FutureHouse

Lessons from hosting the FutureHouse 2024 AI-for-Science Retreat

In the fall of 2024, less than a year after launching FutureHouse, we hosted the first FutureHouse AI-for-Science retreat. We brought together many of the top researchers and funders in AI-for-Science, including two Nobel Laureates, a Fields Medallist, high-level government officials, and some of the world’s most influential philanthropists to identify the most important challenges and biggest opportunities facing the AI-for-science community today.

It was a triumph. Many of the guests told us it was the best retreat they had ever been to. The venue was spectacular, the talks were exciting, and the people were so engaged in conversation we could hardly wrangle them together for the main content. We learned so much about big-picture strategy as well as how to nail the nitty-gritty details, and we’re sharing everything here to help others benefit from what we discovered along the way.

The strategies we discuss here worked well because we have a well-connected team, which helped us secure outstanding speakers and engaged attendees. We aimed for an intimate, collaborative atmosphere to foster diverse ideas, robust discussions, and ensure each person felt integral to the experience. If you’re planning a similar event, consider your team’s unique dynamics and network, adjusting the details as needed to fit your context.

With that in mind, if you're hosting a retreat, here’s where to start. The success of your event ultimately hinges on three critical factors:

Are the Attendees Interesting? Do they want to interact with each other? Are they sufficiently comfortable with talking about what they do such that they will be able to have meaningful conversations?
Is the Event Designed So Attendees Can Talk to Each Other? Are the acoustics good enough that they can hear each other? Is there enough unstructured time in the schedule for them to interact with each other? Does the seating chart encourage useful interactions between attendees?
Is the Content Engaging? Are sessions structured around clear, actionable goals that align with the priorities of attendees? Does the agenda prioritize quality over quantity, and are formats interactive enough to keep participants invested in the conversation? Are diverse perspectives incorporated to offer a range of insights?

This guide is designed to ensure that the answer to the questions above is a confident "yes." It will also lead you through the essential steps for planning a successful retreat, including:

Along the way, you will also want to think about:

Finding Anchors and Selecting a Date

The first step in hosting a successful retreat is to define a clear purpose, secure key anchor attendees, and use their availability to set the date. By doing this effectively, you’ll have a core group of 10-20 exceptional individuals who not only elevate the event but also attract other high-caliber attendees.

Define the Purpose: First things first, know why you’re hosting this thing. Clarity upfront keeps you focused during the decision making process. The most common purposes are fundraising, recruitment, collaboration, and relationship-building.
When to Plan Your Event and For How Long: Decide when and how long you want the event to be. We found that keeping the retreat to ~2 days was the sweet spot for making enough time and space for meaningful engagement without burning out your attendees, and doing it Sunday evening - midday Tuesday meant it didn’t burn a full week of work. To maximize attendance, avoid conflicting industry events and holidays. You should also steer clear of weekends if you want to save on venue costs.
Secure Anchor Attendees: Once you know the purpose, make a wishlist of the people you want to attend. Identify a few big-name anchors on the list who you or people you know already have relationships with, and pitch them on coming. Once you have 4-5 anchors excited about the event, plan your event around their availability.
Bootstrapping the Attendee List: At this stage, leverage your anchor attendees to draw in other high-priority participants. Understanding why your attendees will want to connect with each other is essential. For instance, we recognized that scientists would be motivated to attend to connect with funders and funders would be interested in meeting leading scientists. Our strategy, therefore, was to secure a few renowned scientists as anchor attendees, use their presence to attract notable philanthropists, and in turn, use those philanthropists to bring in additional scientists, creating a mutually appealing network of participants. We gave everyone 2-3 tentative dates that were identified by our anchors, and asked them which would work for them. We were also clear to prospective attendees that we were considering running a retreat, but had not committed yet, to give ourselves an out in case we couldn’t get critical mass.
The Go/No-Go Decision: Once you have ~20 attendees secured, and have clarity on which dates work for most attendees, you can make your Go/No-Go decision and make a decision on venue.

Picking a Venue

Once you have a date, you need to pick a venue. Ideally, you want to book your venue 9-12 months in advance. We pulled ours off in under four months, but it was a scramble—do yourself a favor and give yourself more time.

