An Unspeakeasy retreat is not a conference with breakout sessions, talking sticks, or ill-advised trust fall exercises.
It’s a series of curated, off-the-record conversations with intellectually curious people about the most complex and fascinating issues of our time. Retreats include guest speakers, great food, beautiful surroundings, and enough free time to forge important new friendships.
Retreats range from casual gatherings in private homes to our flagship retreats featuring guest speakers and a more structured discussion schedule. Some are overnight and some are daytime only. We began offering larger, coed retreats featuring multiple guest speakers and plenty of mingling time in Fall of 2025. Our Small Gathering For Big Ideas coed retreat in New York City was a smashing success.
All retreats are strictly off the record, social media is not allowed, and privacy is paramount.
We’ve held retreats all over the country: Seattle, Denver, Minneapolis, Louisville, Pocono Mountains, Texas Hill Country, California, Vermont, Cape Cod, and beyond.
UPCOMING RETREATS
Upstate New York Writing Retreat (Nonfiction)
OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS
For intermediate to advanced writers. Application required.
Catskill Mountains, NY
Saratoga Springs Living Room Retreat
REGISTRATION OPENS SOON
Women’s retreat
Saratoga Springs, NY
Hudson Valley Coed Retreat
OPEN FOR REGISTRATION
Kingston, NY
3-day, 2-night coed retreat
Unspeakeasy in New York City: A Small Gathering for Big Ideas (Coed)
Two days of off-the-record conversations with your favorite independent thinkers including John McWhorter, Mike Pesca, Carole Hooven, Rob Henderson and Meghan Daum.
CAPE COD, MA
Seaside retreat in Cape Cod, MA hosted by a member of our erstwhile online community.
WOODSTOCK, NY
Three-night retreat in a modern boutique hotel near the town center of Woodstock, NY.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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In a word: talking. And more talking. Over the course of the retreat, Meghan facilitates curated conversations on a range of topics. Guest speakers join in person and/or via Zoom. We provide lunch (and sometimes dinner), eat chocolate, laugh a lot, and learn even more.
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There are no trust exercises, breakout groups, talking sticks, walking meditations, or mandatory outings (maybe an optional yoga class). Most importantly, there is no social media or recordings. What happens at a retreat, stays at the retreat.
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Whether it’s CEOs or stay-at-home moms, atheists and believers, artists or accountants, the retreats bring together women of all ages, backgrounds and life experiences. It’s not a gathering of thought criminals or a secret cabal of #GirlBosses, it’s for intellectually curious women who crave nuanced conversation.
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Each Unspeakeasy retreat has a schedule of discussion topics based on the participants’ interests and knowledge base. The group sits and discusses each topic and has some free time throughout the day and in the evenings. A guest speaker will usually join one of the sessions. There are no trust falls, breakout sessions, or mandatory outings.
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Originally, our retreats were for women only, but we now offer a handful of co-ed options throughout the year.
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Overnight retreats do not include lodging as part of your fee. We do try to reserve a few rooms in case you would like to stay at the hotel the retreat is in, but you will still need to pay for it yourself.
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Refund & Cancellation Policy
As space is limited, and accommodations are secured well in advance, the cancellation policy is as follows:
A $1,500 deposit is required to reserve your place. The deposit is fully refundable within 14 days of booking. After this period, the deposit is nonrefundable. The remaining balance is due 90 days prior to the event.
If you cancel, the following refund schedule applies:
More than 90 days before the event: full refund, less the deposit
60–90 days before the event: 50% refund of total paid
30–60 days before the event: 25% refund of total paid
Within 30 days of the event: no refund
A credit may be elected in lieu of any refund, equal to the applicable refund amount. Credits are valid for 12 months.