Election Night Retreat

Watch & discuss 2024 election returns with sharp women in politics in historic Charleston, South Carolina.

Join an intimate group of high-achieving women in advocacy who bring unique insights and perspectives from across the country, issue, and political landscapes to watch the 2024 election returns.

“This is more than an event or watch-party. It's a unique opportunity to up-level ourselves, our insights, and our careers. Gain sharp insight, forge powerful connections, and refine your strategic thinking and scenario planning; and do so in style.”

Laurie Onorio
FOUNDER & CEO, THE ADVOCACY SHOP

Luxury Accomodations

We’ve reserved a beautifully restored Charleston house with the classic verandas. A private bedroom and en-suite bathroom is included for up to 3 nights in your package. Retreat from your daily surroundings and give yourself space to reflect, think, and plan. A change of scenery can spark new ideas and help you break free from routine, setting the stage for powerful strategic insights. Charleston is the perfect location to get out and about as well, with fabulous shopping, dining, walking, sites, and spas available nearby.

Sharp Collaboration & Insights

This event is designed to foster powerful collaboration and generate sharp insights. By engaging with top-tier professionals and thought leaders in real-time as election results unfold, the diverse experiences and strategic minds will push you to think differently, see bigger, and will ignite dynamic discussions. The collective wisdom and real-time discussion will not only deepen your understanding of the election impacts across all levels of government but also inspire innovative approaches to the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Networking & Relationships

Forge new relationships with a select group of high-performing women in advocacy from across the country. The intimate and dynamic setting encourages conversation, the exchanging of ideas, and a unique shared experience upon which to build lasting relationships and partnerships. Politics and advocacy isn’t just a game for men anymore, but women can and should do business differently and in a way that works for us. Let’s create a new playbook and build powerful allies to support each other and elevate our careers and businesses.

Culinary, Cocktails, & Couture

This retreat-style event is a unique blend of professional engagement and work you’ll be doing anyway, coupled with exquisite cuisine, cocktails, and couture. Hosted in historic Charleston, South Carolina, blocks from the King Street Fashion District, the French Quarter, and more, you’ll shake up your regular routine to unlock new possibilities. Find opportunities to restore your energy and re-energize to prepare for the new landscape and work you’ll be doing to win following the election. From insightful conversations, to inspiring collaboration, you’ll leave ready and excited about the opportunities ahead and ready to take on the world.

Without doing anything extra, Charleston is arguably one of the most beautiful and cities in the world. Just strolling down the historic streets, taking in the beautiful gardens, shopping along King Street, or indulging in one of the amazing spas or the incredible restaurants that paint the city, offer boundless opportunities to interrupt your usual patterns and unlock new potential.

Agenda

  • 6pm: Optional Dinner at a local restaurant to connect and unwind

  • 9am - 11:30am: Prepare for election night by setting up your election tracking template (provided), collaborate on elevating your election result reports and post-election offerings, and get ready so you can get moving in the new political landscape.

    12:00pm Casual lunch (included) followed by open time to walk around Charleston, get your steps in, clear your head, and get ready to post-up for the night ahead.

    6pm: Election Watch Begins in the Living Room Catered Dinner (included)
    First polls close at 6pm ET and begin to pick up starting at 7pm ET. Get situated and set-up to watch and track races.
    Coffee, snacks, sustenance, and more will be provided to carry us through the evening (included)

  • 8am - 12pm: Post Election Debrief (breakfast included)
    Discuss national and state election results, ask questions, glean insights from others, discuss how results may impact issues at the state and national level. Ask and answer general questions or workshop specific questions that relate to issues you’re working on.

    12pm Lunch at a Local Restaurant (included)

    Following lunch, consider using the time to collaborate as you get reports out to clients and elevate what and how you share results. Collaborate on insights, issue strategies, opportunities, and challenges and for business owners, offerings to send out to your clients and prospects. You can also use the time to explore Charleston and unwind after the whirlwind of election night activity.

    6pm: Optional Group Dinner at a Local Restaurant

  • Departures. No scheduled events.

Reserve Your Spot

To reserve your spot, a non-refundable 50% deposit is due. Your attendance fee is $1,900 and includes:

  • Private bedroom and en-suite bathroom for up to 3 nights

  • Exclusive venue to watch election returns on Tuesday night

  • Casual lunch on Tuesday

  • Catered election night dinner at the house on Tuesday

  • Sustenance including heavy hors d'oeuvres, snacks, coffee, and desserts on election night

  • Breakfast at the house on Wednesday morning

  • Lunch at a local restaurant on Wednesday

  • Access to an exclusive, private network of women in advocacy with opportunities for future gatherings in-person and online.

  • Templates:

    • For tracking candidates & converting them into an elected-official database to keep private notes, vote count, and more

    • To elevate your post-election internal, client, or member-facing reports

    • Power mapping workbook for people and campaigns

    • Post-election business offerings outline

Spots are limited for this retreat in order to maintain an intimate environment and viewing suite accommodations.