Fancy or not? The first question to ask yourself is: how fancy do you want your venue to be? We hosted our retreat at a five-star resort in Napa Valley. We had anticipated that this was probably unnecessarily fancy, and we could have saved $100,000-$200,000 by choosing a less fancy venue. In the end, however, we found that the luxury resort setting was extremely valuable for shaping the vibe and putting the attendees in a good mood.

Consider these factors when selecting your venue:

Location: Choose a location 1.5 to 2 hours from a city with a major international airport. This is easy enough for attendees to reach, but far enough to keep them from leaving midway through. If you will have security-conscious attendees, make sure your venue is sufficiently secluded and that you work their security teams to ensure your VIP guests feel safe.
Size: The venue should strike a balance: contained enough for guests to easily navigate without getting lost, yet spacious enough to allow comfortable personal space. Ideally, it will offer a gym, several areas for dining and meetings, and a mix of indoor and outdoor common spaces where attendees can gather informally, take calls, or step outside for fresh air. Guest rooms should be no more than a five-minute walk from the main meeting areas.
Meeting Spaces: For an 80-person retreat, we found that it was important to have one plenary room for the whole group and three breakout rooms that seated 25-30 people each. Make sure they’re spacious enough to support your preferred layout (e.g., theater-style, round tables, or breakout areas), but not too large that it gives the impression you can’t fill it. Good lighting, comfortable seating, and temperature control are must-haves.
Acoustics: Acoustics are the most important element of a meeting space. Poor acoustics ruin conversations and presentations. Acoustics are especially important during meals and free time, since they determine how easy it is to talk to fellow attendees. Have dinners outside if possible. If that’s not possible, make sure the venue for meals has high ceilings and sound-dampening walls. If it doesn’t, invest in AV to fix it. Do not neglect acoustics, period.
Room Types and Availability: Before booking a venue, you’ll want to get a look at their accommodations. Ask to see each type of room and ensure there’s enough variety: you will want plenty of suites for VIPs and a mix of single and double rooms as well. Getting a full buyout is ideal because it offers security, customization of the environment, and you’ll get 100% of the staff’s attention. If a buyout isn’t feasible, aim to book at least 80-90% of the venue’s capacity.
Food: Catering quality significantly impacts the event's atmosphere, setting the tone for everything from formal dinners to casual conversations over lunch. Choose a venue with high-quality catering and options that accommodate dietary restrictions. Ensure there’s no compromise on taste or presentation for guests with specific dietary needs; vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free attendees often feel overlooked at these events. Schedule tastings to try all menu options—including those for restricted diets—and confirm they meet your standards.When planning food for large groups, choose dishes that will hold up well over time and maintain appeal on a large scale. Avoid creamy or starchy items like risotto, which can become congealed, as well as foods with overpowering flavors like garlic or intense spices. Instead, opt for dishes that retain their flavor, texture, and presentation over time, such as roasted vegetables, grilled proteins, or salads with sturdy greens.
Furniture: Most venues provide essential furniture like tables, chairs, linens, buffet stations, or podiums. Check whether these are included in the base cost or available for an extra fee. Ask to see the condition of the furniture while you’re on site tours. If the furniture doesn’t align with your desired aesthetic or the venue doesn't have enough to fit your guest count, be ready to rent additional furniture.
Weather Backup: If you’re planning outdoor activities, there needs to be enough space to move your event indoors in case of unfavorable weather. We had to move our lunch indoors as it was unseasonably warm during the day and space was a bit tight.

Curating & Inviting the Rest of Your Guest List

Once you have secured your 20 initial high priority attendees and your venue, you need to fill the remaining seats with the right mix of backgrounds and personalities. We found that 80 guests is the magic number for events like this: intimate enough for personal connections, but large enough to keep the energy high. Diversify your invite list between the relevant audiences; in our case, scientists, philanthropists, startups, investors and academics. You don’t want any one subgroup to dominate.

