I’m sure many readers of ArcticStartup wish their regional startup news source was called TropicalStartup instead, but at least it’s getting to be summer. But this fall when the cold North winds start to blow, Danish entrepreneur Michael Bodekaer has put together an entrepreneur getaway in Bali, providing all the necessities for you to get some work done in a stress-free environment. This year’s Project Getaway runs 16 September to 16 October with participation costs starting at $56 a day put to $178 depending on the Villa you select. The event is non-profit, reducing the costs.
To find out more, we talked to Lieve de Lint, who is also organizing Project Getaway this year with Bodekaer.
How did Project Getaway get started?
The idea for Project Getaway came when Michael Bodekaer was traveling and kite surfing around the world while working on his many tech startups. He loved seeing different cultures and experiencing new things every day, but he missed the sheer fun and inspiration that you get when you connect with like-minded people and fellow entrepreneurs. He noticed that more entrepreneurs where missing the same. Enter Project Getaway. The first Getaway in Bali, Indonesia in September 2010 was a roaring success, more and more requests for more Getaways came in and more Getaways were planned! This year, the third big Project Getaway event will take place in Bali, from the 16th of September to the 16th of October.
What kinds of services are provided to Entrepreneurs?
First we’re making sure that the normal daily hassles like cleaning, doing groceries/cooking food and doing laundry are eliminated so entrepreneurs can concentrate solely on working on their businesses and passions (which is hopefully the same :), while enjoying life to the fullest. The staff takes care of the rest.
We also make sure there are spacious workspaces in all three villas, with enough fans, power-points, monitors and stable internet to provide an optimal workspace. But it doesn’t stop there. Last year we introduced the Mobile Luxury App, which is an IPhone app with which you can order fresh fruit juices, tea/coffee, snacks, haircuts and even massages. You can decide where you want to have your orders delivered, from the villas to the swimming pool. As you can imagine, the app was a huge success, and will be re-introduced at this years’ event.
We organize master-mind sessions, where we encourage every entrepreneur to get into one subject of their expertise or we invite people to give a talk. Last year for example, we had a Q&A session with Leo Babauta, from Zen Habits, and had several other entrepreneurs visit us during the event to share their experiences and fun stories.
Do you guys actually get work done?
Absolutely. The whole environment is set up for work and moments of great relaxation and beautiful surroundings are intended to keep you creative and re-energize you to create even more cool stuff.
With 16 passionate entrepreneurs in one space, you can count on the fact that the energy is up and simply put very contagious. By not having to focus on anything else than work, you get a lot more free-time at the end of the day. One of the most reported feedback from previous participants was that they were amazed how productive they were during Project Getaway, while still having had a great time exploring Bali and just enjoying life.
