I have had three most frequently asked questions from my clients about the impending launch of The Retreat in Spain. This update will address the # 1 question...
QUESTION: Exactly how much will it cost to spend 5 days in a luxury Retreat in Spain?
BACKGROUND: A couple of months ago I let slip to my clients that I was getting ready to release an exclusive Retreat in the Murcia region of Spain and I wanted it to be a healthy detox experience for the mind and the body.
That was followed up with an online survey to find out exactly what my clients wanted in terms of seminar topics, accomodation levels, right down to the number of fellow students they'd feel comfortable being with. Between 20 and 30 students class size was most popular.
That survey set off a bit of a firestorm from my client list. I received scores of replies within a few hours of announcing it, and I was surprised to see the entries coming in. Gradually a popular set of choices started to appear as people "voted" through the options I'd given. One of the questions was "What price is MORE than you'd be willing to pay for such a Retreat?"
And to tell the truth, that was something I was struggling with... and one of the reasons why the launch was delayed from [originally] November to January 2008.
Our survey said anything over £1497 was too much.
I had to get quote after quote from the venue in Spain, haggle costs and negotiate terms so that it would be a win/win for everyone. It was imperative that we kept the standards very high, but kept the price below the most popular ceiling.
The cost of the Retreat is basically made up of Hotel Room reservations, Meeting Room costs, Audio Visual equipment, refreshments, and meals. Obviously my co-trainer and I want to be paid well for doing what we do, but my database had already told me how much they would be willing to spend Maximum.
Total cost for 30 people kept on coming out as £1595 per head, before we added flights.
SOLUTION: So given that background, we decided to take a rather unusual step. We have based all of our quotations around a group of 20 participants - 20 being large enough to secure a bigger group discount with the venue.
And, students will be asked to book their own return flights to Spain - we just can't factor that in and keep costs below the £1500 ceiling.
So the Retreat in January 2008 will cost £1497.
In addition, places will only be available for a few weeks over Christmas and New Year, because the world class resort we've booked want final numbers by a certain deadline.
Once those 20 places are gone, or once the time limit is up, we will close the doors to this event.
At that point I will review the costs of the Retreat and make sure that its satisfactory for the venue, for me AND MOST IMPORTANTLY for the 20 participants.
Now to be brutally honest with you, I think the first 20 places will be snapped up quickly, based on the response I've had so far. I've never seen one of my events get such a rapid and large response so quickly.
If [and I hope when] I do open up this event again, I will probably raise the price drastically. This Retreat is just not something I'm looking to fill with scores of people...the nature of this event is that it is small and intimate. Raising the price will have two effects - it will keep the numbers down by virtue of the price, and it will help pay us back for the enormous effort and cost creating and coordinating this event over 2 countries.
BOTTOM LINE: We have secured the Retreat at the most popular price of £1497 which includes accomodation, food, and workshops. Flights are not included, but they are cheap, especially if you book them early.
Initial places will be limited to 20, or however many we have shortly after the New Year. And the only people who currently know about this event are the loyal clients and customers on my mailing list. It will be opened to public bookings next week.
Stay tuned for more details. Our anticipated "go live" date is this coming Monday the 10th of December. The best way to stay informed about The Retreat is by joining my announcement list...see details below.
The Retreat Announcement List
If you haven't already joined my Retreat list and gotten your Sneak Preview of the event, just send an email to JonathanBOSS@aol.com and title it "Retreat".
Take care,
Jonathan
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