When it comes to retreats, where you hold them can make or break the experience for your participants. Choosing a resort atmosphere where they can indulge their senses will most certainly refresh and rejuvenate them, bringing out their creativity and increasing their productivity. There are wonderful resorts throughout the United States that fit the bill, and some of the best are in Arizona.  Here are our top 5 recommendations:

Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa. Located in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains outside of Tucson, this 400-acre resort is ideal for your next corporate retreat or large meeting. Their all-inclusive packages can be customized to your specific group and can include a wide range of activities, such as outdoor challenges to culinary classes and wellness-focused activities. If you are looking for an out-of-the-ordinary experience for your group, consider including one of their private villas in your package for your next strategy session or mastermind.

Enchantment Resort. Surrounded by the red rock walls and panoramic views of Sedona’s Boynton Canyon, the Enchantment Resort offers a wide range of meeting facilities and group activities that will make your next retreat memorable. Known for their unique offerings of Native American activities, this is a place that will encourage team building and renew their passion. All-inclusive packages are available, making it a choice destination.

L’Auberge de Sedona. Located on the banks of Oak Creek in the heart of Sedona, L'Auberge de Sedona is one of the top resorts in the area and perfect for your next meeting or retreat. A retreat at the L’Auberge can creatively combine your meeting activities with memorable experiences ranging from spa workshops to food and beverage classes and many outdoor team-building activities. Whether you choose one of their extraordinary meeting packages or create a custom experience for your group, L’Auberge de Sedona will not disappoint.

Amara Resort & Spa. Also located on the banks of Oak Creak in Sedona is the Amara Resort & Spa, which takes a modern approach to their Native American heritage. Whether your retreat is for team-building, brainstorming, or masterminding, Amara Resort will meet all your needs. When planning your event, don’t forget to take advantage of the activities that Amara Resort offers – biking, hiking, wine tasting, or just relaxing with one of their amazing spa packages.

 El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort. Names “Best Experiential Hotel”, El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort stands out from other resorts with its unique Southwestern vibe, mixing Old West with Native American touches. Whether you are having a small intimate event or a large conference, El Conquistador Tucson can accommodate your needs. Choose from an assortment of activities for your group’s downtime – from hiking and biking, to spa treatments and 3 world-class golf courses.

 Are you ready to plan your next retreat in Arizona at one of these resorts? Give Luxury Destinations Concierge a call at (805) 236-4437.  We’re ready to help you create a memorable experience!
 

Our Entrepreneurs’ Empowerment Cruise is fast approaching.  This 5-day seminar at sea cruise is an excellent opportunity for you to meet like-minded entrepreneurs and find inspiration for your journey through 2020.  If that hasn’t convinced you that this is the event for you, consider one more thing – especially if you are a coach or speaker:  This is a great model for you to replicate.

Think about it.  As a speaker and a coach, you are always looking for ways to get in front of your audience, to impart your expertise to them and help them along in their journey.  You’ve held events at hotels or other accommodations, only to notice that your audience has a tendency to get distracted by emails, phone calls and more.  You feel as if you aren’t connecting with them the way you had hoped, and they aren’t connecting with each other to exchange ideas, form relationships or even fully process what they have learned.

What if you could get away from those distractions, provide an opportunity for your participants to connect with each other on a more personal level, and impart even more of your knowledge to them in an all-inclusive setting?  That’s what can happen when you hold your seminar or event at sea.

Here are some of the other benefits of holding an event at sea:

Budget Control:  Meeting spaces, meals and AV equipment are all included so you don’t have to worry about being nickeled and dimed to death

Relationship-Building Environment:  On a cruise, there are less distractions, so meeting attendance and participation is going to be much higher.  Your participants will be highly focused on the program and learning.

Built-In Entertainment:  There are so many entertainment options aboard a cruise ship that everyone can take advantage of.

Family Affair:  Even though your event may be for a specific audience, this is a chance for the entire family to take a vacation.  While one member is in meetings with you, there are many activities to keep the rest of the family entertained as well.

Think this may be a good option for you in the future?  Check out how it’s done on the Entrepreneurs’ Empowerment Cruise, February 1-6, 2020.  For details, click here.

