When was the last time you had the space to really think about your marketing strategy?
It's easy to spend time doing marketing rather than stepping back to think about where you're heading. That's why we've created DigitalB Marketing Retreats, a new approach to professional development that brings together strategic thinking, creativity, AI skills and wellbeing.
This year, we’ve been in stealth mode and building something special. I’m really proud to be able to announce it first to our current DigitalB friends ahead of wider promotions.
In a world full of noise, interruption and increasing pressure from AI, we’ve created a new way for marketers to step back, think clearly and build capability in a changing workplace.
Designed specifically for marketing professionals, we have developed a completely unique concept, something that gives marketers the space they rarely get. Our retreats blend strategic thinking, creativity, gentle movement and AI capability building into an experience that genuinely shifts how people work.
Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of DigitalB Marketing Retreats.
These retreats are designed for marketers who want to become the best version of themselves in a world that is moving fast. They help you strengthen your critical thinking, explore your strategic direction, and learn how to use AI confidently without losing the human judgement that makes your work valuable.
And like all good things at DigitalB that are completely new to the market, we didn’t launch until we tested it properly.
Why we started with an MVP (Minimum Viable Proposition)
Before announcing anything publicly, we ran two trial retreats with a group of friendly clients/suppliers earlier this year. It was our MVR: a Minimum Viable Retreat designed to test the format, the flow, the exercises and the balance between strategy, creativity and wellbeing. Usually an MVP is used in a product development cycle, and as anyone who studies consumer behaviour knows, running an MVP experiment can be more truthful than market research on its own.
We created a space that allowed marketers to understand the experience we wanted to create, within a framework that also allowed for constructive and frank feedback. It showed us:
- how powerful it is when marketers step away from day‑to‑day delivery
- how quickly clarity emerges when people have structured time to think
- how creativity is unlocked after physical creative exercises
- how AI becomes less intimidating when explored calmly and practically
- how important it is to practise critical thinking so humans stay leaders in the loop, not just humans in the loop
The MVP gave us proof, insight and confidence. It helped us refine the agenda, strengthen the learning outcomes and build a retreat experience that genuinely works.
Launching without that test would have been guesswork which is far too risky. We would never advise this for our clients, and it would have been foolhardy to do ourselves. Launching it now means we’re offering something that has already delivered value and we can market it with full confidence that it’s valuable and will return ROI for our clients.
Why marketing retreats matter now
Marketing is changing and AI is incredible technology to disrupt and enhance our teams. However we have to also protect, develop and celebrate our unique human minds, in order for them to make the best decisions with context, strategic thinking and confidence.
I sat back at the beginning of this year, and looked at how we and our clients invest in upskilling and asked myself “What skills consistently matter most in business?” The answer I came up with was: judgement, creativity, strategic thinking, adaptability. Whilst our technical classroom courses supply some of this, there needed to be a different space created to support the current stresses of our clients.
Our retreats give marketers that space.
They are designed to help you:
- think more clearly about your direction
- strengthen your critical thinking
- explore how AI can support your work
- build stability and adaptability in equal measure
- reconnect with creativity
- reset your energy and mindset
It’s not a training classroom. We call it a strategic pause. It’s a chance to reset your thinking and come out the other side with better focus, direction and clarity.
What the retreats include
Each retreat blends:
- Strategic marketing work Reviewing goals, audiences, priorities and opportunities.
- Critical thinking practice Exercises that help you question assumptions and make better decisions.
- AI capability building Practical, grounded sessions on how to use AI effectively and responsibly.
- Creativity sessions Activities that unlock new ideas and fresh perspectives.
- Gentle exercise Walking, stretching and simple movement to support clear thinking. This can include yoga, cold water swimming and sound baths.
It’s a combination that works – it’s a canny method to unlock our minds and get our best work done. Our MVP proved it.
We have three retreats currently:
- Marketing Reset: Planning for 2027: How to unlock your mind and create a strategic plan for success.
- Leader in the Loop: A focus on critical thinking and leadership development, observing the best of AI and humans combined to create the most forward thinking marketing team.
- Bespoke Marketing Retreats: We can combine any of our marketing courses, in a retreat format, tailored to your own teams’ needs. If you would like to book your team on a retreat, rather than as an individual, please contact us with how we can facilitate your Away Days.
Built for marketers who want to lead
These retreats are for marketers who want to be leaders in the loop not just the ‘human in the loop’. This means people who use AI as a powerful tool, but keep human judgement at the centre of their work.
Charlotte and I took over DigitalB 3 years ago, because we were passionate about upskilling marketers so they can perform the best for their business and themselves. We’ve created these retreats for teams and individuals who want to think more strategically, plan more confidently and build capability that lasts.
They’re for organisations that understand that stepping away is sometimes the most productive thing you can do.
We’re ready.
And now, after testing, refining and shaping the experience, Charlotte and I feel confident to open DigitalB Marketing Retreats to the wider community. Hurrah! They’re live!
We have several wonderful locations for our retreats. Our Central UK location is Kington Grange and the very lovely Susan who owns this venue works closely with us to ensure the retreat is top notch. For those in the East of the country, our Norfolk retreat venue hosted us earlier this year for the MVP and is a great space to think.
What’s next?
Next year, in April and October, we will be introducing a beautiful French retreat in the Languedoc region with our DigitalB friends, Tilly and Will who own a fabulous retreat location, with yoga, wine tasting and a special guest to discuss conflict resolution and how to understand and optimise different personalities within your team/clients.
Our next location will take us away from luxury, and later in 2027, we will be announcing a ‘barefooting’ African retreat. This will be completely off the beaten track and add a new perspective to our offering – help to build an eco camp, eat and dance with locals, in addition to our usual marketing content. This will really help you to see outside the box!
Is it right for you?
If you’d like to explore a retreat for yourself or your team, please do get in touch. Our next retreat in November is a ‘Reset’ designed to crack 2027 planning. We also run ‘in-house’ retreats for your whole marketing team as an away experience. We’d love to help you create the space you need to think, plan and lead with confidence.
We all know marketing is ever-changing. The best thing you can do is pause long enough to decide how you want to move forward. I hope to welcome you on one of our retreats soon.
