It's all in the details
Have you ever wanted to host a weekend away for your friends or your colleagues but not do any of the planning?
This past September Chiro for Moms + Chiro for Kids contacted us to plan a weekend retreat for their 8-person team with one requirement; they’d bring the people, and we’d do the planning!
My clients are all usually looking for something a little different. Some like to be really involved in the planning process, some want to suggest a few venues or vendors, and some want to give me a budget and say “see you at the retreat.” The beauty of being a retreat planner is we can work with any of those scenarios.
In this case, here’s how our partnership worked.
I’ve got the venue and the team, can you do the rest?
My client had already booked her venue, a little cabin in Wisconsin. She had the date secured and her team was on board. She needed me to help craft the itinerary for the weekend, plan the food, and any other little extras.
Crafting a weekend itinerary + budget.
Knowing this client and her team pretty well, they wanted a loose schedule, with a few ideas that were unique to their weekend. Originally, I proposed an itinerary and full budget that included: a mobile sauna experience (hi Little Ember Co.!), massages, yoga & meditation, all meals & drinks, and free time for outdoor activities & business workshops/planning.
After the original budget and itinerary had been proposed, we worked together to tweak a few things and get it to a place where my client felt really comfortable. Then it’s up to me to begin securing all vendor partners & making sure every little detail is covered.
The retreat weekend is here!
The week prior to the retreat, I assure my client has all details on hand for their upcoming event. In this particular case, I went on-site for set-up, to deliver all of the food, open up the Airbnb, and set up the bedrooms. This is my FAVORITE part, watching all of the details come together.
How do food & drinks work?
There are a few ways clients can choose to incorporate food and drinks at their retreats. Here are a few common scenarios:
Hire a live-in chef for the weekend
Partner with a personal chef to prepare all of the food ahead of time. Then, we deliver it to the retreat location labeled by day & meal with minimal prep required
A combination of bringing prepared foods and exploring local restaurants
The client brings all of their own food & drinks
A combination of any of the above
In this case, I partnered with Harvest and Whole to craft a weekend menu based on my client and her team’s dietary requirements. Harvest and Whole prepared all the meals, while I planned and prepared the drinks, snacks, morning pastries, coffee bar, etc. Together my client and her team had to open the fridge, where everything was labeled, cut, chopped, and ready to go!
It’s all in the details.
Guests love little details. Anything extra that allows them to feel welcome and comfortable is important to consider for your retreat. I frequently suggest client welcome gifts and assure all guests have their bedrooms labeled with their names and a printed weekend itinerary. This is a great way to effectively set the tone for the weekend, and communicate any important information.
Let’s plan your 2023 business retreat!
There are 2.5 months left in 2022 (excuse me, what!), and with a new year typically come new goals. January and February are great months to think about hosting a business retreat. Planning a cozy winter retreat in Minnesota is a great way to kick off the new year for your team.
If you’re thinking about hosting a retreat for your team, schedule your free consultation today so we can help you plan the perfect retreat experience.