FAQ

Booking

Can I bring my partner?

Yes. If you would like to bring a non-participant companion who will share your room, we have a special ticket just for that. Please choose the ‘Non-Attending Partner’ ticket in addition to yours.

How do Invitations and Bookings work?

Invitations

We’re very keen for the Retreat to be attended by the very best practitioners, with something real and strong to contribute. Therefore, we are running an invitation system, actively working to ensure that the practitioner community’s leadership is strongly represented. We have prioritised key community leaders, but will also offer invitations to other qualified practitioners who have requested one. If you would like an invitation, please fill in the form below.

Request an Invitation

Bookings

Once our priority invitations have had a good chance to respond to their invitations, we expect to still have some spaces available, and we’re keen to have a good range of diversity in attendance. At that point, we will open bookings to SPCTs and SPCs.

We expect these spaces to go very quickly, and the earlier you book, the better price you’ll get. So book quickly!

How many people will attend?

We are limiting the numbers to 50, so ensure that

  1. the attendees can gain a degree of intimacy and community
  2. everyone (and particularly Dean) can gain a sense of the ideas while they’re in development, enabling the law of 2 feet to work most effectively and flexibly.

We chose 50 to align well with the largest Dunbar number of a flexible, egalitarian social group that doesn’t subdivide into family groups.

How much does it cost?

We are operating a pricing escalator, starting at £950, and every batch of five tickets increases by £50. As batches sell out, we will open new tiers.

This is to encourage a bias to action in booking.

All prices exclude UK VAT @ 20%.

What does the ticket price exclude?

The ticket does not cover:

  • activities and excursions
  • drinks at the bar
  • minibar and other room charges
  • transport to Canmore

All additional costs at the venue should be paid directly on or before checkout. You will need to provide a credit card at check in to cover these incidentals

What does the ticket price include?

The ticket covers:

  • 3 nights accommodation (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)
  • all meals, from Tuesday dinner to Friday breakfast
  • access to the Retreat sessions

What is your Cancellation Policy

Sometimes the unexpected does happen, unfortunately, and people need to cancel.

We therefore will offer the following refunds if you need to cancel, based on when we receive your notification.

On or before Friday 26th February
75% refund
On or before Friday 25th March
50% refund

After Friday 25th March, we are unable to offer refunds, as our venue will fully charge us for all booked spaces and food.

However:

  1. We will be operating a waiting list, and will do our best to resell your ticket, which will enable a full refund to you.
  2. Changes in name can happen at any time, so the easiest way to cancel is to find someone else to go in your place. If your substitute attendee has different dietary, shirt size or accommodation sharing needs, we can change that information up to 25th March.

Location

What Food will be Available?

The Grande Rockies food is excellent. We’ll publish menus closer to the date, but in summary, it will be

Breakfast
Lunch
Working buffet, at about 12:30
Dinner
Private dining for attendees (and partners)

When you register, you can let us know any dietary needs you have, and we will do our best to support them.

Where is Canmore?

Canmore is in the beautiful Canadian Rockies, about an hour away from Calgary.

Will there be Internet Access?

Yes. There is free WiFi throughout the venue.

Content

Do you have a Code of Conduct?

Yes.

The SAFe Leadership Retreat is dedicated to a harassment-free conference experience for everyone. Our anti-harassment policy can be found at:
http://www.safeleadershipretreat.com/code-of-conduct

Why the Afternoon Break?

Creativity flourishes when a few things happen

  • Your subconscious is allowed a few hours to work on inputs and constraints
  • You have serendipitous conversations with unexpected people — ideas mix and mingle
  • These things are in an environment without pressure and without direct expectation.

We also very much value the opportunity for community building amongst participants. Some of us know each other through videos, blog posts and other formal work. But how well do we know each other as people?

By giving ourselves a few hours of unprepared, unpressured space with activities to provide a distracting focus, we allow these things to happen rather more effectively than a couple of extra hours in the bar.

Although I’m sure bar conversations will also happen.