The Ultimate Guide to Understanding How to Organise a Profitable Retreat

Planning a retreat can be a great way to share your expertise, connect with like-minded people, and make a profit. However, organising a profitable retreat that successfully attracts the number of attendees you want requires careful planning and attention to detail. In the sections below we'll cover everything you need to know to ensure your retreat is not only rewarding but also profitable. We also cover new ways to use AI to help you build your retreat in half the time, how to get sponsors involved in your event and our selling-without-selling strategy for filling the spaces at your event.

Define your retreat goals and target audience

Before you start planning your retreat, it's important to define your goals and target audience. What do you hope to achieve with your retreat? Who is your ideal attendee? Understanding your goals and target audience will help you make important decisions about the location, activities, and pricing of your retreat. It will also help you market your retreat effectively to attract the right attendees. Take some time to brainstorm and write down your goals and target audience before moving on to the next step.

Set a budget and pricing strategy

Setting a budget and pricing strategy is crucial to ensuring your retreat is profitable. Start by estimating all of your expenses, including venue rental, food and beverage, transportation, activities, and any other costs associated with the retreat. Once you have a total cost, decide on a pricing strategy that will allow you to cover your expenses and make a profit.

Consider offering early bird discounts or payment plans to incentivise attendees to sign up early. It's also important to be transparent about your pricing and what is included in the cost of the retreat to avoid any surprises or misunderstandings.

If you own a glamping site you already offer a unique stay for your guests so adding another level of experience can turn it into a retreat and a different set of figures will apply. There are additional elements to consider - such as additional legal considerations - as running a retreat means a different set of insurances and terms and conditions apply, etc. so check you have the right elements in place before you begin so you are legally covered.

If you want to know what it takes to launch a retreat business and want an example of set-up costs and potential income then take a look at the Perfectly Planned and Profitable Retreats System. This system also shares how you can use the power of Artificial Intelligence to build your retreat in half the time and the exact steps you can take to get sponsorship for your event.

The key to getting your budget and pricing strategy right is to know your break-even point. However, retreats aren't always run at a profit and knowing your numbers will help you choose the right strategy for your business model. 

The times when retreats are intentionally run at a loss

From time to time retreat leaders decide to organise a retreat that makes a loss. Sounds balmy I know but hear me out. In the above example, most money can be made on the accommodation side, which is why it works so well in the hospitality industry. So if you have your accommodation costs covered and in profit at quiet times when they would otherwise be empty, then the added activities of the retreat need to be covered to break even.

When marketing the event you will naturally raise the profile of your site, generate email sign-ups and potentially have future holiday bookings, all adding to a healthy bottom line and better occupancy levels.

So the times when an experiential retreat event is designed to make a loss there are always alternative elements in place to raise income for the retreat leader or organiser. For example, a cold water immersion event might sell dry robes, etc. Selling your own branded gear can be very lucrative if you are interested in designing and selling merchandise.

Remember that your retreat customers are more likely to buy from you in the future. In fact, research shows us that it is up to seven times cheaper to keep existing customers than to find new ones. That is a very efficient way to build a retreat business!

In summary, if you keep your retreat attendees happy and connected with your business afterwards you will find there is profit to be made in the event you organised and ran at a loss. The key is understanding your strategy and the approach you want to take from the beginning to get this right for your business and set the correct budget from the start.

Market and promote your retreat effectively.

Once you have planned and organised your retreat, it is time to market and promote it effectively to attract attendees. Start by creating a website or landing page dedicated to your retreat, where potential attendees can learn more about the event and register their interest. We share our 'selling without selling' sales page strategy within the Perfectly Planned And Profitable Retreats System®. 

After you have everything in place, you can use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to promote your retreat and engage with potential attendees. Consider partnering with influencers or other businesses in your niche to reach a wider audience. If you have used our system for getting retreat sponsors on board then make sure you work with them to share your event to a wider audience. Finally, don't forget to leverage email marketing to keep potential attendees informed and excited about your retreat as the date approaches. The 'joyful buildup' to a retreat event is just as important as the event itself.

For more help with launching a retreat business, how to use this style of event to increase occupancy levels of your accommodation business, to take part in our free training or to attend one of our learning events, visit our retreats information page or get in touch to chat with Sarah about your options.

Inspired Courses