How to Get Big Names on Board: Attendees are more likely to join your retreat if they know other intriguing people will be there, creating a ripple effect where each participant adds value to the others. It’s in everyone’s interest to have strong attendees, so there’s a mutual motivation to attract top talent. To secure big names, start by inviting someone in their network, then ask that person to extend the invitation. One of our smartest strategies was partnering with three co-sponsors, each of whom invited their own contacts, broadening our network. We also brought in several well-connected friends leading their own AI-for-Science initiatives. While we initially worried about competing for attention, the opposite occurred—they were eager to bring in their own networks, amplifying our reach. To further motivate them to invite prominent contacts, we offered them speaking opportunities.
What Personalities Should Be in the Room? You want your attendees to be a balance of smart, eloquent, and fun. Everyone that’s there should of course be smart, but not everyone has to check all three boxes. If you want your event to be lively, you need 70% of people to be extroverted. Extroverts drive conversation and keep things moving, while the quieter folks can hang back and jump in when the moment's right. You need people who can talk about what they do, debate ideas, and push conversations forward—without needing a nudge. Ideally, your participants should already be familiar with each other; a high level of familiarity cultivates a good vibe.
Prepare for Last-Minute Changes: We had about 8% of people cancel within a couple of weeks of the event, and on the other hand, some of our most anticipated attendees confirmed only two weeks beforehand. This is a normal part of event planning, especially for high-profile gatherings. To stay flexible, we kept a reserve list of local contacts who could be invited at the last minute to fill any unexpected gaps. Additionally, prepare for potential speaker cancellations by identifying alternate speakers or having backup content ready, such as a panel discussion, Q&A session, or interactive workshop.

It’s Okay to Say No: People will inevitably ask to bring colleagues or peers, but you need to keep the right mix. If someone suggests a guest who doesn’t fit the dynamic, don’t hesitate to decline.

Communicating with Attendees

Clear, consistent communication is not just about logistics—it's about making sure attendees feel informed and prepared. Send a few well-timed, information-rich emails instead of frequent updates. Each email should clearly state what actions the attendee needs to take. If action is required (e.g., confirming travel arrangements), highlight or bold that section to avoid confusion. This approach ensures that every message adds value, and attendees are more likely to read them thoroughly.

Logistics:

Create a Central Hub: You’ll need one central location attendees can always look to for key info about the event —dates, location, organizers, and purpose. Instead of using an expensive event management software, we set up a hidden, password-protected event page on our existing website, which worked perfectly.
Streamline Registration: Simplify guest registration with a tool like Airtable and gather the following for each attendee: name, company, title, contact details, admin contact info, dietary & mobility needs, size (for swag), and headshots (noting public usage). If you plan to create an attendee guide, ask attendees to opt in during registration, and specify that the information provided will be used as-is for event materials. After submission, send an automated confirmation email to reassure guests their details are recorded.

Pre-event communications:

6 Months in Advance - Save-the-Date: We sent an initial email to invitees which included a one paragraph blurb about the event, a list of confirmed attendees and asked invitees to RSVP. Keep it short. Invitations should expire after a few weeks and be non-transferable so you stay in control. We continued to invite guests this way – with a save the date, followed by a registration email – up until about a week before the event.
3 Months in Advance - Registration: Three months before the event, we sent a registration email with the event website, sponsor details, logistics, and a high-level agenda, guiding guests through registration steps. We also invited specific guests to speak at this point.
1 Month in Advance - Hotel Confirms, Speaker Guidelines, and Key Logistics: We had the hotel confirm room details directly with attendees and sent our own email that shared a more in-depth agenda, key speakers, and critical logistics. At this point, we provided speakers with detailed guidelines regarding audience, presentation length and AV setup to help them prepare.
1.5 Weeks in Advance - Final reminders: We sent out one last round of reminders with check-in details and essential tips, like parking and venue locations.

During the Retreat

Daily Focused Emails: We found that guests liked that we sent one concise email at the start of each day with key details for that day—start times, locations, and reminders.
MC Reminders: Use your MC to provide important reminders verbally throughout the retreat, such as session start times, transportation options, and any schedule changes, helping attendees stay informed and on track.
24/7 Support Line: Give guests a contact number that they can call whenever they need something. We set up a Google Voice number to give attendees round-the-clock access to event staff.

Post-Retreat Communication

Thank You & Feedback: Send a thank-you email immediately after the retreat, along with a feedback form. Ask for feedback on the overall experience, sessions, logistics, and venue. We also asked attendees to suggest future invitees, which is helping us build the next guest list. Send the feedback request within 24 hours to get thoughtful responses while the experience is fresh.