Please note airfare, travel, and some meals are not included. Please see the full list of what is included above.

You’ll Leave With

  • Templates and strategies to elevate your internal, client- or member-facing post-election reports

  • Template for tracking candidates through their legislative careers, a personal “little black book”, vote counting, and templates for powermapping your next steps with decision-makers, influencers, and legislation

  • Post-election business offerings to generate revenue in Q4 of 2024 and Q1 of 2025 for business owners

  • Sharp, collaborative, strategic insights

  • New contacts and relationships

  • A larger but exclusive network of women in advocacy with shared work ethic and fun

Make this your most productive election night and leave with powerful insights, new relationships, and inspired for what’s to come.

Bring a Friend

Share this with a friend or colleague or let us know who to send an invitation to. If she registers, you’ll receive 10% off of your registration fee or a gift card as a thank you.

Why? Who better to help curate an outstanding group for this trip than you!

FAQs

  • Accommodations for 3 nights: private bedroom with en-suite bathroom (all rooms have king or queen size beds)

    Private venue and terraces to watch election returns on Tuesday

    Catered dinner and late-night snacks, coffee, and desserts on election night at the house

    Lunch and dinner provided on Tuesday

    Breakfast provided on Wednesday

    Access to an exclusive, private network of women in advocacy with opportunities for future gatherings in-person and online.

    Templates:

    • For tracking candidates & converting them into an elected-official database to keep private notes, vote count, and more

    • To elevate your post-election internal, client, or member-facing reports

    • Power mapping workbook for people and campaigns

    • Post-election business offerings outline

  • Travel expenses and meals not listed as included.

  • Email Laurie at ljo@theadvocacyshop.com

  • Charleston is offered by many airports as a nonstop, including DCA, IAD, DEN, ORD, CLT, LAX and more. And it's an easy drive for many on the east coast.

I’m Laurie Onorio, Founder & CEO of The Advocacy Shop. I’ve been leading multi-million dollar businesses, practice areas, client strategies, and issue campaigns since 2006 and helped lead a multi-six figure company as it achieved recognition as an Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Company three years in a row. I’ve also spent YEARS wondering when I get to enjoy life and my family without the whims of candidates or legislative sessions dictating my life. I love the work I do, but there aren’t many great examples of high achievers living the life I wanted for myself in the political and advocacy space. I was determined to find a better path, and I’m happy to say I have.

I’m on a mission to bring high-achieving and fun women together to forge new pathways to do the work we love while living the lives most only achieve in dreams. Having found an elite and professional network outside of advocacy to help me achieve these goals, I’m committed to bringing the same opportunity to industry as well.

I’d love to find time to connect briefly to learn more about each other. Feel free to schedule a short intro call here.

I hope you’ll join us for this exclusive elections retreat in November.

Wondering who I am?

“One of my favorite memories in 2022 was the work-cation I hosted for my team at the Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas. We got so much work done from our beach-front cabana and had a blast doing it. Now I aim to combine high-achieving business and pleasure to change the way we work and live.”

A little more about me…

I grew up bouncing from South Carolina to Michigan and several places in North Carolina before settling into Raleigh, NC. After attending NC State, I made this capital city home as I launched my career with one of the top political consultants in North Carolina working on candidate and issue advocacy campaigns. I worked my way up to serve as Vice President of The Stewart Group, Inc., working on federal and state candidate campaigns and on issues before Congress, the FCC, the FTC, attorneys general, and more. Years later transitioned from campaigns and grasstops/grassroots campaigns to direct lobbying. It wasn’t long before I launched my own company to combine these skills and lead multi-million dollar issue campaigns, procurement lobbying, and direct lobbying on a multitude of issues. Tackling an emerging digital advocacy scene I merged with digital marketing agency Walk West to bring a more full-service offering to clients. During my tenure there, I led the integration of an acquired video production and public relations company, led the strategic communications and advocacy division, and saw the company named as an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company three-years running. Like many others during the pandemic, I took the opportunity to re-focus my goals and priorities and re-launched my business with more refined offerings in a boutique setting where I am today.

I am happier than ever, am meeting the needs of my family through ever changing seasons of life, am focused on my priorities, values, and goals, and operate from a place of calm and control rather than chaos and uncertainty. It takes work every day and I’ve been blessed with a network of amazing female-founders with the same goals to learn from and with and I hope to do the same for women in advocacy. I hope you’ll join us.

Personally, I’m married to an amazing man who started his successful business over 17 years ago and we have four children currently tackling high school, elementary school, and the young baby phases of life, alongside our trusted dog, Beau. We love being at the football, baseball, and soccer fields, the dance studio, school activities, and on the boat in the salt water. And after meeting some incredible women who introduced me to many finer things in live, I now love to travel, something my husband and I didn’t do much of until a few years ago when we decided to stop putting off our travel desires.