Norway 2019
This September join us in the spectacular wilds of Northern Norway for a retreat crafted for design leaders
What can you expect?
An opportunity to take time to focus on your own self-development and to connect with a small group of people in similar senior leadership positions.
Design leadership can be hard, especially if you haven’t done it before. The best way to meet this challenge is through the support of your peers, so we’ve created this retreat for you to meet like-minded design leaders, swap war stories, and build relationships we hope will last the rest of your careers.
The adventure will start in Ålesund, a beautiful coastal city in North West Norway, on the evening of Monday 16th September where we'll meet for dinner overlooking the Waters of Brosundet. On Tuesday morning we'll take a charter coach to The Juvet Landscape Hotel, high amongst the breathtaking lakes and wild mountains of Sunnmøre.
Juvet is a place like no other, designed by Jensen & Skodvin it was built to allow a deep appreciation of the dramatic beauty of the surrounding landscape. The hotel's rooms are spread through the surrounding forest with views of a mighty river, each is a masterpiece of contemporary Norwegian design. In their centre sits the extraordinary Ceremony Room where we'll spend much of our days, whose huge glass window overlooks the fjord below. Opposite is the beautiful traditional Farmhouse where, warmed by huge log fires, we'll get to enjoy incredible food prepared, and often grown, or indeed caught, by the wonderful crew who run Juvet.
This will be our home for the rest of the week, an ideal setting to relax, reflect and reconnect with your sense of purpose as a leader.
Who is it for?
As a design leader, you're responsible for a team, the direction they take, how they carry out their work, how they innovate, and how they make progress in their individual careers. That’s a lot of responsibility to hold and sometimes when looking after others we neglect ourselves. This retreat is a perfect opportunity to re focus and prioritise your own journey.
I wanted to thank you all for a truly humbling experience. I wasn't sure what to expect from the retreat, but it's safe to say it exceeded my expectations. The past few days have been both a cathartic and delightfully exhausting introspective journey of which I hope to continue and practice with both myself and those of whom I work with.
Director of Product Design, GSK, Retreat Participant March 2019
By the end of this retreat
You’ll return to your work refreshed, inspired with increased energy and resilience, buoyed by your deeper connection to this community of design leaders. Hopefully having formed connections that will be long-lasting throughout your career.
You will have
- Renewed your individual definition of success
- Connected with your values, purpose and sense of joy in your work
- Gained deeper insight into your individual practices as a leader
- Investigated what’s holding you back by challenging your beliefs and assumptions
- Shared your stories and techniques and hear from others in your position
- Transformed the way you work so that you can pursue your ambitions
- Established strategies for re-prioritising your work and making changes that last
It was better than I could have ever imagined and will have a lasting effect both professionally and personally. It was introspective and revelational.
Head of Interaction & Service Design, DWP Digital, Retreat Participant March 2019
The venue
"In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion.”―Albert Camus
We cannot overstate what an extraordinary location Juvet is, staying there one quickly runs out of superlatives and starts to simply let go and breathe in the deep peace being in such a beautiful, well-conceived location brings.
We have had the good fortune of hosting events in Juvet since 2017 and have got to know Knut Slinning, his family and team who run this magical place. For us it combines great design and comfort with raw nature, superb food and all the space you could possibly want. It's also very remote and we have found that the process of the journey to Juvet has become an important part of getting into the right headspace for the retreat and leaving the to-do list behind (but don't worry, they do have wifi!)
We have the run of the place, including a sauna and hot tub with the most spectacular views. Meals are held around a long table in the Farmhouse and afterwards we can sit by the huge log fires or on a clear night have a fire outside under the stars and maybe catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights...
We'll be sure to factor in time for some hikes in the local forests to enjoy the incredible autumn colours.
Ticket information
This is a small event with very limited tickets, which are by application only. We’ll be in touch to let you know once your place is confirmed.
There are options to share rooms, or have your own room. Ticket prices vary depending on what you choose:
Single occupancy room (Landscape or Birdhouse) £2750.00
Shared twin room (Landscape room) £1750.00
If you book for a shared room and you know your colleague is coming too, please let us know so we can allocate your room.
Tickets prices include all a nights stay in a double room in Ålesund, your transport to and from Ålesund, workshop sessions, accommodation and food at the Juvet hotel.
You will be responsible for your own travel to and from Ålesund, and for any travel insurance needed for your stay.