Photo by: Sélim Benaissa

Hi all,

One of the main goals of an event planner is to find the right location for the right price.  Budgets are tight and finding the right Retreat Center is more critical today than ever before.  Here are a few tips to help find the right location for a better price.

1.  If the Retreat Center in question has a calendar that shows availability, check for the months with the least bookings.  Of course you need to be flexible in when your event can take place.   Many Retreat Centers are wanting to fill slow times and will lower their price to get the business.  This website has a calendar for 2009 and 2010.  (Bethel Park Retreat Center Web Site)

2.  Bring more guests.  There are power in numbers.  Retreat Centers crave for booking larger events.  If your group isn’t that large, ask if the Retreat Center can book your group along with another.  Chances are if the Retreat Center can accommodate multiple groups, the second and third group may get a better price.

3.  Stay longer.  The longer your event, the more the Retreat Center will want to work with you.  Obviously you don’t want to stretch your event longer than is needed, but the dollar per guest will become more favorable the longer you stay.  Just a thought.

I hope these ideas help in finding the right place for the right price.

The Blog Staff

While many organizations have their favorite spot for their retreat, life will throw a curve ball at you and you will need to find another retreat location.  When this happens make sure to do some research in to the new local area.  Does the location in question belong to a local directory which provides customers with a businesses of the area?  This retreat center gives you the website of that organization.

Each retreat will have some items very specific to that group.  For instance, men’s retreats may want to go golfing, woman’s retreat may want to go walking or to a Nature Center. Youth retreats may need Health Clubs, swimming pools etc…  Bethel Park Retreat Center has a tool for Event Planners which provides all the local information in a book form.  When you visit that site, choose the Decision Guide.

Above picture from Weko Beach which is 2 miles from Bethel Park Retreat Center.

Things to look for:

1.  Near by shopping for small items that attendees may have forgotten.

2.  Activities such as; beaches, lakes, shopping, golf, gyms, nature centers, orchards would be a good start when searching.

3.  In case of Emergencies, where are the local responders, local walk-in clinics, nearest hospital, pharmacies?

4.  Transportation needs:  Are there commercial buses available, trains, or airports nearby?

5.  How accessible is the Retreat location from major highways?

These are just a few of things that you may need to know if the Retreat location will fit your needs.

The Blog Staff

We hear all the time that this year’s event was a success but next year we want to achieve even more.   There are a few ways to start planning for a better retreat next year.

1.  While this past Retreat is fresh in your attendee’s memory, ask them for feedback.  Praising the event, the location, the food, the atmosphere, the theme, the Retreat Center staff, all creates excitement for the following year.  Those that did not make it to this years event, will surely be motivated that next year will be the same or better.

2.   Create a web page for your retreat event.  Post as many pictures as you can.  Bring up any positive topics that will draw people’s attention.  If the Retreat Center creates a web page for you, then supply the needed information to them.   We found that Bethel Park Retreat Center creates a simple webpage for it’s clients after the event is finished.  Here is an example of one.

3.  Take as many pictures as you can.  Pictures are worth a 1000 words.   This is not an exaggeration.  Nothing will entice potential attendees more than seeing what had happened at your events.

4.  Begin promoting your next event as soon as possible.  Give everyone ample time to fit your scheduled date in their calendars.

More to follow on this topic in the future.

The Blog Staff

Hi all,

One of the most common questions that we hear is, “How soon should we start looking for a location?”  While the simple answer is,  “sooner than later”, it isn’t always that easy.  Here are a few things you will need to consider.

1.  Is your organization serious about doing this Retreat or just inquiring?  While I have never heard any Retreat Center push inquiries aside because of a lack of commitment, I don’t know if you want to invest hours of your time until you are certain the Retreat will materialize at some point.

2.  What comes first, the speaker or the location?  The age old “chicken before the egg” question comes to mind.  If you have a speaker in mind whose schedule is ‘light’ and is flexible, then you have more leverage finding the right location.  If you have a speaker in mind and time is critical, then starting at least 12 to 16 months prior to your event will give you ample time to find a location which fits the speakers schedule.  At times, places like churches or places of worship have full calendars and need an event on a specific date, then start earlier, as in 12 months prior.

3.  How far are you willing to travel?  Distance is always a factor in how late can you start to look for a Retreat Center.  If you don’t mind traveling 100+ miles, then you can start as late as 5 to 6 months.  You will find an opening somewhere.

4.  Along that same line, there are two lines of thought; the later I start the more a camp that has room is willing to fit me in and give me a better price, or, the later you start the more expensive it will become.  I have seen both occur.  If your event is considered off peak time, such as December to May, you will have more leverage negotiating.  If you are looking for a prime summer month or major holiday, then expect to pay more.

To have some things to think about when searching for an event, check here for a list of items to consider when inquiring about a Retreat Center.

The Blog Staff

While searching the web you come across many useful resources.  Here is a short list of questions which an event planners must think about.  1.)  Where to hold the retreat?  Is the location within acceptable travel distances? 2.)  Does the location have the proper facilites to ensure a successful event?  3.)  Are there enough things to do?  What kinds of amenities do they have?  Food – Can this location meet our needs in the food service area?

We have found a useful document, called the “Decision Guide” .   What this place did was ask and answer all the questions that they have come across over the decades.  They provide the answers to the questions as it corresponds to them and give you space to compare your answers to other locations.  This tool has helped many event planners to find suitable locations for their event.  We hope it helps you.

The Blog Staff

Youth Encounter has announced dates for their 2009 event in New England.  The event will combine both a Zone and Quake format to account for potential low numbers due to the ELCA Youth Gathering coming next summer.

This combined event has been scheduled on the traditional Quake date and site:  Worchester MA, Jan 30-Feb 1, 2009.