zozee

I've never been to one, but I can think of several things that would make it to my liking.

1. A very organized communicator in charge, with experience and knowledge of the venue
2. Friday afternoon-Sunday afternoon
3. Comfy tables and chairs
4. An on-site cook (I wouldn't go if I had to cook or haul more than snacks)
5. Multiple irons, ironing boards, tables
6. Work on your own thing at your own pace
7. My own bedroom and bathroom
8. Scenic views or small-town feel
9. 12 or fewer people (more than that would overwhelm me)
10. A quilt shop nearby , just in case
11. Plenty of electrical outlets
12. Wine, chocolate, personal massage therapist at my shoulders when I snap my fingers.

GingerK

I go to a retreat with my sister every spring. It is held in a church auditorium and has ample electrical fixtures, tables and chairs plus a dining room and well stocked kitchen (cutlery and dishes plus an industrial dishwasher). Each attendee is assigned to help set up, serve and clean up after one meal.

This is a slightly different retreat as we do not sleep there. Most of us live withing 20 km (except for me--I'm more like 2500 km away and take the opportunity to combine the retreat with a visit to my family)

Some things about our retreat:
-the lunches and suppers are catered and absolutely delicious. No one goes hungry and special dietary needs can be accomodated
-show and tell is held in the afternoons and relatives/friends/locals are encouraged to attend
-there are several short demos put on by the attendees.
-there is always a table of 'your trash my treasures'
-we have had a masseuse who charged by the 1/2 hour. No tipping as far as I know, just pay by cash or cheque
-for a group of 35 people, there are usually 3 ironing stations plus one exclusively for applique.
-for the last several years we have had the same two vendors and they always have some sort of sale/incentive for attendees
-door prizes are a combination of donated items, items purchased by the committee and items provided by the vendors
-we are asked to bring specific sized fabric for a mystery block which are won by one of the participants
-Strip Poker!! oh what fun!! and the chance to win upwards of 50 themed jelly roll strips. I have heard rumours that there will be more than one game at the next retreat. Yay!

somoquilter

My own comfortable bed - I don't mind sharing a room but not a bed.
Nice well lit place to sew. Food that is provided so we don't have to leave unless we want to.
Good natured, friendly folks to get to know while we are sewing next to each other.

tranum

I’ve heard of a person becoming ill at a retreat and no one knew who to contact. Helpful to create a “notify in case of emergency form” for each person to fill out upon arrival then provide an envelope to keep under their machine.
“Brownies for Bobbins” is a game. Announce if your bobbin runs out and you earn a brownie. The host church provides meals and charge for it. Snacks are provided by attendees. Will you allow/invite needlecrafters? They only need a chair and can participate in the event to make it more fun.

seajay912

Have ironing stations - If too many people have irons going it could cause a circut to go then no one has power while you figure out how to fix it. It also helps people to get up out of their seats and stretch while walking the short distance to the nearest ironing area.