The short version. Our flat fee is paid in two halves: 50% when you sign and 50% thirty days before the retreat, by bank transfer (or by card with a 3% surcharge). Cancel more than 30 days out and you never owe the second half. Cancel within 5 business days of signing, more than 60 days out, and we refund everything. Vendor deposits and refunds follow each vendor's contract with you.
How booking works
- We send you a written proposal with the scope, the flat fee and an estimated vendor budget.
- You sign the services agreement and pay the signing payment (50% of the fee).
- Your dates and our time are then reserved, and planning begins. We only hold dates once the agreement is signed and the signing payment has arrived.
Payment schedule
| Payment | Amount | When it's due |
|---|---|---|
| Signing payment | 50% of the flat fee | When you sign the agreement |
| Balance | 50% of the flat fee | 30 days before the retreat's first day |
| Booking 30 days or less ahead | 100% of the flat fee | When you sign the agreement |
We take payment by bank transfer (ACH or wire) at no extra charge; your invoice includes our bank details. Cards are accepted with a 3% surcharge where the law allows it (debit cards aren't surcharged).
Our own travel for on-site days, and any site visits, are invoiced at cost, never marked up. If you ordered paid discovery ($1,500–$2,500) before signing, it's credited in full against the signing payment.
Fraud warning: we will never change our bank details by email. If you get a message saying our details have changed, confirm on a call or through the inquiry form before you pay anything.
Vendors (venues, caterers, activities, transport) invoice you directly on their own deposit schedules. Those payments are separate from our fee.
If you cancel
Tell us in writing. A reply in our email thread is fine. What you owe depends on when we receive your notice:
| When you cancel | Our fee | Refund |
|---|---|---|
| Within 5 business days of signing, and more than 60 days before the retreat | Nothing | The full signing payment |
| More than 30 days before the retreat | The signing payment (50%) only. This covers planning work and the dates held for you. | None. The balance is never invoiced, and if you've already paid it, we refund it in full. |
| 30 days or less before the retreat | The full fee (100%) | None, but see rescheduling for a credit toward new dates. |
| After the retreat has started | The full fee (100%) | None |
Cancelling with us doesn't cancel your vendor contracts. You'll need to cancel each vendor under its own terms, and we'll help you do it.
Rescheduling
- More than 30 days before the retreat: you can move your dates once at no extra charge, as long as the new dates are within 12 months of the original ones. Everything you've paid carries over. The fee changes only if the scope changes.
- 30 days or less before the retreat: we treat this as a cancellation, but we'll credit 50% of the fee toward new dates within 12 months.
- Vendors may charge change fees or keep deposits under their own contracts. Those costs are separate from our fee.
Headcount and scope changes
- Your fee is fixed for a group-size band (for example 8–15 or 16–30 people). Changes within the band don't change the fee.
- Moving to a different band, or adding days, sessions or destinations, is agreed in a written change order that may adjust the fee. A smaller scope agreed after you've paid the balance isn't refunded.
- Hotels and venues often charge for unused rooms or minimum food and beverage spend (called "attrition"). Those charges are set by your vendor contracts. We negotiate for flexible terms but can't guarantee them.
If we have to cancel
If we cancel for any reason other than your non-payment, your breach of the agreement, or an event beyond our control, we refund 100% of the fees you've paid us. We'll also hand over all planning materials and vendor contacts so you can go ahead without us if you choose.
If our facilitator can't attend because of serious illness or an emergency, we'll first offer you new dates or a qualified substitute facilitator you approve. If neither works for you, we refund the fees you've paid. Our refund is the limit of what we owe in this case. Vendor costs aren't covered, which is one reason we recommend event cancellation insurance.
Events beyond anyone's control
Sometimes an event like severe weather, a natural disaster, a public-health order, a travel ban or an official "do not travel" advisory makes the retreat impossible or unsafe on the planned dates. Our terms list these events. When that happens:
- We'll reschedule within 12 months and credit everything you've paid toward the new dates.
- If you'd rather not reschedule, we refund the balance payment (if you've paid it) and keep the signing payment for the planning work already done.
- If the event happens after the retreat has started, we don't refund the part that has already taken place.
Vendor refunds in these situations depend on each vendor's contract and on your insurance.
Vendor deposits and refunds
You pay vendors directly, so their deposits, cancellation fees and refunds are set by your contract with each vendor, not by this policy. We can't refund vendor payments, and we're not responsible for a vendor's refund decisions.
Before you sign, we'll summarize each vendor's deposit and cancellation schedule in plain English and push for fair terms. We strongly recommend event cancellation insurance to protect those deposits.
The 30/60/90-day follow-up
Follow-up check-ins are included in every package. Please schedule them within 120 days after the retreat. If check-ins aren't used in that window, they lapse, and we don't refund them.
Late or missed payments
If the balance hasn't arrived by its due date, we'll send a reminder and may pause planning work. If it's still unpaid 7 days after the due date (or by the retreat's first day, if that's sooner), we may treat it as a cancellation by you under the table above.
How refunds are paid
We pay refunds in US dollars by bank transfer to the account you paid from, within 14 days of confirming the cancellation. We never charge cancellation fees beyond those described here.
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