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If you see questions not addressed, please feel free to email us at hello@calmsummit.com.

Basics

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What exactly is the Calm Company Summit?
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The Calm Company Summit is an event series optimized for connection, which gathers founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders building for the long-term. Using unforgettable shared experiences in incredible locations, we resource builders with new ideas, new perspectives, and new friends in high places. As an event, Calm Company Summit challenges the assumptions of traditional startup conferences, focusing on providing a framework for the sort of spontaneous, organic conversations that will lead to authentic connection.

Who is it for? Can I bring my team?
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Builders are welcome, so bring your key players! Calm Company Summit is a good fit for founders, senior leadership, and investors. We want every attendee to get value out of the program we’ve designed, but also, out of sharing space with the other awesome people that show up for it. That means, in order to balance attendance and keep the event founder-focused, we do review every registrant’s details to make sure they’re a good addition. In the event that we have any questions, we’ll reach out.

Can I bring my spouse, partner, or family?
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Quite often, yes. Our goal with Calm Company Summit is to design a wholly different sort of event—one that doesn’t exist in a conference room vacuum, and instead embraces the fact that professional development often happens best in more personal environments. By making non-participant registrations available whenever possible, we ensure that the event remains accessible to the widest range of builders.

You’ll find details on guest registrations and childcare in each respective Summit’s FAQ section.

What are the rules? Can I pitch other attendees on my product?
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We fully expect founders to have candid conversations about their journeys and products, but we do maintain a “no sales pitch” environment. That is, we expect attendees to avoid opportunistic, transactional, and superficial pitches of their product in favor of meaningful and constructive conversations about their companies. This is, after all, a conference of your peers.

Beyond that, we expect attendees to be kind, collaborative, and respectful. We also expect attendees to refrain from behavior or speech that is (or could be interpreted or received as) inappropriate. In short? Be kind!

Camp

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Registration
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What is the ticket price?
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The Calm Company Summit: Camp registration price is $2,200.

What is included in the tuition cost?
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Everything—your participation, food, and lodging. Specifically, your Calm Company Summit: Camp registration includes access to all Summit programming, including on-site activities, workshops, panels, and special sessions. The price of admission also includes food and drink for the duration of your stay, beginning with dinner on Monday night and ending with breakfast on Thursday. Finally, each Summit registration includes a private room in a shared cottage. Lodging upgrades are available, and details on those lodging types are here.

Can I bring my spouse, partner, or family to Camp? If so, what is the cost?
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Absolutely. We’ve booked exclusive use of the retreat center, and there’s plenty to do on site. Features such as the lake, playgrounds, a child recreation center and child care make it a perfect trip for families. While nicely secluded, the venue is also just a stone’s throw from downtown Hendersonville in the event guests are interested in offsite activities.

Adult guest tickets are $400 each and include all meals, access to the center’s amenities, and participation in designated group events. Children ages 4-12 are $300 each and include meals, access to designated group events and activities, and even childcare. Children ages 0-3 are welcome free of charge. (Please note that adding guests does necessitate a lodging upgrade from the shared cottage to either an Inn room or private cottage.)

What is not included in my tuition?
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Your travel. We will facilitate carpooling where possible and also have an onsite shuttle, but your airfare and/or rental vehicle is not included. Optional lodging upgrades—to either an Inn room or private cottage—are available during registration as well. Finally, while it may go without saying, your tuition does not cover any optional purchases from the on-site shop or alcoholic beverages (outside of the designated happy hours, that is).

What if I can’t stay for the entire week?
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We’d love for you to join us, even if you can’t make it out for the entire week. There will be plenty of founders to meet and activities for you to participate in from the moment you arrive that will make the experience worthwhile. While you’re free to arrive late or dip out early, just note that we’re not able to provide discounted tuition or lodging in the event you can’t make all the dates.

Lodging & Facilities
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Where exactly is the event?
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The ultimate outdoor retreat, Kanuga is nestled on 1,400 peaceful and pristine acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Hendersonville, NC (about 40 minutes south of Asheville). Treasured by those who crave time in the great outdoors, it features a 30-acre lake for swimming, boating, paddle boarding and fishing, 20 miles of private hiking trails, playing fields, sport courts, and climbing walls, as well as plenty of rocking chairs and porch swings that are perfect for winding down after an action-packed day.

How does lodging work?
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Your registration includes a private room in a shared cottage. Upgrades to a private cottage buyout or an Inn room are available during registration on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please note that if you are purchasing a non-participant registration (for a guest and/or child) an upgraded private lodging is required.

