Questions about the Retreat

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

• A clear sense of your core leadership values
• Insight into your desired future career path
• 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…

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 to Kampen or Dronten and either take a bus or taxi from there. Use 9292ov.nl for checking trains and bus availability. If we coordinate arrivals you can also 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 in July) 795 EURO

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

Fee for participants whose employer will pay the registration fee:

• Early bird registration 895 EURO (invoice sent – payment term 30 days)
• Regular registration 995 EURO (invoice sent – payment term 30 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.

The detailed program will be up soon, in the mean time you can already see a basic outline below:

Monday 12th May
We start at 2pm with getting to know each other. During this afternoon there is time for a walk around the retreat site and setting goals for our stay.
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 our future career paths.
At the end of the day we will wrap up and leave around 4pm.

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.

October 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.

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