the intelligent content company

🌿 DITA XML & PEACE OF MIND RETREAT

A 2-Day Industry Reset for DITA & Structured Content Professionals


Hosted by: Enlightened Living Center (ELC) and Ictect

Location (In-Person): Burlington & Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Dates: March 26–27, 2026 (Thursday & Friday)

🎯 WHO THIS RETREAT IS FOR

This retreat is designed for professionals working with DITA and structured content, including:

  • DITA XML practitioners
  • Information architects & content engineers
  • Technical writers & documentation leads
  • CCMS administrators & content operations managers
  • Learning & training content specialists using DITA
  • Toolchain architects (DITA + Word + CCMS + AI)

Participants may attend in person or remotely, depending on preference, budget, and availability.

⭐ RETREAT PURPOSE

To help DITA and structured content professionals:

  • Reduce cognitive overload from complex standards and toolchains
  • Maintain peace of mind while managing large, modular content ecosystems
  • Explore the future of DITA, CCMS, and AI-assisted authoring
  • Share real-world challenges in a trusted peer environment
  • Build meaningful professional relationships
  • Integrate wellness practices that support sustained focus and creativity

🌍 PARTICIPATION OPTIONS

Both participation types contribute to discussions and receive post-retreat materials.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 IN-PERSON PARTICIPATION 💻 REMOTE PARTICIPATION
  • Full 2-day immersive experience
  • Includes wellness, nature, meals, lodging, and all sessions
  • Ideal for deep reset, reflection, and relationship building
  • Live, interactive access to core intellectual sessions
  • Facilitated peer discussions and breakout rooms
  • Designed as a curated experience, not a passive livestream

🚌 IN-PERSON LOGISTICS OVERVIEW

Transportation (Included)

  • Day 1 pickup: Chicago O’Hare / Downtown Chicago (late morning or early afternoon)
  • Day 2 drop-off: Return to Chicago O’Hare by evening

Accommodation

11 Gables Inn on the Lake – Lake Geneva

  • Lakefront views
  • Quiet rooms
  • Group lounge for reflection

Meals

  • All vegetarian, nourishing, and thoughtfully prepared
  • Tea, coffee, herbal drinks, fruit, and healthy snacks available all day

Group Size

  • In-person: 8–14 participants
  • Remote: Limited to maintain high interaction quality

👥 FACILITATORS & EXPERTS

Sessions are led by Pradeep Jain and Amber Swope, both are experienced practitioners in DITA, CCMS, and intelligent structured content, along with wellness facilitators from Enlightened Living Center

Pradeep Jain

Amber Swope

📅 TWO-DAY PROGRAM (IN-PERSON & REMOTE)

🌞 DAY 1 — CONNECTION & DITA INSIGHTS 🌅 DAY 2 — INTEGRATION & FUTURE THINKING

In-Person Only

10:30 – 12:30 PM

Shuttle pickup from Chicago

  • Light snacks, informal introductions

In-Person Only

12:30 – 1:30 PM

Welcome Lunch — Food as Calm


All Participants

1:30 – 2:00 PM

Opening Circle

  • Intentions and introductions

All Participants (Live + Interactive)

2:00 – 3:00 PM

Session 1: State of DITA & Structured Content (2026–2030)

Topics:

  • DITA evolution and relevance
  • CCMS realities
  • AI in structured authoring — hype vs reality
  • Author experience vs architectural purity

Remote participants join live and participate in facilitated breakout discussions.


In-Person Only

3:00 – 4:20 PM

Nature & Nervous System Reset

  • Meditative walk, forest bathing, chi kung, or optional massage

Remote participants receive a guided desk-based reset audio (optional).


All Participants (Live + Q&A)

4:30–5:45 PM

Session 2: Modern DITA Workflows — What Actually Brings Peace of Mind

  • Real implementation stories
  • Automation that helps (and hurts)
  • Patterns that reduce friction

In-Person Only

6:00 – 8:00 PM

Dinner at ELC → Drive to Lake Geneva


In-Person Only

8:00–9:00 PM

Evening: Silent Creativity Hour

In-Person Only

8:00–8:30 AM

Morning Meditation & Breathwork


In-Person Only

8:30–9:00 AM

Healthy Breakfast


All Participants (Live + Breakouts)

9:00–10:30 AM

Session 3: Deep Peer Exchange — DITA Roundtables

Topics include:

  • Reuse anxiety and map complexity
  • Change management
  • AI readiness
  • Governance vs usability
  • Burnout prevention

Insights from both in-person and remote groups are captured and synthesized.

All Participants (Live + Q&A)

10:30–12:00 PM

Session 4: The Future of Intelligent Structured Content

  • Expert talk
  • Open Q&A

In-Person Only

12:00–1:00 PM

Lunch — Food for Clarity


In-Person Only

1:00–2:30 PM

Choice-Based Breakouts

  • Tech Lab | Wellness | Creative Track

In-Person Only

2:30–3:00 PM

Closing Circle


In-Person Only

3:00–5:00 PM

Return shuttle to Chicago O’Hare

📦 WHAT ALL PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE

  • Pre-retreat questionnaire (goals & challenges)
  • Access to all applicable live sessions
  • Facilitated peer discussions
  • Post-retreat peer insights memo (PDF)
  • Selected session recordings (time-limited)
  • Guided meditation & focus audios
  • Optional follow-up virtual group session

💲 PRICING

In-Person Participation (All-Inclusive)

$1,008 per person

Includes transportation, lodging, meals, facilitation, and all sessions.

Remote Participation

$300 per person

Includes:

  • Live access to 4 core sessions
  • Interactive breakout discussions
  • Post-retreat materials and recordings

Sponsor / Partner Option

$5,000

  • 2 in-person seats
  • 5 remote passes
  • Branding on materials
  • One practitioner-focused demo/discussion slot

Exclusive Team Retreat (Hybrid)

One organization (up to 12 participants, in-person + remote).

Cost: $10,008

If you are interested in bringing your team or a custom option, please use the form to express your interest.