8 Pro-Tips for Retreat Planning
8 Pro-Tips
A Retreat Planner’s Guide to Planning a Successful Retreat.
We hope these 8 tips will help everyone involved in the retreat benefit.
Planning a retreat can take a lot of effort and energy. Sometimes, planning takes on such a life of its own that we may be exhausted before the retreat even begins. Most of the time, program leaders have so much to share that the agenda is chock full of sessions without enough time to allow new information to sink in. We wrote this guide to help retreat planners save time and valuable energy by sharing eight tips to help make retreat planning and leading better.
I recall being on a 2-week retreat with 20 participants. In the beginning, the program leader made it look easy. She always wore a smile and gave everyone individual attention. As the second week was nearing, the participants, one by one, started to dwindle, showing up late after lunch or skipping the afternoon session. The program leader’s once bright smile began to fade, and her enthusiasm began to wane.
Pretty soon, half of the participants were not attending, saying they were tired or just needed time to relax. The program leader was becoming noticeably upset at the lack of participation and even snapped at the group one evening during the closing to make sure to show up on time the next morning..
This leader was incredibly successful at her craft and well-intentioned, yet her ability to adjust to the group's needs was lacking. With just a few adjustments, she could have had full participation, or better yet, she could have instituted these 8 pro tips right from the start.
Pro-Tip 1: Humble Hospitality
Find a retreat center that offers hospitality services, not just event space.
This takes the burden off the retreat planner by letting someone else help care for the participants. For example, some retreat centers offer a morning coffee & tea bar with pastries and simple snacks. This creates a warm welcome as participants arrive and get settled in without you having to lift a finger.
As retreat planners, not having to worry about providing coffee, tea, and simple snacks frees us to focus on building rapport by greeting and welcoming our participants and having the time to listen and engage. In the mountains of San Bernardino, California, check out Loch Leven Camp & Retreat Center, which offers exceptional hospitality.
Pro-Tip 2: Downtime and Open Space.
Plan for downtime for everyone, including program leaders.
One of the biggest mistakes retreat planners make is overpacking the schedule. This can be overwhelming to both participants and program leaders. Avoid this mistake by building plenty of non-programmed and scheduled time for people to integrate the materials they are learning. Take a break every 90 minutes (about 1.5 hours) for at least 15 minutes or longer, where people can find a private space to close their eyes, read, journal, or stare at the clouds.
This also allows program leaders to become mindful and take care of their own needs, preventing depletion, exhaustion, and burnout. Make sure the retreat center offers multiple areas for small groups to communicate informally and places for self-reflection.
Pro-Tip 3: Mirthful Movement
Make sure to have participants stand up and stretch every 60 minutes.
Most retreats have a presentation component. Be aware of how long we ask participants to sit still and listen. Sometimes, participants find it difficult to sit and listen while the program leader speaks at length, even while walking around. Program leaders can easily be unaware of how much time has passed during their presentation and of people needing to get up and move.
Therefore, in addition to breaking every 90 minutes (about 1 and a half hours) for some reflection time, we suggest you take a minute every 60 minutes throughout the day to have everyone stand up, walk around the room, stretch, or swing their arms. I used to toss a beach ball around the room, which was a wonderful way to create movement and made people laugh.
It is amazing how simple these breaks are and their significant impact on our well-being. Not only does the body movement relieve the stiffness that comes from sitting, but it also gives the brain a mental break, which helps with retention. At Monte Toyon Camp in the redwood forest of Aptos, California, stepping outside the door for 60 seconds will be highly rewarding.
Pro-Tip 4: Necessary Nature
Find a retreat center that has lots of wonderful greenery and nature.
The benefits of nature cannot be underestimated, and some would say it is essential to creating a learning environment. A natural setting is calming for the body, mind, and soul. Fresh air and greenery are things not all of us may be able to experience in our everyday lives. We recommend the retreat's location be based in a natural setting. This way, having nature at your fingertips and downtime and program time can enhance your break.
A natural setting allows participants and leaders to take its benefits and advantages and turn a 15-minute break into soulful replenishment. Look for retreat centers like Applegate JRC in Northern California and Blazing Mountain Retreat Center in
Crestone, Colorado.
