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A Focus on Focus Weeks
This year, we’re offering opportunities for guests to immerse themselves in Blackberry Mountain with curated weeks that highlight the core elements of the Mountain lifestyle: wellness, culinary, adventure and art. Throughout 2021, Focus Weeks will offer experiences that invite guests to connect, satiate, discover and create on a journey to explore the rhythms of the Mountain.
What are Blackberry Mountain’s new Focus Weeks?
Kelley Harris: Focus Weeks are times throughout the year when we will highlight certain elements of the Blackberry Mountain experience. Each of the weeks will feature activities, menu items and unique experiences that celebrate something important to us. Guests will have an opportunity to select these à la carte for a little taste of the focus element, or to truly dive in and explore it fully by making it the foundation of their visit.
What inspired the creation of these new opportunities, and why did you decide to try something new for 2021?
There are certain areas of the Blackberry Mountain experience that are integral to our identity. We felt like the start of this new year was a perfect time to roll out a new way to engage with and celebrate these special things!
At their core, Focus Weeks at Blackberry Mountain are designed to integrate into the leisure nature of the property. We have taken four of the important elements of the Blackberry Mountain experience – Wellness, Culinary, Adventure and Art – and are dedicating one week each month to highlighting a piece of each of these. Programming will consist of activities that are already part of the daily rhythms, but we will be taking the focus of the week and enhancing those daily activities.
How do Focus Weeks present a different experience than a typical event?
Focus weeks are something that can be experienced completely at leisure and that can be done without joining into a group activity or large gathering. Not only is this something we recognize our guests may be looking for in this unique time, but it’s also a way to touch more of our guests with little special moments, versus a focus on one group of people. Additionally, this gives the guests the ability to choose how much or little they want to delve into the theme. Join one activity, build a day around the theme or completely immerse in the experience for your full visit! Options!
Finally, these focus weeks celebrate and highlight elements of our property, which means our people! Our instructors, experts, chefs and team are so special. It has been so fun to build unique and elevated programming with our teams, and they have been so inspired! The results are some really cool experiences for our guests.
Do you have to be good at the activities being highlighted during the week in order to get the best experience, or are these weeks approachable to anyone?
Oh gosh, no. The activities within the Focus Weeks are intended for anyone who simply wants to dip a toe into the waters of the theme of the week, as well as for someone who is excited to dive all the way in! For example, our first week – Focus on Wellness: Body – was created to celebrate one of the pillars of our wellness philosophy. Our classes, daily rituals and special offerings allow guests to experience more restful and restorative options as well as intensive and high energy opportunities. A guest could join one class, stop by for a specialty hydration beverage and chat with our instructors. Or someone else could choose to join us for a fully immersive experience for 5 nights, with so many additional unique activities and amenities.
What safety measures is Blackberry Mountain taking during these weeks?
The nature of these weeks allows for the upmost in safety and precautions. This is intended to be experienced at leisure and without the need for a group or gathering. Any classes are limited to very small numbers to ensure proper distancing, and we do require masks for all group experiences. And of course, as you can expect, our whole property takes all cleaning, sanitation, masking and protocols very seriously to ensure everyone has the safest experience possible.
What are you most looking forward to about this new event approach?
I am thrilled for guests who would not typically want to commit to a full three-day retreat or large cooking school event to be able to have some small tastes of the unique and fun content and experiences that we create when we are celebrating something special!
What do you hope guests get out of participating in a Focus Week?
I would love to see guests who might usually come to Blackberry because of our reputation for amazing food and wine to try out one of the special offerings for an adventure or art week. Or someone who is coming to spend their whole visit at the spa and fitness facilities to check out some of the elements of a culinary week. Basically, I hope that our guests take us up on the offer to check out these pieces of our Blackberry Mountain identity that we are highlighting. Because these are who we are, and we are so proud and excited to share.
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