If you’re attending the Summit with your team, and planning on lodging together but registering separately, only one person is required to upgrade their lodging. If you have any questions on the process or are inquiring about larger group registrations, please reach out to us at: hello@calmsummit.com

What type of accommodations are available?
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Private cottage rooms and private cottages, camping, and a contemporary inn (for those who prefer hotel-style accommodations) are all available on site. You can find details and photos here. No matter what lodging type you choose, you’ll have access to all of the center’s amenities, and the full range of indoor and outdoor gathering areas—so you can hit the gym or just find a quiet spot to work.

How’s the cell reception on site? The wifi?
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You won’t be completely off the grid. The cell reception is generally solid, and there’s strong wifi accessible throughout the property (with the exception of the campsites). If you’re aiming to get some serious work done, there are also several private nooks and a library in the central lodge.

Can the venue accommodate my accessibility needs?
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Yes. If you have questions on which lodging types meet your particular accessibility needs, please reach out. Otherwise please be sure to indicate any requirements you have during registration to help us place you in a room that meets your needs.

How will meals be served?
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Calm Company Summit tickets include your food and drink for the duration, beginning with dinner on the first night and ending with breakfast on the final day. These Southern-style meals will be prepared with locally sourced produce and, in true Camp fashion, generally served buffet-style either by the lake or in the dining room. We're glad to accommodate preferences and dietary restrictions, which are indicated at the attendee level (including guests) when assigning tickets. We’re also planning incorporate some local favorites—including some of Asheville’s finest food trucks—which will be included dining options.

A quick note on alcoholic beverages: local beers, wines, and craft spirits are included only during special events and happy hours. They are otherwise available to purchase from the onsite bar.

travel & packing Information
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What airport do I fly into?
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The center is 30 minutes from Asheville Regional Airport, 1 hour from the Greenville International Airport, and 2 hours away from Charlotte International Airport.

How do I get to the retreat center?
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Kanuga is located just south of Historic Downtown Hendersonville in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, easily accessible whether you're driving or flying.

Click here for specific directions on how to reach Kanuga.

Car rentals are available from the airport. Learn more here.

What if my plans change and I have to cancel? Can I get a refund?
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Calm Company Summit: Camp registrations are refundable (less a processing fee) until May 31st, and transferrable to another attendee until June 30.

Should I get travel insurance?
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If the past couple of years are any indication—you may want to consider travel insurance to protect your investment. Many travel insurance options offer broad coverage, meaning whether you need to cancel or change plans due to family, work, or other circumstances, you’re covered.

Italy

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Registration
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What is the ticket price?
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The Calm Company Summit: Italy registration price is $2,600 for a Palazzo ticket or $2,400 for a Flex ticket—the primary difference being the included lodging.


**If you’re a group of friends/co-founders who would like to share a room, enquire directly at hello@calmsummit.com for custom pricing.

What is included in the tuition cost?
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Everything—your participation, food, and lodging. Specifically, your Calm Company Summit: Italy registration includes access to all Summit programming, including on-site activities, workshops, and roundtables. The price of admission also includes most food and drink for the duration of your stay, starting with dinner Saturday running through breakfast on Tuesday.

Finally, each Summit registration includes a private room. Lodging upgrades are available, and details on those lodging types are here.

Transportation to the site is not included, but we will offer 1-2 complimentary shuttles from the Rome airport (and back, at the end of the summit.) Timing TBA.

Can I bring my spouse, partner, or family?
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Absolutely. We’ve booked exclusive use of the castle and there’s plenty to do! Your guest will be thrilled with the experience of exploring the town and palazzo, and can enjoy the local flavor (or use our tour company to book an adventure) while the workshops commence.

We will have childcare available for an added fee, but want to note that since food, activity, and lodging costs are calculated on a “per person” basis at this venue, there’s no discount for children versus adult guests. (Generally speaking, Camp is better suited to accommodate a full family unit.)

If I choose to bring additional non-participating guests, what is the cost?
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Guest tickets are $1400 each and include all meals, lodging shared with the primary Summit registrant, and access to designated group events.

Due to the space limitations and fixed per-person costs for food, activity, and lodging at this venue, there’s no discount for children versus adult guests.

What is not included in my ticket price?
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Your travel. We will facilitate carpooling where possible and also have a 1-2 complimentary airport shuttle times from Rome Airport (but space is limited.) Otherwise, your airfare and/or rental vehicle is not included. Renting a car (or vespa!) to explore nearby towns or stick around before/after is highly encouraged.

Optional lodging upgrades—to either Palazzo or Flex tickets—are available during registration as well. Finally, while it may go without saying, your ticket does not cover any optional purchases from the on-site shop or alcoholic beverages (outside of the designated mealtime drinks, that is).

