Raise your hand if you’ve done any of the following in the past year;
- Been invited to a retreat…
- Attended a retreat…
- Considered attending a retreat…
- Hosted a retreat….
- Researched hosting your own retreat…
Retreats are HOT right now, aren’t they? I see so many coaches and business owners hosting lovely experiences for their clients. And for good reason, retreats allow for a unique, safe space to interact with your people.
And there are some great train-the-retreat-host trainings available too! I’ve attended some of these trainings and headed home with the exact tools and insight needed to develop content, pick the perfect venue, negotiate hotel contracts, build websites and launch killer marketing plans to fill the retreat with the ideal clients.
If you’re a long-time subscriber of mine, you know that I am focused on helping my clients be seen. Retreats are a dream setting that create a sacred space where you are able to layer your unique, signature brand into every single aspect of the event and make it super-memorable for your retreat goers.
I’ve put together a list of strategies to take the great content and setting you’ve prepared and take your retreat from a good experience to a fantastic experience. One that people will remember. (Oh, and most of these strategies translate well into ANY in-person marketing you do!)
Get in your guests’ heads!
How can you welcome your guests even before they arrive? Depending on where your retreat is held, some may need to travel to the venue. Send out emails with a sample schedule of the retreat. Provide travel information or shuttle and taxi numbers. Give information about the weather for the area and provide guidelines on the dress code. If you’re going to be offering an outdoor experience give your guests an idea of whether they need comfortable shoes, sunscreen, a hat, etc. Any and all ideas or tips that will make your guests as comfortable as possible. Especially if you are hoping for a breakthrough.
Roll out the welcome mat…
Stock your guests’ hotel rooms with gift bags. Include a welcome letter with a schedule of the next day’s events, or even a full schedule. Include the names of the meeting rooms for the next day and a map of the facility. Extra points if your welcome packet is ‘on brand’ with your visual identity – a consistent, familiar look will create a comfy, safe space for your guests right in the hotel room! Provide contact information in case someone needs to get ahold of your team. Plan the welcome with ‘beginners eyes’ and think of what it might feel like for someone who has never attended an event like yours and grab the opportunity to instill your unique brand energy into the welcome experience.
Signs, signs, everywhere there’s signs…
I love when I’m at a retreat where retractable banners mark the conference room or meeting room. It adds a professional feeling, even if it’s the host’s first event. It makes me feel as if my host is thinking about how to make the experience extra special and I feel a part of a group and included. Bonus: well-designed professional signage is a great way to market your event within the hotel or venue. Hotel guests will be curious and want to find out more. Don’t settle for the hotel’s run-of-the-mill small printed sign with the name of your group. Let yourself be seen!
Exposure…
Make sure all handouts and workbooks have a header or a footer with your business name and contact information included. I’m sure I’m not the only person to return home from a retreat thinking, “I’ll remember…” only to find two or three months later running across a worksheet or booklet and thinking, “What was this from?” Do yourself and your guests a huge favor and put your name and contact information on everything! Even if you think it’s too much. It won’t be.
Your brand…
This should probably should have been #1 on this list; the way your brand is reflected in every single piece of collateral, detail and interaction will make or break a successful business endeavor. What is the energy you want to create for your attendees? What is the energy around your brand? What is the energy around how you want to show up as the host? Create a consistent experience for your guests that allows for a real connection before you even get up in front of the room!
The Energetics of your Brand speak volumes before you even open your mouth. That is the foundation of how I work with my clients. We dive into the deepest levels of your vision and passion, and tease out the essence that creates your brand. There is an energy around a brand that resonates with who you are and how you want to show up in the world. And your ideal clients will respond to that energy faster than anything you can say.
Not sure how to get started and have an event coming up? I’ve opened up three spaces in my schedule next week for a Brand Strategy Quickstart. Jump on over to my schedule and find a time that works for you. It’s a small investment with big results to set the stage for you to be seen!
Love and light,