narrow down the type of space you are looking for to hold your retreat.
There are a lot of different places that can be used to host your retreat. Do you just need a space for a few hours? Many community-focused or co-working businesses have meeting spaces available for rent at an hourly or daily rate. Want a place that you can have meeting space and also do some other activities to bond as a team? Look for a retreat center or camp in your area. They have the flexibility that would fit a team looking for anything from a day-long to multi-day retreat.
Top questions to ask the retreat center or camp
Once you have a location in mind, you want to make sure that they are able to meet your needs. Have this information ready for your possible host site when you reach out:
- Group size
- Goal of retreat
- Possible length of retreat
- Any dates that you have in mind. Or if your dates are flexible, are you looking for weekday or weekend dates?
- Will you be there long enough that you will need a meal
- Overall budget
While you are sharing information about your retreat with the retreat center or camp, think about asking them:
- What have other teams of your size and similar purpose done?
- What is included in the price? AV? Meals? Activities?
- Do they provide food or do you have the option to bring your own?
- What do the sleeping arrangements look like?
- Could you provide a suggested packing list?
There can be a lot involved in planning a retreat, but that shouldn’t keep you from doing it. The benefits from getting your team together far outweigh the work that is needed for it to be successful. It is great to accomplish some major tasks and is a memorable way to spend time together as a team!
Camp Tecumseh loves working with all kinds of groups and is able to tailor a retreat to your team’s needs. We can easily walk you through the entire planning process.
If we can help your group better serve your mission, then book a retreat with us today.
Want to talk with someone about retreats? Email Joy McCauley.
