Questions about the Retreat

After 3 days you will walk away from the retreat with the following:

• A clear sense of your strengths and passion as a research leader
• Insight into the future of our practice (and your place in this)
• A strong and compassionate network of UX Research leaders

You will leave the retreat with a full heart and a clear sense of direction on what’s next for you…

A Leadership retreat specifically for UX Researchers has been a dream for a long time. There are plenty of general leadership retreats or those aimed at Designers, but hanging out with your professional peers adds a new dimension.

With this retreat Kathleen and Tomomi aim to connect research leaders, ensuring there is time and a safe space for conversations that nurture and inspire.

So far, Kathleen has hosted online peer-coaching sessions between more than 100 research leaders. Now it is time to meet in real life. Giving ourselves the opportunity to go deeper, maximising the impact that comes from facilitated reflection and peer-to-peer coaching.

This retreat takes place in The Netherlands at Yūgen Forest, a regenerative venue on a nature reserve in Flevoland about an hour North of Amsterdam. It is a beautiful place for transformations and wondrous experiences that leave you speechless; deeply connected to the lush landscape in which it resides.

This is the address: Vossemeerdijk 6, 8251 PN Dronten (The Netherlands)
It takes roughly an hour to get from Amsterdam to Dronten (by car and public transport)

• Car: You can reach Yugen Forest by car, there is plenty of free parking available. Follow these instructions on how to get there.
• Public transport: Take a train Dronten and you will be picked up from there. Use 9292ov.nl for checking train times and availability. We will coordinate arrivals so you can be picked up from the train station.
• Taxi: For those coming directly from Schiphol airport we can coordinate and organise a taxi for a group to keep the costs as low as possible.

Fee for participants who pay themselves or are self-employed:

• Early bird registration (pay full fee before the end of January) 795 EURO ex VAT

• Regular registration (pay full fee within 14 days after registering) 895 EURO ex VAT

Fee for participants whose employer will pay the registration fee:

• Early bird registration 895 EURO ex VAT (invoice sent – payment term 14 days)
• Regular registration 995 EURO ex VAT (invoice sent – payment term 14 days)
• Part of the employer paid fees will go towards supporting participants who require sponsoring.

The fees include 2 nights accommodation on site, all meals, drinks and snacks as well as materials we use during the retreat.

We have worked hard to find a venue that is comfortable but affordable because we think it is important to make sure that people from different places around the globe can join. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need financial support to enable your participation. For example if you are un(der)employed or live in a country with an extreme currency difference to the euro.

This retreat welcomes experienced UX Research leaders with multiple years in leadership roles. Participants are currently leading research teams or a research practice, might have experience in research consulting practices or functional organisation leadership.

This is a get together for professionals who want to deepen their leadership skills and explore what their future in UX Research Leadership looks like. This is not a retreat for aspiring research leaders who want to learn more about leadership.

Are you not sure this is right for you? Reach out to Kathleen to check.

Monday 12th May
We start at 2pm with getting to know each other and setting goals for our stay. During this afternoon we will dive into our individual leadership challenges. There will also be time for a walk around the retreat site.
After the evening meal there will be time to chat around the fireplace or relax in your private cabin.

Tuesday 13th May
For those who want to join we will start the day with a yoga session, followed by breakfast.
During this day we delve into our core leadership values and strengths.

Wednesday 14th May
After breakfast we will explore the future of our research practice and potential career paths.
At the end of the day we will wrap up and leave around 5pm.

Accommodation – 2 nights:

There are three types of accommodation on site. There are luxury glamping tents, basic A-frame cabins and one large cabin with some more amenities. You can choose whatever option you prefer (based on availability at the time of your registration).
Everyone will have access to their own private tent/cabin with a double bed to themselves. The beds are made up with warm duvets and for the cooler nights there are extra blankets and hot water bottles available. Towels are provided. The glamping/cabin site has two central sanitary buildings with toilets and hot showers.

Meals:
All meals, drinks and snacks are provided. The focus is on local and seasonal produce from the estate’s own vegetable and herb gardens.

Please inform us of allergies and/or dietary restrictions in advance.


Hub membership:
Last (but not least!) you will receive a 6 month membership to the Grow & Connect Hub. This includes access to the Slack community space, monthly sparring sessions to tackle your challenges and growing your international network of UX Research Leaders.

Extra’s:
There might be a yoga session if there are enough interested participants. But maybe you want to contribute with something that you know well? Let us know when signing up!

Great question! You can wear whatever you feel comfortable in, be your authentic self. If this includes woolen socks, yes of course you can wear them! If this includes a party hat or suit, all ok as well.

May in The Netherlands tends to provide all kinds of weather. From sunshine to rain and wind. You will receive information about the forecast a couple of days in advance to help you pack. And yes, if it is forecast to be cold, we might recommend that you bring some warm socks.

— 100% refund for cancellation 60+ days before retreat start date.
— 50% refund for cancellation 30-59 days before retreat start date.
— 0% refund for cancellation 0-29 days before retreat start date.

Reach out to Kathleen Asjes with all your questions and ideas for the retreat.
Kathleen@growandconnect.org