In Parts I and II of this series, we’ve given you an overview of what you can expect on this remarkable event at sea.  Today, we’d like to introduce you to some of our speakers:
 
CASEY EBERHART - INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER, BUSINESS CONSULTANT, & TOP 3% NETWORK MARKETER
No matter what business you're in, this internationally recognized speaker and trainer is someone you deserve to know. Why? Because Casey Eberhart has connections! He's made it his mission over the years to collect and connect: he collects relationships and connects people, so they can do business together. He's focused on your success. He's sought after as a Speaker, Consultant and Business Coach.  He is well known for creating EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS for his clients. Casey has a special affinity for saving businesses time and making them more profit. Sit back, buckle up and hear Casey roar. Sharpen your pencil. You'll hang on every word.
 
CAROL STANLEY - VOICE & PRESENTATION SKILLS EXPERT
Carol Stanley guides CEOs, entrepreneurs, authors, church leaders, and aspiring speakers and singers, to gain confidence, poise, and command over voice, body, mind, and spirit. Based on the science and physiology of voice and presentation, audience members transform from unsteady, shaky, and fearful to capable, confident, and compelling presenters. Whether they speak or sing boldly or stand with power and impact without saying a word, these transformed presenters inspire, motivate, lead, and achieve to make the difference they desire. She is a crowd-pleasing, LIFE CHANGING speaker who adds massive value with every innovative speaking strategy she shares.
 
JEFF STROUD - FOUNDER AND CEO / SOMNVIE
Jeffrey Lee Stroud is a successful entrepreneur, CEO, and former member of the Direct Selling Association Board of Directors. In 1990, Jeff left his career as a department store buyer and joined his parents, Bill and Joyce Stroud in a specialty retail venture, Strouds Linens. During the following 10 years they together opened 70 stores nationwide and achieved $200 million dollars in annual sales, leading to a $41 million-dollar initial public offering for the Company’s common stock. During the 25 years that Strouds Linens operated stores, cumulative sales exceeded $23 billion. In 2004 Jeff co-founded an innovative new company, Private Quarters, which sold decorative home products and accessories through the direct selling channel. Over the subsequent eight years Private Quarters generated over $70 million dollars of retail sales, rising to national prominence and empowering thousands of independent consultants with a home-based business opportunity focused on high quality products for the home. Private Quarters was nominated for the Direct Selling Association’s Success Award in 2011 and was acquired my MVP Direct in 2012. In 2008, Jeff was elected to the Board of Directors of the Direct Selling Association (DSA) in the United States. In 2011, he was appointed Chairman of the DSA Strategic Planning Committee for the $30 billion-dollar industry.

You do not want to miss this exciting, 5-day Entrepreneurs’ Empowerment Cruise, taking place February 1-6, 2020.  For more details, click here.

In Part I of this series, we were excited to introduce our Entrepreneurs’ Empowerment Cruise, setting sail February 1-6, 2020.  The idea behind the cruise is twofold: (1) to provide an opportunity for you to grow as an entrepreneur, meet like-minded business owners, and get inspired for 2020; and (2) relax and enjoy yourself.

Probably the hardest thing for us as entrepreneurs to do is to relax and enjoy ourselves.  We are usually so caught up in the next “big thing” for our businesses that we forget to take the time to slow down and enjoy our surroundings.  This cruise is meant to do exactly that on one of Princess Cruises’ luxury ships, the Royal Princess.

Here are just some of the amenities that you will discover aboard the Royal Princess:

• Vegas Style Casino:  Whether you are a novice or high roller, you will experience all the fun and excitement of the casino life.
• Broadway Style Productions:  Are you a theater buff?  You won’t be disappointed with the lavish original productions on board the Royal Princess!
• Lotus Spa:  Need a bit of pampering?  The Lotus Spa offers a variety of treatments, from facials and massages to aromatherapy.
• Lotus Spa Fitness Center:  For those who need an energizing workout, the Lotus Spa Fitness Center has state-of-the-art equipment and a variety of fitness classes to enhance your workout experience.
• High Tea and Chocolate:  Enjoy an afternoon celebrating the elegance of high tea, or taste some of the exclusive, hand-crafted chocolates of master chocolatier Norman Love.
• Superbowl Party:  Yes, we haven’t forgotten that the Superbowl is February 2nd, and the Royal Princess will celebrate in style, with a tailgate party on deck and projecting the big game on the giant screen.
• Princess Live!:  Be part of the television audience for a variety of game shows, culinary shows, entertainment, comedy and more.

