Whether you’re planning a spiritual outing, business-training seminar or anything in-between, a women’s retreat is a great way to build intimate connections. A well-executed retreat gives participants a lasting experience – one that they’ll reflect on well into the future. Managing the details may seem stressful, but the key is to stay organized. Carefully choosing a theme will help you stay on topic when planning events, activities and decorations. The following women’s retreat themes are just a few popular ideas to help you get the ball rolling!
A Song Title
The endless vault of popular music is a great place to search for a theme. Make a list of songs that match the overall attitude you’d like to generate in participants. Consider the energy, melody and lyrics. Do you want a tranquil song that evokes self-reflection or one that gets you pumped up? Next, narrow it down by selecting which titles make the best slogans. “Taking Care of Business” by Bachman Turner Overdrive is a classic choice for corporate or entrepreneurial women retreats. For Christian retreats, consider one of the great many worship songs.
Using a song title as a retreat theme gives your event a memorable anthem. It’ll build energy when played at key ceremonies or celebrations. However, be sure to play it in moderation so it doesn’t become pesky!
An Acronym
Another great way to choose themes is to build an acronym. Consider what key points your retreat will stand for, and use the letters to form a catchy, memorable phrase. You can also plan your events around the acronym, with each word representing a different phase of the retreat. For example, AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action, which are steps of a consumer engaging an advertisement. A retreat that aims to teach women marketing techniques could base each activity on one step of the process.
An Activity
If your retreat is based around a single activity (or set of related activities) consider incorporating that into the overall theme. For example, the relaxing and uplifting experience of yoga makes it a popular choice. Whether your retreat is spiritual, health or community-focused, yoga is a positive experience that can be related to you retreat goals. It can also serve as a backdrop for discussion.
For business-related women retreats, consider basing your theme around a single aspect – marketing, social media, management, networking etc. If the latter is your focus, you’ll want to begin with an icebreaker and schedule many different social events throughout.
Use your imagination and you’ll find no shortage of fantastic themes! If your problem is narrowing it down, consider which idea most fundamentally represents your desired goal. For example, if your retreat is all about building enthusiasm and energy amongst your organization’s women, jog your memory for successful hype-building events you’ve experienced in the past. Some women’s retreats have found great success by replicating a high school pep rally complete with pom poms, chants and uniforms. Get creative and find a theme that represents your goals down to their core.
This post was featured in the April Retreat Central e-newsletter.
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