Budget Considerations

Hosting a 2-night retreat for 80 people at a five-star venue costs roughly $550,000. At a less luxurious venue, you could probably get this down to $350,000 or so. The key is knowing where to allocate funds effectively, and to avoid overspending on things that don’t matter.

Here’s where you can expert the majority of your costs to come from:

Venue and Accommodations: This is going to be your biggest line item - it was about 65% of our total spend. Our event was during the busy season in Napa Valley, so accommodations weren’t cheap - run of house rooms were $1250 per night and 1-bedroom suites started at $1800 per night. You would certainly be able to find room rates in the $400-$700 range at a less luxurious venue. If you’re using event planners, engage them before signing a contract with the venue. They may be able to get you a 8-12% discount on room rates.
Food and Beverage: Good food matters—guests will notice if it’s subpar. But, be aware that menu prices aren’t what they seem. Expect to spend about 40% more than the listed menu price after taxes and fees. After taxes and fees, a buffet lunch totaled about $200 per person and a three-course dinner with passed appetizers and alcohol came out to be $375 per person. To save on your food and beverage spend, limit extras like post-yoga juices or rolling snacks, which was around $63 per person. Finalize your menus well in advance so you can get your Banquet Event Order (BEO)—the final catering contract—a few weeks before the event. We got ours late, which made adjustments impossible and left us with major blind spots in our F&B budget.
Offsite Dinners: We highly recommended changing the scenery for an offsite dinner but know they’re pricey. In Napa and other high-end places, expect to spend $800 per person on the low end and $1500 per person on the high end for dinner.
AV: A high-end event demands high-quality AV. If your sound cuts out during a keynote or visuals are blurry, even the best speakers can’t save an event from feeling unprofessional. Invest in top-tier equipment, like HD projectors, confidence monitors for speakers, and dependable microphones. Our video rental package—including a projector, screen, two confidence monitors, and switcher—came to about $5,000, while our audio setup - a two-speaker sound system, two handheld microphones, and five headset mics - cost $1,500. Be sure to budget for AV support staff as well. We hired an audio engineer, a video engineer for sessions, and two technicians for setup and breakdown, with labor costing $145 per person per hour.
Transportation: Off-site activities quickly drive up transportation costs, and let’s face it: you don’t want your VIP attendees in a cramped shuttle or a worn-out car service. For example, we found luxury sedan airport transfers cost around $370, including tax and tip, for a two-hour ride. For our offsite dinner, we used three 22-passenger luxury vans and one 12-passenger shuttle to accommodate our 80 guests, paying approximately $1,000 for a five-hour rental of each 22-passenger van.
Rentals and Decor: Venues generally provide a basic selection of furniture at no extra cost, but for anything beyond essentials—such as lounge furniture, decorative accents, umbrellas, or heaters—you’ll need to arrange rentals. For offsite dinners, it’s common to rent all key furniture, including tables and chairs. To achieve a specific look and feel, we highly recommend renting furniture and linens that align with your vision; while it can be costly, the impact is well worth it. For our event, we spent approximately $2,000 per outdoor lounge set, $1,500 per bar, $375 per heater, $55 per 66” round table, $115 per 8’ rectangular farm table linen, and $50 per chair. One surprise was that delivery, setup, and teardown fees amounted to 40% of the total rental costs. Florals are a nice-to-have that can also elevate the atmosphere, with smaller arrangements averaging $100 per centerpiece and larger, more elaborate ones at $250 or more.
Swag and Materials: Branded swag is nice, but don’t overdo it. Focus on quality over quantity. We gave everyone a high-quality tote bag, hats, water bottles, notebooks, pens, crackers and chocolate made by local Sonoma companies. In total, we spent about $250 per person on our swag bags.
Staffing and Event Management: Event planners or event runners are worth every penny. They’ll save you money through better deals and smoother execution. Expect to pay about $65 per hour for runners and $110 per hour for more experienced event staff.
Activities and Entertainment: Don’t spend on activities just to have them. If they don’t add value, skip them. Keep it simple and impactful. To give you a sense of costs, we spent roughly $2,000 on stargazing, $1,000 for a private yoga class and $110 per person for blind wine tasting.
Signage and Printing: High-quality signage, like name badges and welcome banners, adds a polished touch to the event experience, though costs can accumulate quickly. We hired a designer at $110 per hour for a 20-hour project. For printing, we partnered with a local company, Precision Graphics, which handled everything with just three days’ notice. The most costly items included magnetic name tags at $8 each, retractable banners at $192 apiece, and attendee guide booklets at $4.50 per booklet.

