About our workshops and retreats
formats, pricing, scholarships, refunds
On this page ...
you will find practical information and pricing for the different types of workshops we offer:
Face-to-face at our Social Learning Lab
Place
Most face-to-face events we host take place in our lab in Sesimbra, Portugal.
We believe in the convening power of beautiful surroundings and warm hospitality. The venue has stunning views out to the ocean, high ceilings, and an inspirational atmosphere.
Length
Our workshops are full time. Some are 4 days, usually Tuesday to Friday. Some are 3 days, usually Tuesday to Thursday.
Time
We usually start at 9:00am and end at 5:00pm. The Lab opens at 8:30 for light refreshments and informal conversations.
Meals
Meals together are an integral part of our face-to-face events. We have drinks and refreshments on hand. We always have lunch round the table together. Dinners take place at local restaurants. Sometimes, we hold an informal reception at the Lab with tasty bites and drinks.
For participants, all meals are included in the price: ongoing refreshments, lunches, and dinners (thee dinners for 4-day workshops and two for 3-day workshops).
If you would like to bring a partner or a friend to any of the meals, let us know in advance and we’ll tell you the cost.
Pricing
4-day workshops
Full fee: 1,800 US dollars
Early bird: $1,600
3-day workshops
Full fee: 1,400 US dollars
Early bird: $1,200
For dates of workshops in Sesimbra:
Face-to-face elsewhere
Place
Occasionally, BEtreats are co-hosted in other locations to make travel easier. We invite people in other parts of the world to co-host a BEtreat with us in their location. We have done this in South Africa, Canada, and Slovenia. We are planning co-hosted events in the US. Co-hosts have found the experience inspiring.
Format
These workshops unfold in the same way as the Sesimbra ones, except that dinners are not included in the price.
Pricing
4-day workshops
Full fee: 1,600 US dollars
Early bird: $1,400
See if we are planning a workshop in the US or elsewhere:
Hybrid online participation
Place
Since we started in 2010, most of our face-to-face workshops have included a few online participants.
Format
This is full-time, synchronous participation via Zoom and other tools. Participating online is just like being there in terms of engaging in conversations and activities, but you don’t get the meals, the walks, or the pool.
Hybrid participation is intense and time zones are difficult. But of the people who have done both, some have reported benefitting more from participating online because of the down time to reflect alone.
Pricing
4-day workshops
Full fee: 1,500 US dollars
Early bird: $1,300
3-day workshops
Full fee: 1,250 US dollars
Early bird: $1,050
Find opportunities for online participation:
Fully online workshops
Since the pandemic, we have also started to host fully online workshops. It has been surprisingly successful. So, we are planning to continue offering those.
Place
We run these workshops in a carefully designed communal online space. Interactions are a mix of synchronous conversations (e.g., on Zoom or Skype) and collaboration (e.g., on Mural or Google docs) as well as asynchronous interactions (e.g., in a discussion forum). You also build your own space where you can invite colleagues to see something of your context and to engage in chatting or thinking with you.
Time
Online workshops last two weeks. We all meet synchronously as a whole group for 75 minutes on Tuesdays and Fridays (usually 3:00-4:15 pm, Lisbon time (West European Time, same as London). Assume an additional 1-3 hours a week of self-paced time for individual and small-group work.
Pricing
Full fee: 900 US dollars
Early bird: $700
We plan to offer online workshops soon:
Scholarships
We have a limited number of partial scholarships available for people whose circumstances make our prices prohibitive. Click on the button to open the application form.
Refunds
Our refund policy for up to two weeks before the workshop begins is as follows. You have a choice of:
- Refund of the workshop fee, minus a $150 admin fee
- Applying the fee as a credit for an upcoming event (no admin fee)
If it’s less that two weeks before the workshop begins, we cannot issue a refund, but you can designate a substitute participant.