Questions to Ask Before Booking a Retreat Center
Setting realistic expectations can help you avoid getting ahead of yourself and attempting to go "full send" when you should be concentrating on the requirements of the group while organizing an excellent retreat. With all of that in mind, we have put together several questions to ask before organizing your next retreat.
1. What Is the Purpose of Your Retreat?
It may sound like a lot of fun to just get together some of your friends, family, or coworkers and head over to the local retreat facility to hold a retreat, but it's probably not going to work out that well. Your retreat must have some form of goal or theme in mind for it to be successful. This goal can be anything, but it has to be carefully considered.
For example, if you are hosting a corporate retreat, it is important to dial in exactly what you want the purpose of your retreat to be. Corporate retreats are a fantastic way to get your team together and determine the objectives, vision, and culture of your business. This is a fantastic strategy for boosting team spirit and inspiration. However, none of this is possible if there is no defined purpose.
The goal of your retreat should be carefully considered in prayer if you are conducting a religious retreat. What kinds of problems are you hoping to solve? Is your worship team's songwriting retreat taking place? Are you holding a retreat for men? You may more successfully conduct a memorable retreat by focusing on what you are doing.
2. What Kind of Facility Do You Need?
Just as important as the purpose of your retreat, finding a venue can be time-consuming and lead you down rabbit holes that you never expect. It is important that your venue can accommodate your group's needs, whether they be premium lodging vs. rustic, kitchen staffing, etc. All of these things can impact the effectiveness of your retreat.
3. What Activities Are Available?
In addition to the type of facility, it is important to have a good idea of the activities available to your group during their time there.
Are there outdoor activities such as “camp games”? Does the retreat facility offer adventure guides? Access to fun activities can help break up some of the more serious aspects of your retreat's programming; therefore, having a good selection of activities can make or break the event.
4. What Is the Ideal Setting?
Imagine hosting a yoga retreat in the middle of a bustling city or a networking retreat far up in the mountains of Appalachia. As absurd as that may sound, it has probably been done. While unique locales can make a bold statement when planning a retreat, it may not be a useful one.
When picking the setting for your event, it is important to ask yourself and your group what exactly they are looking to get out of the retreat. A setting must be picked to work in conjunction with the purpose and theme of the event so that your group gets the most out of their time away.
Picking a quiet, serene venue in the mountains may work for a religious retreat or team-building event, while a networking event may work better in a more connected area.
5. What Is the Actual Price of the Venue?
Many retreat venues have a variety of ways that they price a retreat. In some cases, events are priced as a package deal that includes rooms, meals, meeting spaces, and activities. Other venues may price their offerings a la carte.
This is very important when building a budget for your retreat. It is important to pay attention to what's included, as service charges and add-ons can quickly rack up.
6. What Is the Value That Your Retreat Brings?
Last but not least, retreats should not be events that leave a guest with little to no value. On a retreat, even minor alterations should have a profound impact. The majority of the time, your visitors are looking for a moment to focus solely on issues that are significant to them.
The different puzzle pieces that go into planning a retreat should foster both individual and group development, and if you prepare with those objectives in mind, you can, too, run an excellent retreat.
High Peak Camp
High Peak Camp is a summer camp and retreat center located just 9 miles south of Estes Park, Colorado. Nestled at the base of Rocky Mountain National Park, High Peak has views of majestic peaks such as Longs Peak, Mount Meeker, and Twin Sisters. High Peak is the perfect location for your next retreat.