UNPLUGGED
Business Retreat
EARLY BIRD DOORS ARE NOW OPEN!
A two night business mastermind retreat at Tirohana Estate, Martinborough, for founders and leaders
ready to put the business down for a minute and think clearly again.
Step out of the noise - Give yourself two days of space.
DATE:
Sunday 18 - Tuesday 20 October
VENUE:
Tirohana Vineyard Homestead
This is for you if...
You’re busy… or unsure if you’re focused on the right things or are continually being distracted
You crave space to think clearly
You want direction without overwhelm
You’re ready to step into CEO energy
You value calm leadership over hustle
You crave the space and conversation to talk and grow your business.
Limited spots available
Early Bird available until 31 August.
Craving some space?
Reset with a small group of like-minded women
UNPLUGGED
Business Retreat
What makes this different?
This is not a conference.
It’s not a loud networking event.
It is space.
It’s facilitated strategy.
A small group.
Structured, intentional conversations.
facilitated sessions on where your business is right now and your next move,
a real nutrition session, "
Speed Kōrero,"
an afternoon making something with your hands at a local art studio,
a no-fluff panel with women a few steps further down the road,
two special dinners and a wine tasting, all under a dark sky reserve, two nights twin-share accommodation included
A look at our time together
A Vibe of Space, Sessions, and Stillness
This retreat is paced to balance real rest at Tirohana with a handful of sessions that actually matter, the ones that get you thinking clearly again.
Nothing is rushed. Nothing is overpacked.
Space is the priority.
Sunday 18 October
Arrival from 3:00pm
Orientation: group check-in and introductions
Welcome drinks, canapés & wine tasting
The Starting Point: a facilitated session finding the group's shared theme for the retreat
Welcome Dinner, Tirohana Estate restaurant
Evening: free time (with maybe a brief activity TBA)
Monday 19 October
Rise and Shine: optional movement - yoga or a walk
Breakfast
The Next Move: facilitated workshop, naming where your business is right now and your next move
Break
Nutrition & Wellness session with Sarah Percy (Eat Nutrition), lunch included
Art Excursion: giant flower-making workshop at Ventana Art Studio, "Speed Kōrero" happening alongside
Open Session: read, walk, workshop with the group, or journalling
Dinner, Tirohana Estate restaurant
Evening: free time, stargazing under the dark sky reserve
Tuesday 20 October
Rise and Shine: optional yoga or a walk
Breakfast
Next Level: pushing everyone to think bigger about what's next
Break
Business Conversations Panel, with lunch alongside the panellists
Next Steps: write a letter to yourself, sealed and posted back in the new year
Depart approx. 3:00pm
Note: the schedule is subject to change, with possible extra addtions to be added.
Sessions include
Nutrition & Wellness
Facilitated by Sarah Percy,
Eat Nutrition
Gut health has been the industry's favourite buzzword for over a decade, and Sarah's going to tell you what it actually means for you.
This is the "how do I stay healthy while running a business" session, with real answers, not Pinterest advice.
Sarah brings serious expertise in nutrition through peri-menopause and menopause, so expect the group to sit up, swap notes, and maybe rethink breakfast.
Bring your questions, all of them. Because a burnt-out leader makes for a burnt-out business.
Lunch is part of the lesson too: Sarah will guide you through building your own healthy, sustainable lunch, Buddha bowl style, so you leave with a habit you can actually keep, not just a handout.
Art Excursion
Facilitated by Becs Mackie
Ventana Art
Time to properly step away from the laptop.
The group heads into Martinborough to Ventana Art Studio for an afternoon of pure escapism, well, almost. Led by the brilliant Becs, you'll be guided step by step to create your own giant wall flowers with your own two hands.
Expect it to turn into more than a craft session: this is where the real talk happens, your whys, your challenges, the exciting stuff on the horizon, the stretchy stuff too.
With the group behind you, you'll walk out with the start of a plan, and something genuinely beautiful you made yourself.
Business Panel
Rachel Riddle - Riddle Media
Claire Wells - A Complete Cow
From a paddock, a garage, and a home office, these women built businesses that actually work.
Join Rach, Claire, and one more guest (TBC) for an honest sit-down about business, mindset, and the sheer determination it takes to make self-employed life pay its way.
No polish, no highlight reel, just what actually got them here.
Book your spot at UNPLUGGED
Meet your host
Tania DeJonge, Event Manager & Sponsorship Specialist, is the founder of Virtually There Events and the woman behind Unplugged.
