Retreats are wonderful ways of bringing your friends, work colleagues or clients closer together. They can be a fabulous bonding exercise that can be a welcomed break from the norm to recharge your batteries in beautiful and peaceful surroundings. Here at Château Saint Georges we know that organising a retreat can be both time consuming and stressful, you may know what kind of retreat you want, and you may even know some of the components that you would like but bringing them all together to plan the perfect retreat might be causing you a headache. We give you our top tips and expert advice on not only organising a retreat, but planning a retreat that will surprise and delight your guests. Here are our 7 tips on how to plan the perfect retreat!
Your Guests
Your guest list can vary depending on your type of retreat. If it’s a retreat with friends then you’ll pretty much already have a mental note of your guest list. If you are planning a retreat on a professional capacity then your guest list needs to be a list of clients that will both benefit and be excited for your retreat. Use a list of contacts you already have and send out an invite; keep in mind at this point the maximum numbers you can have or want. You may want to send it out to all possible attendees but if you have an overwhelming response be prepared to either run two retreats or risk disappointing people. Remember your guestlist should include your ideal clients! Make sure that you have the capacity and correct resources in place before you start inviting people.
The Theme
Having a solid theme is the best way to start to plan the perfect retreat. This could be anything from a mindfulness to fitness or a mixture of both. Think about what you want your guests to gain from the experience and how you want them to feel at the end of the experience. These two points will be the key to finding your theme. When you have a theme in place you can then start to think about the activities that will both surround and compliment your theme. You want your theme to be experimental, educational, and rewarding and that can come in many different forms.
Time Of Year
What time of year do you want to host your retreat? If it involves outdoor activities decide on the best season to do said activities. We would always recommended doing something outdoor at Château Saint Georges due to it’s beautiful surroundings! Also bear in mind your clients busy times of the year, is there a particular time which would be better and get more interest? The good news is the South of France is beautiful all year round and there’s lots to do!
Your Budget
Make sure that your budget aligns with your activities and potential costs, it’s also a good idea to align this with the end cost of what you want your retreat to be too (we’ll talk more about this later). Having a budget gives you something to work from. Make sure you think about all the costs as a whole from venue hire, accommodation, catering, and any other activities that may incur a charge.
The Itinerary
Although day retreats are wonderful we always think a 2-3 day retreat works better. It gives your guests time to bond better and it means you have more time to spread your activities out and have some downtime in the middle too. This also gives you the option to run your retreat over the weekend, your guests may have busy working weeks, which may mean that you may get more attendees. Your itinerary shouldn’t be crammed full of activity after activity without any breaks in between. Make sure that there are times when your guests can go off and do their own thing, allow them to relax and breathe! Most of our retreats at the Château include time to use our spa and pool facilities which our guests love!
Catering
Your guests will need feeding! Food and drink are generally a huge part of planning a retreat, remember you’ll need to factor this into your cost. Whether it be breakfast, lunch, picnics, or dinner decide on what mealtimes you will need and for how many days. You will need to think about what kind of food you would like to be a part of your retreat. Are you wanting your guests to eat local cuisine? Do you need a super healthy meal plan? Do you want a more relaxed buffet style or a formal dinner? Lastly, you will need to take allergies and dietary requirements into consideration too. There is lots to think about when it comes to food and drink. At the Château this is something we assist with in the planning process to make sure you get it just right!
The Price of you retreat
The price of your retreat goes hand in hand with your budget. You may want to work out the price first and work backward giving you a budget or vice versa, the decision is yours. You should factor in all the costs and include your profit too. You need a price that will reflect the type of retreat you are hosting. Set your price at a level that is both affordable to your clients but also lets them know they are getting a beautiful retreat and an amazing experience for the cost of their ticket.
At Château Saint Georges we provide the perfect conditions for an inspirational retreat and we have the experience and knowledge to make your event a success. No matter what retreat you are planning our idyllic and serene surroundings, luxury accommodation and wonderful range of facilities and services provide a nurturing, motivational and relaxing environment for you and your guests. Our retreats in the Côte d’Azur. really are as good as they sound and we’re here to help you plan the perfect retreat! If you would like to enquire or know more information please get in touch!
Want to know the different ways you can use our venue as a retreat destination? See more here… 3 WAYS TO USE CHÂTEAU SAINT GEORGES AS YOUR RETREAT VENUE
