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Are you hesitant to host a retreat because you’ve never done anything similar before? Maybe you are visualising your dream retreat, but you haven’t taken any concrete steps to plan it yet.
We understand that organising a retreat can come with a lot of fear. Fear that you won’t get enough people signing up, fear that you might lose money, or even fear that you aren’t good enough as a coach and retreat host. We get that planning and organising a retreat might feel stressful and intimidating.
A successful retreat starts with thorough planning. Planning ensures that your retreat is attractive enough that people sign up and leave the retreat feeling satisfied and energised. So, if you’re not sure where to get started or how to plan a retreat, make sure you consider all the following steps to organise a great retreat that people will love!
1. Market research: ask your audience
If you’re a coach or a business owner, you might already have an audience on social media or a mailing list of clients. These are great marketing platforms that are particularly useful when marketing your retreat, but even more so during the planning process.
We suggest starting the retreat planning with a little market research to test your ideas. This will give you valuable background information and guidance in the next steps. This will also ensure that you are organising something your community is interested in.
Ask your audience or your clients about what kind of retreat they’d be interested in, what they’d like to learn from you, what kind of activities they’d want to participate in, their budget, the location, and so on. If you have a lot of different ideas for the retreat, why not create a poll on your stories and get people to vote?
Make sure to keep a record of your audiences’ responses and refer back to them as you’re planning your retreat!
2. Choose a theme for the retreat
Now that you know what your audience prefers, the next step in planning a great retreat is choosing a theme. The theme of the retreat will have an impact on every decision you make as you plan your retreat.
The theme of the retreat should communicate who the retreat is for and what they can expect from the retreat. Make sure you choose a theme that you are passionate about and one that is broad enough to appeal to a range of clients.
If you are organising your first retreat, we recommend choosing a theme that you are more familiar with and knowledgeable about, because you can structure the retreat around your own expertise to keep the costs low.
3. Decide who and how many people you want to attend your retreat
First, you need to define your target client. Who do you want to attend your retreat? Male or female? What do they do? What kind of transformation are they looking for?
When you know your target client, their biggest pain points and the transformation they’re looking for, you’ll be able to plan the retreat program around their needs. This will also make it easier for you when it comes to marketing the retreat.
Ultimately, you have to decide whether you want your retreat to be an intimate gathering of people or a larger group. The theme of your retreat and your target client will determine this to some extent.
For example, if the theme of your retreat is deep inner work and healing, it might be better to keep the retreat intimate as people will need to open up and share. However, if you’re organising a business retreat, a larger group of people might make sense to facilitate networking.
4. Decide the length of your retreat
Next, you want to decide the length of your retreat. Retreats can be anything from one-day events to two-week-long containers. You’ll want to think about the optimum time that is needed for you to deliver the value, content and transformation you want to deliver.
If you’re organising your first retreat, a two or three-day retreat is the optimum choice. You can deliver your retreat on a weekend when most people will be available and it’s not too big of a commitment for you or the participants.
When you know the length of the retreat, choose a date or a set of different dates that you can organise the retreat. At this stage, we recommend having flexibility with the dates since you still have to look for accommodation.
5. Choose a location for your retreat
If you’re organising your first retreat, we recommend organising it close to where you and your clients are located. This makes it easier for people to join your retreat. Then, as you’ve organised one successful retreat, you can start thinking about more exotic locations abroad.
There are different options for a location. You could either host your retreat at a retreat centre specifically designed for retreats, rent a villa or an entire house from websites like Airbnb, or have your participants stay in a hotel room and use the meeting room for the retreat activities.
Simply, start by googling your options. We recommend creating a spreadsheet where you write down the location, price and availability for the duration of the event, amenities, and whether the activities you want to organise are possible in that area. Note also any other pros and cons of each location.
6. Plan the structure and schedule of your retreat
Now that you have a location in mind, it’s time to outline the structure, content, and schedule of your retreat. Start by planning every day of the retreat. Allocate time for teaching and retreat activities.
Remember that retreats are about learning and transformation. Make sure to have a good balance of teaching and exercises for people to implement what they’ve learned. Ensure that people have enough time to reflect on the content.
Try not to over clutter your retreat with too many different activities. You don’t want people to feel overwhelmed and scrambled. Give your retreat space. Trust yourself and your skills. People will show up for the incredible value you bring, so don’t rely too much on other activities.
Lastly, remember to make this schedule available for people to read before they sign up. It’s great for transparency and for people to know what exactly they’re signing up for.
7. Price your retreat
If you’re running your first retreat, we recommend keeping your expenses low. Don’t spend too much on accommodation or activities. When you have hosted one great retreat, it’s going to be easier to get people to sign up, so you can then consider adding something extra.
The venue will be your single biggest cost. If possible, we recommend paying a cash deposit to reserve the rooms, and then opening the retreat up for early-bird enrollment before fully committing to the venue. We also recommend including the meals and accommodation in the price.
Keep the price reasonable for what you’re offering but don’t be afraid of charging people what the retreat is actually worth in your eyes. Make sure you’re making a profit with the price you’re charging, considering the hours of work you are putting in before, during and after. If you’re organising your first retreat, you might want to consider having a lower profit margin to keep the costs low.
8. Name your retreat, find the hook & launch!
Now is the time to get creative! The name of your retreat should reflect the theme, vision, and purpose of the retreat. Find a name that describes the retreat and the transformation that people will get when they attend the retreat!
You’ll also want to create the sign-up pages and promotion materials for your retreat. Make sure to have a hook that will grab people’s attention and make them want to read more. Describe your retreat, who it’s for and what they can expect in detail. Create the visuals using your branding.
When it comes to launching your retreat, it’s always good to create a lead-up. Tease people through emails and Instagram feed posts and stories by telling them that something exciting is going to be announced soon. Turn up on Instagram lives, and podcasts, and get out there to spread the message!
We hope you are now excited and itching to get to plan your dream retreat! However, if you still feel like organising and planning a retreat is too time-consuming for you to do on your own, that’s what we are here for. Together we can plan a perfect retreat for you and your community.
We can help you organise and plan every fine detail from finding the perfect venue that fits within your budget, to researching the retreat activities, planning the itinerary, calculating costs, pricing and profits, and even creating a personalised PDF guide for you and your group.
If you’re interested in having us help you plan your retreat, make sure to book a discovery call. It’s a chilled, no-pressure chat about what you’re looking for in a retreat and whether we can help you. Book your discovery call through this link.
Thank you for reading this blog post! We hope it gave you inspiration and the tools to organise a retreat! Make sure to follow us on Instagram @sukhawellnesstravel for inspirational travel content and travel tips!