In addition to all the activities available on board during the cruise, you’ll have an opportunity to explore Cabo San Lucas, visiting the shops and sampling some of the local cuisine.  Or you can purchase one of the optional excursions – from snorkeling to sightseeing and horseback riding, and more.

The entrepreneurs’ Empowerment Cruise is just the right mix of business and pleasure to recharge your batteries and get ready for 2020.  The ship sets sail February 1-6, 2020.  Will you be there with us?  Click here for more details.

As entrepreneurs, we know how important it is to connect with others to brainstorm about new ideas, form relationships to support each other, and inspire us to keep going on our entrepreneurial journey.  We also know how hard it is to take time out to relax, recharge and have fun.  What if there were a way to combine the two?

Luxury Destinations Concierge is pleased to announce the Entrepreneur’s Empowerment Cruise – a 5-day cruise from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas that has been created to do just that.  This incredible event sets sail February 1-6, 2020.

This unique experience will give you an opportunity to:

Build Crucial Skills:

• Craft your unique story
• Discover Time-saving systems to efficiently manage your business
• Learn from social media marketing experts how to better drive traffic to your business
• Mastermind with fellow entrepreneurs about how to move your business forward

Network and Brainstorm

• Surround yourself with savvy, like-minded entrepreneurs and business experts
• Connect with fellow participants through coordinated networking and social events
• Exchange knowledge to help each other grow your businesses
• Make life-long connections
  

In addition, there will be plenty of time to relax on board the Royal Princess, enjoying a Sail Away Mix & Mingle, cocktail party and group dinner, and, of course, excursions into Cabo San Lucas to explore the sites and sounds of this resort destination.

Ready to start 2020 empowering your entrepreneurial spirit?  Click here for more details.

We have all attended conferences and retreats held at a local hotel or conference center.  They tend to follow the same pattern:  Meet in a cold (sometimes REALLY cold) ballroom, have a couple of breaks, maybe lunch is included or you have to find a local spot that can accommodate a huge influx of guests in a short period of time.  It’s typical, clean-cut and gets the job done.

But what if you were able to turn that conference into an experience, something that participants will remember for years to come?  What if you could do this for a flat fee and have participants clamoring to join you?

How can you turn your next event into this type of experience?  Consider holding your event on a cruise ship!  Not only do you provide your participants with first-class accommodations, all-inclusive fees and resort-like experience, you are able to take advantage of state-of-the-art conference facilities available on most of the newer ships.  And, in most cases, these facilities are included in the set-up costs for your group.  The only stipulation is that you meet their minimum guest requirement (around 32 participants, depending on the cruise line).

An event at sea is great for:

• Speakers and coaches looking to hold an exclusive mastermind class
• Incentive trips to award your top sales people
• Trainers offering CEU credits or other intensive training for specific industries
• Groups that love to travel together or have a specific interest in common (e.g., cooking, wine-tasting, etc.)
• Family reunions or destination weddings

What’s great about planning an event at sea is that you can choose any destination you want – provided it is accessible by ship.  Think about checking off destinations on your bucket list – the Caribbean, Croatia, Alaska, Thailand, India, Europe – the sky’s the limit.

Ideally, you’ll want to choose a trip that has at least 2-3 days at sea, so that you have some exclusive time with your group.  Successful cruise-based events also take a while to plan, so you should start the process 12-15 months ahead of time, and market the event at least 10-12 months prior to sailing.

This is not an endeavor that you want to undertake on your own.  There is a lot of coordination that needs to take place with the cruise line, so we highly recommend using a travel professional to help you through the process.  Here at Luxury Destinations Concierge, we specialize in creating successful events at sea.  Contact us at 805-236-4437 to start planning your next luxury conference or retreat.