Mistakes I made planning pole retreats
So you’re thinking about hosting your first retreat? That’s great! But let me tell you, there’s a lot more that goes into these epic tricks than one may think. You might be asking yourself, “how do I plan a retreat?” “what does a budget for a retreat look like?” “what mistake can I avoid while hosting retreats?”… Well friends, that’s exactly why I wrote this post. Learn from me and don’t make these Retreat Mistakes like I did!
Not giving yourself enough time to plan
If you are new to this, give yourself a year...yes a year to plan before you announce. You in particular will probably not need a year to figure everything out but venue’s and hotels are booked sometimes 2-3 years in advanced. Book hotels well in advance especially if you are having your retreat in a popular destination during high travel season.
How much time you ask?
For local retreats I give myself 9 months to plan. I start with accommodations, studio contracts, instructor contracts, hotels and things to do while we are there etc. For international retreats I allow 12-15 months of planning. Since the retreats are a farther distance and working with different time zones and sometimes language barriers, you need plenty of time to find venue’s and also book tours! Check out my blog on tips for planning here!
Pricing Your Retreat Too Low
Whew! Yall, my first Black Girls Pole Retreat was $550. I was actually freaked out that I priced too high and no one would sign up. I knew I was wrong when it sold out in a day. What in the hell was I thinking? To say I lost money is an understatement. If you want to avoid this mistake, learn to price it right. I didn't say be greedy, but make sure you fully understand what your costs are and account for unexpected expenses. Trust me you will have several. Make sure your retreat will still make money even if you don’t totally sell out. Know the cost of everything before you announce the retreat.
Not Marketing Enough For Your Retreat
You have signed contracts, blocked off hotel rooms and took the leap and launched your retreat. A week later...crickets. Friend, this retreat is not going to sell itself. The phrase ‘If you build it, they will come’ is not always the case. Email marketing, word of mouth, networking and social media to name a few. You have to continue to market but most importantly make sure your marketing material is attractive, effective and consistent. The BGP retreats sell out solely based off of how much content is created and put out during the retreat the year before. We continue to bring up retreats and get creative throughout the year so that when we are ready to announce a retreat people are at their keyboards with their Credit Card ready to put down a deposit and reserve their spot. If you have had a retreat before, be sure to get testimonials from the attendees because they are the ones who can tell about the experience first hand!
Be Everywhere At All Times
Yes you have to be present and engaging because after all it is your retreat. However, You do not have to be best friends with everyone on the retreat and know their every move at every moment. This is not a middle school sleep away camp. We are functioning adults who do not need a babysitter. Calm down and step away when you need to. People should understand that you are also human.
Over Scheduling Retreats
The first year I hosted a Black Girls Pole retreat, I was so freaked out that everyone was not going to think they were getting enough classes that I forgot to schedule in lunch breaks. <Insert palm to the face> I did not even realize until one of my instructors said “I dont think they can do this last class because they are going to literally pass out if they dont eat” More is not always best. Yes they are on a retreat but a lot of the attendee’s are also on vacation and are looking forward to the extra down time. Leave free spaces in the itinerary! Also, not all people want to do group dinners. Some people are perfectly fine ordering room service and only coming out for classes and that is OK. You will also enjoy the downtime!
Thinking You Are On A Vacation
WRONG! I hate to burst your bubble but you are no where near close to this being your vacation. You are basically a 24 hour hostess and have to be ready at all times for whatever happens. The biggest tip I can give is to come a few days early before the retreat starts to get the lay of the land and mostly to get in the right headspace. Trust me I learned the hard way...do not arrive the day the retreat begins. You will be running around like a lunatic making sure you dotted your I’s and crossed your T’s. You want to be fully relaxed and focused so you can be prepared to run a successful retreat!
There you have it friends! I hope these tips will help you not make the same mistakes I made! Happy Planning!