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Summer Camp for Adults: 4 Professional Retreats to Explore in 2013

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If you went to summer camp as a kid, you already know that the experience of putting yourself in a new environment with brand-new people can be both empowering and inspiring. You can be whoever you want to be. You get to bond with other campers, expand your world view, learn about yourself and -- if you’re lucky -- you create lifelong friendships in the process.

In adulthood, however, we often forget to take that time to turn off and explore our creative sides like we did as children. We make professional contacts through networking events and conferences, but we often fail to make deeper connections with our newfound contacts.

Luckily, a few entrepreneurs have set out to shake up the conference mentality and create events that are less like conferences, and more like summer camp. If you’re looking for a little more creativity in your business life, here are four unusual retreats worth a look in 2013.

Retreats to Explore in 2013

  1. Life of Yes Retreats: Saya Hillman, founder of Mac and Cheese Productions, has been putting on regular “minglers” (mixers) to connect strangers in Chicago for years. She recently took her minglers a step further by introducing her Life of Yes Retreats. The retreats take participants to undisclosed locations for a weekend of inspiration and bonding. The catch? Everyone goes solo. No one is allowed to go with anyone they know. The retreat includes “guitar sing-alongs, firelight discussions, activities that unlock your creative-soul, and an environment where you feel at home with people you just met.” You can get on the waitlist for the winter retreat, or apply now for the summer retreat (which takes place in August).
  2. Under30Experiences: Matt Wilson, co-founder of Under30CEO, has already organized group trips for entrepreneurs in Iceland and Costa Rica. This April, he’ll take a group to Nicaragua with his "Microfinance Surf Camp Nicaragua" trip. The trip will introduce the group to microfinance, visit a village to see it in action and meet local entrepreneurs. Downtime includes a bonfire, surfing and group led discussions.
  3. Geeks on a Plane: Geeks on a Plane, which is organized by 500 Startups and headed by Dave McClure, brings entrepreneurs and investors together to travel the world and learn about new technology markets, while creating new friends and business contacts along the way. The next stop is India this February.
  4. Entretrip: I started my own retreat in 2011 when I rented a house in Costa Rica on a whim and found five other women to join me there for a week. One of those women was Karen Hartline of Reinventing Events. The first retreat was such an eye-opening experience that Karen and I decided we had to plan additional trips, to bring more people together for the summer camp experience  we were missing from traditional conferences. The next Entretrip will take place this April in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. It will include relaxation, group discussions, an underground river and plenty of group meals.

Which conferences are on your must-attend list this year?

Allie Siarto is the co-founder of Loudpixel, a social analytics company focused on social media monitoring, insights, measurement and infographics. She also runs a project called Entretrip, a co-traveling experience for location independent entrepreneurs.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.