Planning the Ultimate Girls’ Getaway? Here’s the Formula.

I recently attended the Fourth Annual Support Your Girlfriends Getaway in beautiful Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Think stunning beach views, crystalline water and blue skies dotted with fluffy white clouds and the occasional parasail.

I’ve attended various retreats in the past and while I’ve enjoyed most of them, this trip is the one that I keep coming back to. And I’m not alone. The high return rate for this retreat — despite everyone’s hectic schedules and family/work obligations — got me thinking: why is it that so many of us come back? And more generally: what makes for the ultimate girls’ getaway? What are the components most necessary to ensuring that attendees leave inspired, recharged and connected?

Here are four important factors that shouldn’t be overlooked when planning your retreat.

1. Location, Location, Location.

The Support Your Girlfriends (“SYG”) Getaway is held annually in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Forty women, hand-selected by founder Nikkia McClain and known affectionately as “The Glossy Posse,” fly in from all over the country and descend upon the Moon Palace Jamaica Resort for three days of connection, adventure, and a chance to unwind.

The resort provides the perfect backdrop and ambiance for the retreat. In addition to the restaurants on-site (which are ideal for hosting evening events and dinners), Moon Palace also boasts multiple pools and beaches (perfect for daytime workshops and quality time as a group). Pool parties, beach parties, and dinner parties, oh my! What’s not to like about a place that can accommodate all three, and keep you well-fed with its all-inclusive offerings?

This year at SYG, our group opted for late-night talks around the jacuzzi after dinner. Still others nibbled on pastries and ice cream in the late-night cafe. In past years, we danced the night away at the dance club on the premises. There is literally something to match every personality and mood.

Think about your retreat objectives when selecting a location. Are you looking to escape to a warm-weather destination, a rugged mountain terrain, or will most of your time be spent indoors? Will you embark upon excursions primarily, or will you organize group events at your hotel of choice? Would you prefer an all-inclusive resort for on-site convenience, or are you planning to venture off-site in the evenings instead? As you map out your own retreat details, these questions will point you in the right direction.

2. The Company You Keep.

Your guest list should be inclusive and welcoming. The “you can’t sit with us” vibe is so Mean Girls circa 2004 and that would only breed insecurity and disconnect within your group.

Energy is currency. Make sure that your attendees’ personalities are aligned around a common theme or similar purpose and that the energies present will complement one another.

While the women of the Glossy Posse possess talent, beauty and intellect that serves them across various industries — activism, entrepreneurship, law, journalism, and finance — there is a common ideology that permeates the group. We invest in each other’s prosperity as we seek to further establish and elevate within our own sphere: by removing barriers and connecting the dots for one another, shouting for joy with every victory and huddling in support with every setback. It is a safe and sisterly space.

Maintaining this equilibrium is an important component of the SYG experience. And if you want to inspire and impact your attendees in a similar way, make sure that it’s an integral part of your formula, as well. It all starts with your guest list.

3. The Ties that Bind.

Choose activities and create workshops designed to bring attendees closer and relinquish any pretense. Team-building exercises should encourage everyone to let their walls down.

Dancing, for example, is a great way to connect and it also fosters a more authentic experience. Reggae (Bob Marley + dancehall), hip-hop, and R&B. Music accompanies us during most of our SYG journey — even on the bus ride to our annual yacht cruise.

In addition to yachting, some of us escaped to the nearby White River for a rafting excursion and a change of pace. The rafts, made entirely of bamboo, kept us afloat as we sailed peacefully downstream. Our time on the river was vastly different from our time on the yacht: one fostered community through dancing and music, and the other through stillness and sounds of nature.

Whether you’re planning to ski by day and unwind in the jacuzzi by night, or hike by day and meditate under the stars by sundown, create an itinerary that builds trust and a sense of community. And also one that sparks joy.

4. Relax, Relate, Release.

Despite it being a group bonding experience, remember that it’s also a vacation. Pad in some downtime for people to rest, connect with loved ones back home, or explore the location alone or in smaller groups. Everyone’s definition of relaxation is different. Some want to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who they can vibe with, while others choose time alone in the spa, or reading a book poolside.

I attend SYG every year because it meets all of these criteria.

Upon my return home from this year’s retreat, my heart was so open and so full. We had shared powerful and poignant moments, reuniting purposefully as a group for the first time since quarantine. I landed back in the U.S. with a profound sense of gratitude and renewal.

SYG only lasts a few days, but I leave with memories that sustain me throughout the entire year. Bonds are formed, walls are broken down and adventure abounds.

If you are wondering how to join SYG next year, the answer is complicated — there is no formal application process. For its founder Nikkia McClain, it is quality over quantity when it comes to choosing her Glossy Posse members. During a chance encounter with McClain while volunteering together at an empowerment workshop in Harlem, she and I bonded in between sessions. Before the day was done, she had invited me to the SYG retreat on the spot.

Always choose the path of love and service. You never know who you may meet and how you may go on to impact one another’s lives.

Purpose over pretense, always.

Follow culture and travel writer Karen J. Francis on Instagram and Twitter at @culturebykaren