Designing an Impactful Agenda

The content agenda should feel natural, allowing time for deep dives into the subject matter while leaving space for organic interactions. Overprogramming can overwhelm participants, while under-scheduling can lead to disengagement. See here for an outline of our actual agenda vs. what we’d do differently next time here.

Schedule with Intention: Plan your key sessions when attendees are sharpest. We found 8:30 AM on the first full day was the sweet spot—everyone’s fresh. Keep your schedule tight—no more than 4-5 sessions a day. Don’t start earlier than 8:30 AM, and wrap up formal sessions by 2:30 or 3 PM, when attention starts to fade.
Anchor Events Keep Energy High: Mid-event lulls are real, so plan a major talk or panel toward the middle to reel people back in. For us, it was a panel featuring three household-name philanthropists. One thing we’ll do next time: schedule a break right after these major sessions. We didn’t, and people were itching to react to the discussion.
Less Is More: Avoid overloading the agenda. Breaks should be at least 30 minutes, and we think 45 minutes to an hour is ideal. These breaks aren’t just filler—they provide essential time for networking, decompressing, or deepening conversations sparked during sessions. Aim for about 40% scheduled programming and 60% free time, striking a balance that keeps attendees engaged while offering ample opportunity to recharge and connect informally.
Session Length: The sweet spot for session length is 45 minutes to an hour. Our longest session was one and half hours, and that’s the limit. Anything shorter than 30 minutes felt rushed (which happened with our roundtables). To stay on schedule, be ruthless about the length of talks. Be upfront and tell people you will cut them off, and then actually do it if they run over.
Session Types: Mix up the types of sessions too—short talks, discussions, and roundtables keep engagement strong throughout the day. Additionally, make sure to leave time for Q&A. We found that in most cases, the discussions following the sessions were equally or more interesting than the session itself and would recommend planning less talks to leave more time for roundtables and discussions.
Build in Flexibility: Have space for on-the-fly adjustments to accommodate spontaneous breakout sessions, extra time for particularly engaging discussions, or last-minute changes in speakers. At our retreat, we saw people fading during a two-track session and rescheduled the second half for the next day. Changing the agenda is possible, just ensure you communicate them clearly.
End Each Day on a High Note: Wrap up daily programming with something memorable—a panel, networking event, or off-site dinner. We ended one day at a winery with incredible views, which gave attendees something to talk about and left a lasting impression.

Creating a Good Vibe

Creating an engaging atmosphere goes beyond logistics. It’s about crafting a space where people feel comfortable, connected, and inspired.

The Seating Chart: Along with acoustics, the seating chart is one of the most important parts of the event. Remember that people can speak to 5 other people at narrow long tables, 4 people at round tables, or 2 at wide long tables. Make sure everyone can speak to at least one person they know, so they don’t feel alone; but make sure that at least half of the people they can speak to are new. For every table, you should have an idea about who is there and why.
Know Everyone’s Names: You should personally know the names and faces of everyone in attendance. In our case, we found that this created a sense of familiarity among attendees and put people at ease.
Interactive Elements Are a Great Add: Outside our session rooms, we showcased interactive art pieces from the Misalignment AI Museum—AI palm readers, a swag claw machine, and more. These installations added a fun twist and were instant conversation starters, blending art with substance.
Find Ways to Help Attendees Connect: We created an attendee guide where guests could share relevant projects and goals, and we took it one step further by creating personalized connection cards. Using AI, we suggested three people each attendee should meet and printed it out for each guest. This purposeful networking left everyone with meaningful new connections.
No Laptops Promotes Engagement: We enforced a no-laptop rule during sessions. It kept people fully present, leading to richer discussions and stronger collaboration.
Off-Site Dinners Are a Game-Changer: Shifting locations can work wonders. We picked a dinner spot just 5-12 minutes from the venue. That short distance made it easy for guests to show up late or leave early if needed, without disrupting the flow.
Low-Attention Activities Work Best: Choose activities that allow for informal interactions. We did stargazing and blind wine tasting, which were perfect. These events provide structure without requiring full attention, enabling attendees to relax and engage natural conversations. Just be mindful of the time of year, sunset/sundown times, and weather conditions when planning outdoor activities.
Focus on Quality Swag Over Quantity: Swag is a fun touch, but it’s not the star of your retreat. Focus on a few high-quality items guests actually want and make sure everything fits in a carry-on. While things like journals and pens may seem boring, they’re practical and appreciated. Snacks and consumable gifts, especially if they’re locally sourced, tend to be a hit too. Always plan to buy a little more than you think you’ll need - people will ask for extras.