Pro-Tip 5: Art as Accessible Meditation
Find a retreat center with space for simple art projects, like Camp Arroyo in Livermore, California, which even has an art yurt for guests to use.
When program leaders ask participants for feedback about retreats, they are often surprised to hear that people value the in-between moments. These are the moments when they take a break and get to chat with another participant.
Whether the group knows each other well or are all new to each other, leading a simple art activity engages a different part of our brains related to creativity. Creativity projects that get our hands busy inspire us to think creatively, which can help participants engage in programming in a new way.
Though many people may feel intimidated by the prospect of creating art, many options are very accessible for non-artists. These are the moments away from structured learning where we can connect, build relationships, and communicate with others.
Crystal Conference Center is right on the beach of Crystal Lake in Frankfort, Michigan, which would make finding beach objects for a simple art project easy, fun, and beautiful.
If your retreat is non-art or creative-based, we encourage you to try this; it can greatly enhance the experience for the participant. Suggestions for non-artist creativity are:
Cut & paste collages to make an artboard
Zentangle – the art of doodling where there are no mistakes.
Simple mobiles made from natural objects collected outside
Pro-Tip 6: Flexible Arrival & Departure Times
Make yourself available before and after the retreat for participants to connect.
First impressions and last impressions are, well, lasting. So, we want to do everything we can as program leaders to set ourselves up for success. If a participant wants to arrive a bit early to settle in, we want to make that happen. If people, and many do, want to stay after to chat with us or each other, that is a good sign, and we want to encourage that.
Make sure the retreat center allows for flexible arrival and departure times. If not, you might want to build 30 minutes of closing and goodbye time into your programming so people can make connections before the door closes.
Make sure to ask or stay at a UCCR-managed camp, conference, or retreat center, as flexible arrival and departure time requests are always accommodated whenever possible. Camp Lodestar and CGC Camp are both out in the wilderness and very flexible when it comes to arrival and departure times; just ask!
Pro-Tip 7: Food Food Food, So Important!
A happy customer is a well-fed customer.
We cannot stress this enough: people want various healthy food. This means the kind of food they need to or want to eat, whether it is gluten-free, vegan, or other. As retreat planners, we know that if the participants do not like the food options, we are going to hear about it. Ensuring participants have the food they enjoy is crucial to the retreat's success.
Work with staff at the retreat center on meal planning. A great retreat center will get on the phone with you and review every detail two weeks prior. Once you have information from your participants about any special dietary needs, pass this along to the retreat center kitchen staff. At Craigville Retreat Center on Cape Cod, the food is delicious, with a focus on meeting special dietary needs. Highlands Camp & Retreat & Blazing Mountain Retreat Center, both in Colorado, get rave reviews about the food
Work with a retreat center that understands how important food is to your participants and create a menu plan that suits your group's needs. By working closely with the cook or contact person before your retreat, you can ensure there are no last-minute surprises.
Pro-Tip 8: Leading with a Relative Word
Selecting a Word for the Day, or Word of the Week, helps focus everyone's intention.
As a program leader, I like to let retreat participants know a word that can help with the flow of the time together. I often choose the word FLEXIBILITY. I discuss this during the opening session, which often leads to a discussion on hopes and expectations for the retreat.
Some things may not go as planned, such as the heater being wonky or lunch being 15 minutes late. Sometimes, things occur that thwart the schedule. If we remain flexible, we can adapt to whatever is happening.
Most everything can be fixed, repaired, or adjusted, so staying open to slight changes helps us be more adaptable and will relieve fears and frustrations.
From coast to coast, we hope these pro tips enhance your retreat wherever you gather. As camp, conference, and retreat center managers, we feel confident that we can help you achieve the highest marks from your participants at all of our facilities. We invite you to contact us or schedule a tour. Our friendly reservations staff is always available to answer questions and book your retreat.
UCCR-managed facilities are located in California, Michigan, and Massachusetts. For more information, see below.
All Our Retreat Centers Across the USA Meet These Needs.
Reservations: 800-678-5102 | reservations@uccr.org
