RAINBOW LODGE RETREAT CENTER
  • Home
  • Facilities & Services
  • About Us
    • Location
    • Photo Gallery
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • History
  • Booking a Retreat
    • Inquiry / Reservations
    • Day Use Events
  • Forms
    • Final Guest Information Form
    • Retreat Feedback Form
    • Policies and Information
    • Dietary Policies
    • Room Layout
  • Jobs
  • Local Things to Do
  • Support Rainbow Lodge

Ten Thoughts on Planning a Retreat

10/16/2013

2 Comments

 
Planning a retreat, whether it is a single day, a full  weekend, or a week-long event, can be complicated. Here are some ideas to think about as you  plan your retreat experience.
  1. Be clear of the purpose of your  retreat. Be able to state  it in one short sentence.
  2. Plan Ahead. People are very busy. Allow your  participants time to get the dates on their calendars. Depending on the time of year, you should probably allow a minimum of 4 months lead time for even a one day retreat. If you are holding  a week long event, a 10 to 12 month lead time is realistic.
  3. Arrange for any presenters or speakers well in advance. 
  4. Arrange for the location of your  retreat at least a year out. Rainbow Lodge can book up to 3 years in advance!
  5. Establish a realistic budget. Budgets should include (at the least): Facilities and meal costs, program costs (including  presenter honorariums or fees, travel expenses, extra lodging, printing, etc.). Don’t forget other items such as insurance, promotion and miscellaneous  items. It is always good to  add 5-10% for a cushion.
  6. Analyze your program and determine obstacles you may need to overcome to have a successful retreat. Some things to consider calendar might be calendar conflicts, weather, and ways of overcoming any reticence on the part of potential  attendees.
  7. Be aware of the potential medical needs of your attendees. It might be good to have a designated first aid person on site. 
  8. Know of the special needs of any of your attendees and communicate with the facility what those are. Pay special attention to dietary  needs and food
    allergies.
  9. Tour the facility prior to your arrival for your retreat (or better, before booking). Nothing is better than seeing the site in person to determine how to best use the  site for your program.  
  10. Communicate early and often with  the staff at the retreat center so that all are working “on the same page”  toward the success of your event.
  11. Bonus thought:  Make sure you are able to enjoy the retreat yourself! The better the planning, the  better the chance of that happening. 
2 Comments
Kenneth Gladman link
4/30/2018 08:37:08 pm

You mentioned getting your retreat planned a year in advance. This seems like quite a long time, but I'm sure it makes sense if it is a popular location. These have always interested me, and maybe next summer is the time I finally get around to going on one.

Reply
Lawrence B link
2/7/2021 05:58:31 am

Loveely blog you have

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Ideas

    We keep our eyes open for helpful insights and resources for planning or enhancing retreats.

    Archives

    March 2020
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Categories

    All
    Extras
    Guest Speakers
    Icebreakers
    Men
    Niceties
    Planning

    RSS Feed

Brandon Gooch
Executive Director
46820 SE Mt Si Road
North Bend, WA 98045
(425) 888-4181
director@rainbowlodge.org
Join our email list

Copyright © 2021
  • Home
  • Facilities & Services
  • About Us
    • Location
    • Photo Gallery
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • History
  • Booking a Retreat
    • Inquiry / Reservations
    • Day Use Events
  • Forms
    • Final Guest Information Form
    • Retreat Feedback Form
    • Policies and Information
    • Dietary Policies
    • Room Layout
  • Jobs
  • Local Things to Do
  • Support Rainbow Lodge