What if I can’t stay for the entire week?
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We’d love for you to join us, even if you can’t make it out for the entire time. There will be plenty of founders to meet and activities for you to participate in from the moment you arrive that will make the experience worthwhile. While you’re free to arrive late or dip out early, just note that we’re not able to provide discounted tuition or lodging in the event you can’t make all the dates.

Lodging & Facilities
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Where exactly is the event?
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The ultimate Italian countryside retreat, Palazzo Mannocchi is in Petritoli, Italy, which is about 30 minutes from the Adriatic coast.  It’s a small medieval town, walkable in about 15 minutes.

How does lodging work?
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Lodging is included with your registration, based on your selected registration type. A Palazzo registration secures a room in the Palazzo (considered the Summit HQ for Italy). A Flex registration will get you one of the few rooms in town or the nearby fortress. Registration types and their associated upgrades are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If you’d like to arrange a group booking, or even just share a room with your co-founder/another team member, we may be able to offer concession pricing (depending on availability). Please reach out to us directly to discuss that at: hello@calmsummit.com.

What type of accommodations are available?
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The Palazzo is a castle, an 18th century residence frescoed ceilings, Roman period vaulted halls, authentic antique period furniture, and extreme panoramic sea and mountain views. It’s not a hotel, however—it’s much more like a holiday home. It’s laid out accordingly, with lots of (updated) bathrooms, but not one-to-a-room. Likewise, while there are plenty of windows, it’s a castle—so no central air.

Think of this as time traveling. The accommodations are incredibly elegant, if somewhat non-formal/rustic. The Flex tickets include rooms in the village or a nearby medieval fortress! You can find more details and photos here.

There's options to upgrade to private bathrooms and/or AC if you miss creature comforts.

No matter where you wind up, you’re welcome to avail yourself of the Palazzo’s—and greater villages—amenities for the duration of the event.

How’s the cell reception on site? The wifi?
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You won’t be off the grid. The cell reception may depend per carrier, but there’s strong wifi accessible throughout the property! Co-work in a castle, anyone? If you’re aiming to get some serious work done, there are also several private nooks and dining rooms available.

Can the venue accommodate my accessibility needs?
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Yes. If you have questions on which lodging types meet your accessibility needs, please reach out. Otherwise please be sure to indicate any requirements you have during registration to help us place you in a room that meets your needs.

Note that while we do have a limited number of rooms without stairs, the greater architecture of a medieval town is not the most accessible overall—cobblestones and winding staircases are the norm.

How will meals be served?
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All Calm Summit tickets include a meal plan, which begins with dinner on the first night and ends with breakfast on the final day. These regional Italian meals will be prepared with locally sourced produce—and we're glad to accommodate preferences and dietary restrictions, which can be indicated on the registration form.

(Note that while Italian wines will be included, we may not always have a full bar available.)

travel & packing Information
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What airport do I fly into?
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For international travelers, the Rome airport is the nearest destination, about 2.5 hours away.

For local European flights, we recommend flying in to Ancona airport about an hour away. Ancona has more flights during the summer, including direct flights from London, Munich, and a selection of other European cities.

How do I get to Petritoli?
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***Further details TBA***

While transport is not included, we want to ensure you make your way with ease!

We will facilitate carpooling where possible and also have a 1-2 complimentary airport shuttle times from Rome Airport + Arcona Airport (but space will be limited). Private taxis + shuttles are available from Arcona airport.

Renting a car (or vespa!) to explore nearby towns or stick around before/after is highly encouraged.

How should I pack? What’s the weather like that season in the region?
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Described as Mediterranean, Le Marche region experiences hot summers with dry heat and only a small chance of rainfall.

Le Marche is enjoyable all summer, with August being the hottest month. The average summer temperature here is slightly milder than in Italy’s southern regions, sitting around 24 C (75 F) but can see highs of 29 C (85 F). Due to being near the coast, there is humidity—so it can feel very warm at times, but this makes it perfect for dips in the pool. And don't forget the final day is a seaside excursion! 

What if my plans change and I have to cancel? Can I get a refund?
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Registrations are refundable (less a processing fee) until March 20th, and transferrable until May 15th—that way we have plenty of time to get your booking back into the hands of another attendee. If you’re facing circumstances that require special consideration, please reach out directly for assistance.

Meanwhile, rest assured that if some fresh global catastrophe were to impact our ability to actually produce the event, we would commit ourselves to keeping you updated and identifying a satisfactory resolution.

Should I get travel insurance?
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If the past couple of years are any indication—you may want to consider travel insurance to protect your investment. Many travel insurance options offer broad coverage, meaning whether you need to cancel or change plans due to family, work, or other circumstances, you’re covered.