You will be happiest in the facility where the staff views serving retreat groups as an important part of their ministry, not just a way to fill beds and help pay the bills.
Another very important consideration in finding the right facility for your retreat is evaluating the camp or conference staff’s attitude toward service and hospitality. What is their philosophy and service record in working with retreat groups?
One good indicator of a serviceminded facility is that they should have staff available throughout your stay to answer questions and take care of needs you might have during your retreat. Ask them about this.
Sticker price for your retreat facilities isn't the only factor you need to use when choosing a retreat facility... Maybe you'd like to go tent camping and wake up to fuzzy wuzzy... Maybe not...
When comparing retreat facilities... compare the meeting and lodging facilities, but when it comes to rates make sure you ask what is and is not included in the basic fee. Answering these questions will help you level the playing field between different rate plans and help your group choose a retreat facility based on the value of the offerings and how the will help you meet their event ministry goals.
- Is there an extra charge for use of meeting facilities?
- Do you provide your own audio/visual equipment such as a DVD, projector, and a sound system?
Will the facility provide it?
Is there an additional charge for using the property's AV service?
What about additional travel expenses to send a team to set-up equipment if the facility wont set-up for us?
- What recreational activities are available?
Does the rate include the facility & necessary equipment?
Do some activities cost extra?
- Is a separate speaker’s room available?
Does it cost more than the normal lodging facilities?
- Are linens available or do we bring our own bedding?
If linens are provided, will the bed be made up by you or the housekeeping staff?
It is best to not make assumptions. Ask questions. You will have a better retreat experience if all of these details and questions are worked out before you arrive at the site - better yet, before you sign a contract.
Choose a property that will offer your group facilities & guest services that enhance the mission of the event.
It’s a good idea for those responsible for planning the family retreat or conference to make some decision about just what they are looking for in a facility before they start calling camps to check prices and availability.
As a planning team begin by agreeing on a purpose for your church's family retreat. A well-defined purpose will help set some parameters for the kind of facility you need. When it comes to family retreats pay special attention to things like quality food service with choices for children, a wide variety of recreation and spacious and flexible meeting spaces.
Lake Williamson Christian Center is celebrating 50 years of ministry in 2011! A little over 50 years ago a visionary group of people chose a slice of land just south of Carlinville. Through prayer, sacrifice, and vision some farm land has been transformed into a place where lives are changed! The original purpose for the property was stated as:
To establish Lake Williamson Bible Camp as an outdoor setting where groups may retire for a time from the distractions of everyday life to consider more fully together the gospel of Jesus Christ and thereby grow in their relationship with God.
Over the years increased use of the property by groups has driven the expansion of LWCC into a full service, year round conference center. Lake Williamson, from the very beginning, has been well planned because the founders believed that as churches grow, the need for off-site ministry will increase, and the property should be able to accommodate ever expanding groups. These men and their families believed that this was a tool that churches needed as a part of their ministry events, that the retreat experience was necessary experience to be offered to church members, and that God would change lives through experience that only off-site ministry could provide.
One of the values we hold today is to consistently produce a quality affordable conference & retreat experience. It is this value that drove our decision to make some adjustments to the 2011 rates at Lake Williamson Christian Center. All of our standard retreat package rates at LWCC will either remain the same or be reduced in 2011. Notably the rates for our two-night & six-meal weekend package and four-night & twelve-meal week-long packages saw some of the biggest rate reductions. For our 50th Anniversary we wanted to make if more affordable for churches to extend their stays to a full weekend, be more effective with their weekend events, and make week-long conventions and camps more affordable.
In addition to reduced cost in packages we identified a need for family friendly packages. Many churches are beginning to offer ministries for all ages or for families to attend together. To make it more affordable for family ministries to come on retreats we have introduced a new discounted rate category for children 12-17, a deeper discount for children 6-11, and we kept children 0-5 free. This way when a family stays together in the same motel room the retreat experience is affordable for everyone to attend together.
MORE GOOD NEWS: You don't have to wait to plan your event until 2011. Technically speaking... LWCC opened on Labor Day 1961, so we are starting our celebration early... and celebrating all the way through the end of 2011! The new package rates are good for any event planned to be held September 2010-December of 2011. In 50 years the landscape at LWCC has changed but the mission that drive us is the same... It is our desire to exceed our guest's expectations through the facilities and guest services where our guests can restore, renew, and reconnect with God.
Pricing is that never ending balancing act that meeting planners have to play. We've looked at pricing plans, setting up event budgets, and how to set a price per person in the past, but never really answered the question what are people willing to pay?
That is a key question every planner must be able to answer about their group. And you can't know the answer unless you ask. Grab 10 potential attendees (or parents of the attendees) let them know what you're thinking of planning... "We're looking at a week-long conference for the youth group this summer at a retreat center, bring along the worship team, I was thinking about getting _____ to speak. We'll hold worship services and workshops along with recreation time. What do you think a good price per student would be?"
