Planning Your Retreat
How to Plan your Retreat
There are many keys to a successful retreat. However, don’t be intimidated. The staff at Carol Joy Holling Center already have many of them covered. We’ll provide the incredible location and suitable-for-your-needs facilites, plus great meals, over-the-top hospitality and all kinds of options for activities. All you need to do is set the goals and agenda, communicate with your participants and come full of passion for your group’s purpose! Following are guidelines and tips to help you take the guess-work out of the retreat-planning process. Be sure to let us know if you have special requests. We’ll do our best to accommodate you and your group!
Plan Ahead: First-things-first—you have to have a place to hold your retreat. It is important to book your space early, to ensure you get the date and facilities that work best for your group. Many groups book up to a year in advance. When you call the CJH Event Planner, please have in mind date options, the number of people who might attend and the facility that you feel would be best for your group. If you are unsure, don’t worry. We’ll help you figure out what will be best for the success of your retreat.
Contact Us: Call the CJH Event Planner toll free at 1.888.656.6254 to start the planning process for your retreat. Don't worry if you don't have all the answers. We'll walk you through each of your options.
Things that we will talk with you about:
- The number of people in your group
- Date options or actual date
- Meals and activity options you might want to include
- Price
- How contract works
- Next steps
Finalize the Contract: Once the contract is signed and returned to CJH, our event planner and key staff will go to work making sure everything is in place to make your retreat a smashing success.
Enjoy your retreat: The CJH Event Planner will let you know where you should check-in upon arrival. We’ll have your sleeping and meeting rooms all ready for you. A host will be on duty to help you with any last minute arrangements.
Things for you to consider when planning your retreat:
Purpose: Think through the reasons for having the retreat, the goals and who the participants are. This will help you plan your agenda and decide what CJH activities to include. Is there a theme? If so, how do you plan to incorporate it?
Leadership: Who is leading your retreat? If a resource outside of your organization is necessary, be sure to get the retreat dates on their calendar before you finalize the contract.
Meals and snacks: Carol Joy Holling Center provides full meal services on-site.
Budget: CJH has numerous facilities at various price points. Call for pricing!
Registration: Establish who in your group will be handling registrations and collecting fees. Be sure to get registration information, if needed, to all potential participants as soon as possible. Include all information about housing, cost to them, transportation and registration deadlines. Be clear about how to register, registration deadlines and who to register through. Include contact information for the group leader, and the CJH web address (www.cjhcenter.org) so everyone can see where they are staying. Be sure to follow-up with participants by providing any agenda items, planning resources or packing lists.
Transportation: Don’t forget to account for transportation, whether everyone is driving by themselves, carpooling, or in a bus, make sure everyone has a map to CJH. You can copy the map on the previous page or download one at www.nlom.org.
Room set-up: Think about what type of room set-up will work best for your group. We can set the room in all kinds of ways, from classroom to theater style using round or rectangle tables.
Pointers and Ideas:
• Come armed with a variety of icebreakers and team builders that will allow your group members to get to know and trust one another better. Don’t forget, CJH offers Co-Op team building programs that may be just what your group needs!
• Consider bringing a memento to remember your time spent together on the retreat. Examples include:
personalized picture frames, key chains, photo albums and t-shirts. CJH Conference & Retreat Center has a small store, if you would like to purchase items for your group members.
• Bring supplies that you will need for the retreat, especially a camera to record all of the fun! At your request, CJH will provide all A/V equipment and marker boards.
Please let us know if you have ANY questions — 888-656-6254!
