Leadership Retreat FAQs
Is this a walking tour, or do we need a vehicle/mini-bus?
Generally we suggest reserving a vehicle, but if money is a consideration (silly question) we would expect to walk the Mall, for most of our Leadership Tours, and not need a vehicle. Transportation is nice when it comes to getting us to lunch or dinner, unless we go the Street Vendor route, in which case you would probably not need transportation. Let’s talk about it.
Where do we stay?
In short, wherever you want. If your hotel is close to a Metro Station (DC's subway) you could get to our starting point using the Metro. If not, transportation would be necessary.
Where do we meet?
We determine your starting point as we work through your company values.
What about meals?
Meals are not included in the cost of the tour. We suggest keeping everyone together, but as far as where we go for lunch or dinner, our two suggestions are: it’s close to the Mall, and we have a reservation. You may want to end the tour prior to a lunch or dinner. In those cases, we’d suggest your folks bring a snack with them. Lots of folks who come to DC want to try a Street Vendor. Depending on the time of year and day, that is a great alternative to a sit down restaurant or food court....and much quicker.
Attire
Comfortable shoes, comfortable clothing, weather dependent; we will be outside. Water and snacks are always a good idea. Drinking fountains on the Mall can be a real hit or miss. Restrooms are available.
What happens if it is raining? We may get wet.
What happens if it snows? We may get cold.
What happens if it is really hot outside? We may sweat.
Is it becoming clear? We don’t cancel the tour for weather. If it is possible for both you, and us, to reschedule for another day, we are happy to do it, but schedules may not allow the change. If you are worried that it might be too hot, too cold, or too wet…let’s make a backup plan.
What if I can’t bring my Leadership Team to DC? So some of you may be saying, “This sounds great, but it’s not in our budget to fly our Leadership Team to Washington, DC." In that case, let us bring the tour to you!
We understand budgets, and the need for an ROI in everything you do, but we also believe in the importance of education and inspiration for your folks. Budget constraints is the reason we developed our Passport to Leadership on the National Mall, into Passport to Leadership "at the place of your choosing." We realize it is cheaper to fly one of us to you, rather than flying all of you, to us. So, give us a call, and let us develop a Passport Program we can bring to you.
Recommended group size?
That is up to you. Most companies do not have 25 leaders they want to bring in, but if you want to open this up to 30 folks, we can do that. But 25 is probably the maximum you’d want.
Who is the tour geared toward? Your current and future Leaders, and those who need to be refreshed.
Typical length and times for tour?
A normal Leadership Tour would last approximately 4 hours. Throw in a lunch and you're talking 5 - 5.5 hours. Time of day is entirely up to you; we are willing to start as early as 6:00am and work as late as 10:00pm, although most folks just don’t receive as well after about 7:00pm.
Cancellations
We understand things change, and the need to be flexible, but the time we spend preparing for your Leadership Tour is incurred weeks, and in some cases months ahead of the actual tour. We look at it on a case by case basis. But at a minimum, the deposit would be lost.
Deposit
Because the majority of the prep work is done weeks/months out, and we would lose the opportunity to fill your date with another tour without sufficient time, we require a deposit of 60% at time of booking, and 40% six weeks out. In all cases we send a request for payment, payable via credit card. Company checks are accepted.
Pricing
Every Leadership Tour is specific to your company; no one tour fits all. Because each company has their own values and culture, each Leadership Tour is different. While some companies may have a similar value, no two are "lived out" the same way. Prices can vary depending on several items; transportation, number of folks on the tour, length of tour, and the number of company values that we are going to present on the tour. Let’s talk.
Lead time for the tour?
We spend a great deal of time preparing for your tour. We will need as much lead time as we can get, but normally two months is pretty close to the minimum. If you have a need for something much closer, give us a call and we'll see what might work. And trust us, we would rather take a pass on the tour, than give you something less than what we would be proud to have our name on.