She's spent 25+ years running conferences, symposiums, workshops and retreats across the UK and Aotearoa, and knows exactly what it takes to get a room full of founders to actually switch off and be honest with each other.
Off the clock, Tania's rebuilding her own habits from the ground up: whole foods over packaged, little to no alcohol for the last 14 months, and steadily working her knees back to strength. Cooking is where she puts her hands to use, and the garden at home in Martinborough is where she properly switches off.
She'll be at Tirohana the whole two nights, running sessions, keeping your cup all topped up.
YOUR TAKEAWAYS
My intention is for you to leave with:
A clear next move for your business, not just a nice idea
Actual headspace, not just two days off the clock
A handful of people who get exactly what running a business feels like
A plan you wrote down yourself, sealed, and will read again
Friendships that outlast the retreat
This isn't about escaping your business for 48 hours. It's about coming back to it with intention and just mabybe a plan.
Tirohana Estate & Homestead
Some notes on our venue
Tucked into the vines on the edge of Martinborough village, under a dark sky reserve, Tirohana Estate is home for the Unplugged retreat.
You'll stay in the self-contained vineyard house: twin share rooms, a woodburner, and a verandah deck built for watching the light change over the vines. Dinner both nights is at the estate's own award-winning restaurant, paired with a wine tasting at the cellar door.
Sessions run from the house itself, which has a kitchen and dining room built for exactly this kind of small group work.
Arrive Sunday afternoon, and by Tuesday you'll have had more headspace than the last three months combined.
Rooms & Pricing Details
All prices are NZD per person and include GST.
Twin share is the standard. VIP tickets give you first pick of room, and the choice to have it to yourself rather than share, first come first served. Once single-stay availability runs out, the VIP option comes off the table.
The house sleeps up to 16 across five bedrooms & 2 living spaces, all bathrooms are shared:
I am removing the 2 living spaces as options for this retreat.
Owner's Suite (upstairs) — double + single bed, ensuite bath
Front Bedroom (upstairs) — double + single bed
Back Bedroom (upstairs) — double bed
Front Bedroom (downstairs) — two single beds
Vineyard Suite (downstairs) 3 share — double + two single beds, ensuite shower
This one's going to sell out fast, so if you've got a special rooming request or a question before you book, email tania@virtuallythere.co.nz and we'll sort it.
PRICING
Prices are per person in NZD, and include GST. Only 10 spots available, so the earlier you book, the better the price.
Window | Standard (twin share) | VIP (own room) | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
Early Bird | $995 | $1295 | 18-31 August |
Standard | $1195 | $1495 | From 1 September |
Pay in full at booking, or 50% now with the balance due by Friday 18 September 2026. See Booking & Payment for the full terms.
Inclusions & Exclusions
What is included
✓ 2 nights' accommodation at Tirohana Estate, twin share (or your own room, VIP)
✓ All meals, including dinner both nights at Tirohana Estate restaurant
✓ Morning and afternoon teas
✓ A wine tasting
✓ All facilitated sessions and workshops across the programme
✓ Nutrition & Wellness session with Sarah Percy (Eat Nutrition), lunch included
✓ Art Excursion at Ventana Art Studio
✓ Business Conversations Panel, with lunch alongside the panellists
What's not included
✗ Travel to and from Tirohana Estate - but reach out to Tania to disucss options
✗ Alcohol beyond the included wine tasting
✗ Travel insurance
✗ Accommodation outside the retreat dates
FAQ
How can I join?
Sign up here.
Spots are on a first come, first served basis.
How do I get there?
Tirohana Estate is in Martinborough, Wairarapa. [Directions/transport details to confirm.]
What are the rooming configurations?
See Rooms & Pricing above. Standard is twin share, VIP gets first choice of room and the option to have it to yourself.
What should I pack?
Layers, it's Wairarapa spring, mornings and evenings are cool even when the days are warm. Comfortable clothes for sessions, something you don't mind getting a bit of paint or glue on for the art session, and closed shoes if you fancy a walk through the vines. your content...
Will there be downtime?
Yes. Evenings are free both nights, and Day Two's afternoon has open options: read, walk, workshop with the group, or a facilitated journalling session, whatever you need.
TANIA DEJONGE
Award-winning Event & Sponsorship Management, Aotearoa New Zealand
25+ years' experience across the UK and New Zealand running conferences, symposiums, workshops and retreats. Based in Martinborough, working across Aotearoa. We handle the sponsorship deals, the logistics and the fine print. What you get back is an event that runs itself, and a room full of people who actually want to be there.
