💡 Why You Should Skip Conferences and Big Events (Issue 631)
Attend one of these retreats instead
The COVID pandemic caused a massive drop in professional conference attendance in 2020 that lasted for years, but a significant recovery is finally expected in 2025.
People miss in-person events!
However, if you have many years of industry experience, you know traditional conferences and events often feel more like noisy networking nightmares than valuable learning experiences or connection opportunities. This is especially true if you lean more towards introversion.
For years, my advice for clients has been to skip these big conferences and events, unless you are presenting. The ROI can be pretty good if you are giving a talk, teaching a workshop session, or sitting on a panel. But if you’re just another audience member, you will struggle to get enough value from it to justify the travel, time, and expense.
However, years ago, I noticed that many of my well-connected tech friends and executive colleagues started choosing something different…
➡️ Invite-only leadership retreats hosted in beautiful locations!
These exclusive retreats aren't about endless PowerPoint slides, crowded rooms, and loud extroverts dominating every conversation. We get enough of that at work!
Instead, they are carefully curated, intimate gatherings where deep discussions, surprising insights, and real growth can happen:
Peer-to-Peer Insights
Authentic, confidential conversations with other professionals tackling similar challenges and issues.
Lasting relationships with people who will add value to your network long after the retreat is over.
Focused Career and Leadership Development
Customized coaching on topics such as building executive presence, navigating complexity and conflict, and driving strategic vision and innovation.
More time to get your questions directly answered by the coaches, facilitators, and peers.
Recharging and Rejuvenation
Time and space to get away from the daily grind to reflect, refocus, and refresh your approach to leading your team and managing relationships.
Fun activities in beautiful places to recharge your “physical and mental batteries.”
Actionable Takeaways
Practical strategies to immediately transform your impact at work, easily justifying the expense to your employer.
Valuable frameworks you can apply to become more efficient and effective in your job.
Companies increasingly recognize the high ROI from investing in their employees' mindsets, morale, toolkits, and performance. That’s why so many are willing to dedicate budget to the ongoing professional development of their teams.
What do you think?
Would you skip a crowded conference to attend a private retreat if it yielded meaningful connections, new views, and real growth?
If you're curious about learning more about these invite-only experiences, sign up to be notified with more details. We are planning when, where, and who to invite to these retreats, so the more we learn about you, the better we can match you with high-quality, like-minded peers.
I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with ambitious professionals to help them reclaim their power, become invincible, and create new opportunities for their work and lives. Do more of what you love and less of what you hate!
📕 Check out my new The Invincible Daily Journals!
I don't know if it's my age showing, but I don't like crowded loud places anymore. I would prefer to meet people in a smaller group and really get to know each other and talk.