AV and Technical Considerations

Your AV setup can make or break the event. Skimping on quality leads to poor presentation and weak impact.

In-House vs. Third-Party Vendors: In house AV vendors are convenient (they know the venue inside and out and can easily solve problems on-site) but pricey, as venues often take a cut. Gather quotes from third-party providers to negotiate costs with the in-house team; this helped us cut our AV fees by 50%. If the in-house vendor isn’t flexible on pricing, opt for a third-party to save.
Key AV Equipment:some text
- HD Projectors: Ensure clarity for detailed slides and video, even from the back.
- Confidence Monitors: One for slides, another for notes, keeps speakers on track.
- Timers & Clocks: Visible countdowns help sessions stay on schedule.
- Clickers: Let speakers control slides for smoother transitions.
- Microphones: Have a mix—handhelds for Q&A, lavaliers for hands-free, and headsets for mobile speakers.
Don’t Overcrowd the Stage: Do not put fancy visual elements behind your stage, or in the same room as your speakers, because they will distract the audience. We had two retractable banners with our logo that framed the stage nicely without it feeling overwhelming.
Get Presentations Early: Push speakers to send slides the day before their presentation so the AV team can load, test for compatibility, and ensure everything is ready, preventing last-minute tech issues. In our experience, not everyone will, but it’s worth it to get as many as possible.
Offer Practice Time: Open the meeting space early for rehearsals. Even seasoned speakers benefit from a room run-through—about half of ours practiced, and it was well worth it.

Signage: Make It Professional and Adaptable

High-quality signage sets a professional tone and helps attendees feel confident about navigating the event. Flexibility for last-minute changes is essential.

On-Site Printer: Have a high-quality printer handy for quick adjustments, and ensure it can print tabloid and letterhead size paper. Avoid designs with dark blocks of color, as they don’t print well on-site. Use 80-100 lb paper thickness for schedules and 110-130 lb for premium items.
Use a Designer: Don’t DIY the signage. Professional, clear signage elevates the event. Your signage should match your event’s branding—fonts, colors, logos, the works. Go for contrast and readable font sizes. Grayscale looks good digitally but can print poorly, so test samples.
Print Early: Test and print early to avoid chaos; we learned the hard way when our attendee guide’s font ended up too small to read easily.
Magnetic Name Tags: At 3.5” x 2.5”, they’re easy to wear without damaging clothes. Bring extras, white stickers and white-out for on-the-fly fixes.
Venue Resources: Many venues offer printing for extra signs, food labels, or directional cards - take them up on this. It’s one less thing for you to focus on. Just be sure to double-check for accuracy, especially on dietary info, as guests rely on these.

Conclusion: A Blueprint for Success

The success of the 2024 AI-for-Science Retreat was a testament to the power of careful planning, intentional attendee selection, and creating the right atmosphere. We brought together some of the most influential voices in science and philanthropy, crafted an agenda that balanced structure with spontaneity, and designed an environment where genuine connections could thrive. From defining a clear purpose and securing key attendees to fine-tuning logistics and enhancing engagement through AV, every element contributed to an experience our guests described as one of the best meetings they’d attended.

This guide captures our learnings, from the foundational aspects to the nuanced details that elevate a retreat from good to exceptional. Whether you're planning your first retreat or looking to refine your approach, we hope this guide equips you with the insights and tools to create an impactful, memorable event.

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The FutureHouse Guide for Retreats and Conferences