Registration is Open for the Fall 2025 AEC Leadership Retreat!
AEC Acoustics: Disconnect and Reconnect!
When: Sunday, November 9 - Friday, November 14, 2025.
Where: Lake Swan Camp. 647 State Road 26, Melrose, FL 32666.
Travel: Nearest airport is Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) in Gainesville, Florida.
Extras: This is a family friendly (and alcohol free) event with counselor lead activities for the little ones ages K-5 during the day.
Register: Register via Google Forms.
Early Bird pricing is $1499 and includes all accommodations, meals, sessions and activities. Limited to 40 attendees!
Sign Up for AEC Acoustics Updates!
Who Should Attend?
The AEC Leadership Retreat is for people who manage teams, projects and technology. We're decision makers who want to improve soft skills, emotional intelligence, and resilience in the fast-paced, rapidly evolving AEC industry.
Professional Leadership Coaching
We'll learn to lead ourselves and in doing so become better leaders of others. With formal training and experience in Law, Psychology and Leadership, Randy Benn returns as our retreat coach. Developing Resilience and showing up as the best versions prepares us to become better leaders emphasized via sessions that focus on key themes such as:
In the video below, we discuss Randy’s professional background and his unique approach to each of our leadership sessions. His goal is emphasizing essential leadership skills (listed above) with practical application and workplace scenarios (listed below).
Sessions are structured with two morning meetings and one after lunch. Late afternoon is reserved for open discussions and reflection. After dinner, evening networking allows informal sharing personal discoveries. Little details matter. For example, why do we use journals rather than workbooks? Listen and find out!
When you register via Google Forms be sure to indicate interests and what is challenging in your profession. For example:
Effective Feedback
Managing Up
Executive Presence
Managing Teams and Building Trust
Negotiating Hostile and Toxic Workplaces
Mentoring
Difficult and Crucial Conversations
Adaptive Leadership
Time Management
Saying “No” and Dealing with Burn-out
Dealing with the Inner Critic and Imposter Syndrome
Leading Effective Meetings
Not all classrooms have walls. Morning and evening discussions create useful bookends for open afternoons that allow for quiet reflection, personal discovery, and thoughtful discussions with industry peers. Head down to the lake, go for a walk, or paddle a canoe or paddle board out for a peaceful trip around Lake Rosa. In the quiet, ideas start to find their way, so bring your pen and journal to capture important discoveries.
Why Focus On AEC?
High Stress <> Low Control is frequently experienced while leading teams that design, engineer and construct buildings and other infrastructure. Deadlines are tight, reputations at risk, and budgets on the line. Answers are easy, attitude is hard, and the "features" we've developed managing Technology often become "bugs" when leading Teams of people.
Stresses lead to more stresses and the flight / fight / freeze reaction compounds. How do we step back, acknowledge the stress, take a moment to listen, empathize, and prepare an thoughful response? When we stop racing from decision to decision. We'll learn to slow down in order to Reflect, Respect, Respond, and build Resilience.
Our Experience
We believe good leaders are mentally prepared, emotionally present and socially attuned. We'll work on all three through thoughtful leadership sessions, outdoor activities and professionally prepared meals.
Phil Read / CEO, ReadThomas / Co-Founder, AEC Acoustics
Adam Thomas / COO at ReadThomas / Co-Founder, AEC Acoustics
Randy Benn / Director, International Coaching Federation / Leadership
Charles Semail / President, Chef Charles Catering / Retreat Catering
Where We'll Meet
The AEC Leadership Retreat is an "Un-conference". We aren't going to be trapped in hotel conference rooms. No lanyards. No PowerPoint. No flashing lights, loud music, and no alcohol. Earth, water, wind and sun. Sunrise and sunsets. Campfires and crickets. T-shirts, shorts and tennis shoes are perfectly fine. We're getting back to basics surrounded by nature.
Lake Swan Camp in Melrose, Florida is rustic, honest, and welcoming. Everyone has their own private cabin or motel style room. Yes, there's air-conditioning, wifi, and espresso! The camp borders a clear, spring-fed lake with a clean sandy bottom. Fall is perfect for outdoor activities, quiet walks and group discussions. The weather is warm enough to swim, paddle board and relax before dinner. Expect highs in the low-80s and evening lows in mid-60s.
Overall Schedule
Sunday: Arrive Afternoon. If you need to arrive earlier let us know!
Monday: Offsite Team Building at Ichetucknee Springs State Park.
Tuesday - Thursday: Three leadership sessions per day at 9am, 10:30am and 1pm. Open late afternoons and informal evening networking activities after dinner.
Friday: Depart After Breakfast. See you next year! :)
Daily sessions and discussions are designed to move from indoor to outdoor throughout the day. You'll find yourself waking refreshed, so grab a coffee and watch the sunrise over Lake Rosa. Evening gatherings on the deck of the Lakeview Lodge allows everyone to reflect and share what they've learned during the day. We're not rushing from session to session. Each day is well-paced, yet relaxed. Here's highlights from last year's leadership retreat!
In Service of Others
Wonderful meals, exquisitely prepared. Of course there's vegetarian and other options. Chef Charles Semail returns to joyfully cater this year's event! With over 40 years culinary experience, Charles expects us to be pleasantly surprised at each gathering. Take a moment and get to know Chef Charles. He's got a wonderful story and sense of humor. Here's the link to last year's menu (this year's menu to follow).
Meals are enjoyed family style amid group seating that facilitates relaxed conversation. As someone wisely remarked, "We're eating Instagram meals on camp plates!” :)
Offsite Team Building
Before three days of leadership sessions, we'll kick off Monday with a one day, offsite event at Ichetucknee Springs State Park.
There's two options:
Paddle board or kayak for 3 miles / 2hrs on a serene and clear spring fed river.
Hike and/or swim amid shaded and well-marked trails. Bring your camera!
We'll arrive at Ichetucknee Springs State Park late morning and depart from the North Launch for hiking and paddling. Then we'll meet for lunch followed by an afternoon of informal discussions, hiking, and swimming. We'll return relaxed and refreshed to Lake Swan Camp late afternoon.
Next Steps...Register Today!
This year's AEC Leadership retreat is capped at 40 attendees.
When: Sunday, November 9 - Friday, November 14, 2025.
Where: Lake Swan Camp. 647 State Road 26, Melrose, FL 32666.
Travel: Nearest airport is Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) in Gainesville, Florida.
Extras: This is a family friendly (and alcohol free) event with counselor lead activities for the little ones ages K-5 during the day.
Early Bird pricing is $1499 and includes all accommodations, meals, sessions and activities. Limited to 40 attendees!
Don't forget to Sign Up for AEC Acoustics Updates!
Questions / Comments? Please email or post below.
Kind regards -
Phil Read - CEO Read | Thomas / phil@readthomas.com