What is Refocus Retreat?
Refocus started out in 2014. It began as a small grass roots collection of women in photography, who wanted to get away for a weekend together. It was so successful we have grown each year as a Conference for Women in the Business of Photography.
Although it wasn't really intentional to have a focus on women specifically, the safe space and healing environment that naturally formed in those first few retreats we realised was a pretty unique little community. Since then the program has flourished in a female focussed environment, growing to 90 attending in 2022.
My name is Kym Griffiths and I am one of the founders of Refocus Retreat. In 2018, I was given the opportunity to take on the program as Director.
I made the decision there and then, to do my utmost in supporting talented and profitable business women in the photography ( and creative ) industries, to find their confidence, self worth and the capacity to share.
Frequently asked questions
Here are a few answers to our most common questions
What makes this event different from other conferences?
We provide a safe space for women to learn and share their experiences. The speakers are only a part of what the event offers. Many of our previous attendees highlight making new friends and having hand on experiences across the weekend as major highlights.
I have some dietaries /food allergies is that going to be a problem?
No, we work with the venue to make sure you get delicious food no matter what restrictions may apply.
What will I get out of this?
We carefully pick experienced speakers from a large range of genres and topics. We design our content so you can choose your own schedule of workshops in business, portrait, wedding, and art streams, or mix them up! Each presentation or workshops is jam packed with generous content!
How many events have you run previously?
2023 will be our 6th retreat, and a big celebration of everything we have accomplished in our little community so far! Looking forward to seeing you there!
What happens in the group mentoring sessions?
In small groups of 6-8 you get to openly discuss and gain advice from a range of mentor options. This is an optional activity.
Who are the speakers and how do you choose them?
As part of our charter we believe in providing opportunities and support for talented women to speak and share their knowledge.
We work very hard to make sure that each of our speakers have a solid background in the topics they are teaching, have sound business models and/or relevant career experience, and are talented in what they do.
We endeavour to create a mix of experienced educators, industry experts, and up and coming artists or creatives.
We carefully curate the content across 5 keynotes and 30+ workshops to cover many genres in the commercial and domestic markets. There is something for everyone at Refocus!
Do you have Payment Plans?
Payment plans are available in monthly or weekly options. You will find this once you click through to the ticketing page, before you put in your payment details. Closer to the event they will no longer be available, so act quickly to secure your booking!
How do you get there? What are my travel options?
Public Transport There are lots of public transport options for Ballarat. You can travel to the venue by car, bus, train or by airport transfer or shuttle for interstate attendees.
Getting there - Interstate:
If you are planning on catching the Refocus Retreat Transfer Bus -
PLEASE NOTE: the best airport to land for Mercure @ Ballarat is Tullamarine. We will run a Bus Transfer form Tullamarine on Sunday Morning (27th) returning to the airport on Wednesday evening (30th) - please checkout out our transfers page here.
If you would like to extend your stay to check out our Industry day on Saturday ( @ Mercure, Open to Public), or any of the exhibitions at Ballarat International Foto Biennale, there is also a Airport Shuttle that runs regularly from Tullamarine to Ballarat Town Centre.
Can I get a refund on my ticket?
Tickets cancelled more than 90 days prior to the event are eligible for a 75% refund, providing the full payment has been made. Tickets cancelled more than 60 days prior to the event, but less than 90 days are eligible for a 25% refund, providing the full payment has been made. Refunds within 60 days of the event are not possible, except under extreme circumstances, due to planning purposes, however you can sell or transfer your ticket to another attendee.
COVID-19
In the event that the live event can not take place due to lockdowns or other circumstances due to COVID-19, we have secured backup dates with our venue to shift the live event and all purchased tickets over to.
If the postponed dates don’t suit your schedule or availability should we be forced to move the live event due to a government restriction / order, full credit for the amount paid can be offered towards future Refocus Retreat events. Should you wish to request a refund instead of a credit due to lockdown conditions impacting the event, we can only offer a refund 75% of your full ticket price, providing it has been paid in full, due to the costs involved. This refund must be requested by the ticketholder within 3 months of the rescheduled dates being announced, or the normal refund policy applies.
When can I book my workshops?
Workshops and timetabling are finalised approx 4 weeks prior to the event, and will then be available for booking. All booked tickets will be sent an email with information on how to choose your workshops once this process has opened.
Does Refocus Retreat run in other states ( outside of VIC)?
Refocus Retreat is always held in Victoria, but does move around regionally each year. We are planning some smaller events interstate in the next 12 -18mths, so please make sure you sign up for our newsletter to keep up to date! Exciting times ahead!
I am a beginner, is this for me?
A lot of our workshops are catered from beginner to intermediate, and although we attract attendees from beginner to advanced, we find the large selection of workshops means there is something new for everyone.
Every year we have a selection of hobbyists, students and first year/early stage businesses attend, as well as more professional level experienced photographers, and the community is very supportive of the mix of experience and skill
I am already very experienced, is this for me?
Our workshops range from beginner to intermediate, however every year we make sure there are more advanced business and technical classes for the more experienced attendee. We also find the large selection of workshops in different genres means there is something new for everyone.
We also have small group mentoring and mastermind sessions this year aimed at more advanced or experienced business owners.
