Looking for more opinions and feedback about CoachRetreat organization

[Omar Bermudez]

Hello all,

After some vacation time and talking with some people here and there, I would like to start this discussion to get your opinion/feelings/comments/reactions.

What do you think if CoachRetreat events stop to be always free? 

First of all, I want to give you some ideas "why" I started to think about it:

• Every time we organize free events (CoachRetreat, open spaces, lean coffee...) we have a no-show-up percentage between the 40% and 60%. With paid events is really null the no-show-up in our case.
  
• Sometimes, when we organize those "free" events we have a limited number of places. People reserve fast and cancel late or directly they don't cancel. this behavior let people interested out of the event.
  
• Here in North America, we did two events, and so far, we found sponsors to get venue, snacks, and food. But, I would like to get more freedom to organize events without sponsor and without invest a lot of money from my pocket. (I know that this part in Europe, as Oana told me, is not a big problem (correct me if I am wrong, or something change), people bring their lunch and snacks. I am not sure if it could work in the same way here.)
  

  What I propose to discuss:

 

I would like to organize paid CoachRetreat events. My real intention is get a small amount of money to:

• Pay lunch
  
• Pay Snacks
  
• Pay water bottles and non-alcoholic beverage
  
• Create some commitment in the people, and avoid the "It is free...I reserve it, and if I can't go, it is ok...it is free"
  
• Help the sponsor with expenses. Today, if I want to do more CoachRetreat outside Montreal, the sponsor need to paid between 2K and 4K. It depends of the location. A few companies could allow to those kind expenses for a small group of attendees, but a lot of them are not able to do it.

In our case, here in Montreal, we are able to get free venue, and with something in between $40/$50 we are able to cover all expenses and give one full day of CoachRetreat all inclusive (breakfasts, snacks, and lunch). If we need to pay for the venue, maybe we could need around $80. In the case, we want to organize  something outside of Montreal, maybe it could be something between $70 and $100.

As you can see, my idea is ask something between $50. and $100.- dollars. I really think that for a full day (all inclusive) of training/practice, it should not be a big deal.

What do you think? comments? feedback? violent reactions? I am very open to listen and respect the group decision.

Thanks,

To your freedom, power, and choice,

Omar

[Yves]

In the French event that Oana organized and sales participants To being food

It stayed a free event and they had no no shows.

My guess, because people had invested in it

- they had promised to bring food and wanted to keep their promisse

- they had prepared food they day/week before and they now had to get up in the morning and bring the food...

That was for me an eye opener, it was the first free event I had ever heard of, that had no no-show 

Before my solution would have been: calculate the no shows I to the maximum of participants.

If you can host 20.

Let 20 * 1,4 register 

Now I would strongly suggest to try the bring food part.

From what I heard (and saw when we redid that in Bordeaux )

Bringing the food created yet another bound and conversation between people...

Personally I'm not against doing it for money , but my preference is food as it's another way to show people a third option.

And oh, I like changing the world :-)

Even if it's one event at the time 

And if you have tried it and it turns out Canadian 's are not in favor of making and bringing food then Yes you can try another time with money.

Anyway, the call is yours as we want the local organizers to experiment and tell is what works best...

Any other idea's??

Y

scrambled by yPhone

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[dov.ts...@ullink.com]

As an avid fan who was in three events already (in france) and wants to run one myself (anyone with a place available, Pleeeeeeeeez contact me) I'd urge you keep it free.
One of the meaningful attendants I know brought her own sandwiches since it was hard to afford it.
I am running a drawing meetup for over a year and suffer from the no show, but it makes me agile 😉... I don't put a limit on size, which eliminates the optimistic pretty registers, send nagging messages a few days before venue to ask people to unregister, and nu nununu letters to no show ups if they persist...

Perhaps an approach to deal with no show up should be an advanced payment that is returned when you show up?
I agree that the involvement of participants (be it food, post it's, markers, etc) creates stronger engagement, but in the three times I attended I think if we had 150 percent capacity it would be cool!!

And again, Yves and Oana, a great thank you for this great initiative, if i call myself a coach today, it has A LOT to do with the experience i got at these wonderful saturdays!

See you soon,

Dov.

[Yves Hanoulle]

thank you for your kind words.

I'm glad that CoachRetreat helped you to be what you wanted to be

y

--

Yves Hanoulle 

Phone 00 32 476 43 38 32

PS. 11 agile books, normal price $178, now for $50! Grab them before we change our mind!

[Deborah Hartmann Preuss]

" approach to deal with no show up should be an advanced payment that is returned when you show up? "

Clever!

______

Deborah Hartmann Preuss
passionately spreading effectiveness + joy 
team whisperer, serial instigator, holding space for change

d...@deborahpreuss.com  |  +49 151/50660940  |  @deborahh

http://abiggerga.me

[Van Brabant Bart]

Hello Yves,

 

Is the slideset available?

 

Thanks

 

Met vriendelijke groeten/Meilleures salutations/Best regards

 

Bart Van Brabant
Service Delivery Manager

E bart.va...@cegeka.be

 

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[Yves Hanoulle]

for your information

for the CoachRetreat of last Saturday, we had 7 people who said the week before they could not come. everyone else showed up.

when we started, I created a spreadsheet, to keep track of the nr of participants.I had forgetten about that.

if you are an organiser/facilitator of one of the previous version, please contact me, I will give you acces to the spreadsheet

y

[Yves Hanoulle]

Hi Bart

I have uploaded the slides now on SlideShare

http://www.slideshare.net/YvesHanoulle/2014-0628-coach-retreat-leuven-2014