Introducing the Inaugural PrimalCon!
Dear readers, here we are in 2010, with MarksDailyApple.com now nearly 3 1/2 years old. Thank you for your tremendous contribution to what started as a dream in 2006, and is now a thriving internet community of passionate and deeply connected Primal enthusiasts. As we celebrate the success of the book and the continued rapid growth of the blog, we also realize that in 2010, it’s time to take this community to the next level!
My staff and I have been dreaming and scheming behind the scenes for quite some time about “what’s next?”. Well, here it is: I’m extremely excited to announce the first-ever live, in-person, Primal Blueprint weekend experience! Finally, a chance for our virtual world to come alive and come together for an incredible 3-day event we’re calling PrimalCon.
We have secured a spectacular resort right on the beach in Southern California called the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach in Oxnard, CA. I’m almost embarrassed to say that even though it’s only 31 miles from my home, I’d never set eyes on this place until recently, and it is absolutely stunning. This is an all-suite resort with beautiful Spanish-style grounds right on the expansive Oxnard State Beach. We’re talking seconds from out your door to sand in your toes – no kidding. The weekend will consist of a stimulating mix of workouts, play, leisure, classroom education, and of course delicious Primal feasts. Here’s a quick overview:
- Seminars at the resort will include four general sessions with me, and numerous breakout sessions on topics related to the Primal Blueprint lifestyle
- Workouts will take place right on the sand or the expansive grass fields of an adjacent beach park. Experts in Primal strength training and sprinting will guide your activity in small groups segmented by ability. We’ll roll out some cool new stuff as we are currently building a comprehensive curriculum for Primal Blueprint Fitness.
- We’ll have all kinds of fun, games, and relaxation, including leisurely hiking on the beach and sand dune preserve, Ultimate Frisbee matches (of course, no good conference should be without), and the top secret Primal Blueprint Mind/Body Obstacle Course Challenge on the beach (don’t even ask, just show up ready for a challenge!)
- We’ll have lavish Primal feasts – omelets in the morning, fabulous salads for lunch and delicious barbecue in the evenings. Leave your cocktail attire at home, this is outdoors, Primal style – utensils optional!
- We’ll have “positive natural stressors” as in Primal ocean plunges in the morning and after workouts. Don’t worry though, you can reach the Embassy Suites jacuzzi in about 41 seconds from the water’s edge (might even count as a sprint workout!).
Getting Down to Details
Size: This is the first of what we hope will be several events a year in various locations across the country and abroad. To ensure an intimate experience, the conference is limited to the first 160 people who register.
Cost: The early-bird conference fee is $695 and includes all meals and a PrimalCon event bag stocked with incredible participant gifts, apparel, and nutrition. The price will jump to $795 once there are only 30 spots remaining, so register now to lock in this special rate. You will book your hotel directly and separately with the Embassy Suites. Suites start at $149/night. If you’re not familiar with Southern California resort lodging rates, this is an absolute steal for a suite on the beach. Couples staying together in double-occupancy suite get a $50 discount on the second conference registration fee.
Schedule: Sign-in Thursday evening, April 22nd, or Friday morning, April 23rd. Agenda begins Friday morning. Dismissal is Sunday, April 25th at 1:30pm. A convenient getaway weekend and then back to work a new person on Monday morning!
Travel: Oxnard is about 90 minutes north of Los Angeles proper, about 30 minutes south of Santa Barbara on the Ventura County’s Gold Coast. Los Angeles International (LAX) and Burbank (BUR) airports are your best choices.
Click here to check out the incredible discounted suite package we negotiated with the resort for the conference. Once you sign up for the conference, please book your suite immediately to ensure the currently published discount room rates.
Click here to read details about the PrimalCon agenda.
I’m hoping this post will stimulate a good bit of commentary and suggestion, as we are still formulating the details of the weekend agenda. I’d like to hear from you on a couple levels:
- Would you attend for sure? Strongly consider? Maybe – need more info?
- Do you have any suggestions about what programming, including meals, would be most important or interesting to you? Other comments about the basic concept presented here? Have you been to a health/fitness retreat and had a memorable experience – good or bad – that you might share?
- If you’d like to receive regular PrimalCon updates as the speakers, events and meal plans are solidified sign up for this special newsletter. I’ll be sending an update every couple weeks until the event takes place in April.
I look forward to hearing from you…and perhaps seeing you in the flesh come April!
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
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I’ve been hoping an event like this would be scheduled and darn the luck I’m going to be out of the country that weekend!
I’ve signed up to receive updates in case my plans change. This sounds really great. I hope it is the first of many to come.
I’d love to attend but with the cost of international flights kind of steep and time off work at a minimum I won’t be able to. Hopefully at some point in the future there will be one a little closer to home! (Seattle has a pretty big Primal community and is SUPER close to BC
) This is an awesome step in the progress of this lifestyle though, I am very happy to see it happening!
I would be all about this with a little more notice to budget the conference fee + hotel + cross country flight. Maybe next year. Do you plan on doing the West Coast thing every year or moving it around?
West Coast only for now, but who knows? Maybe we’ll be in Miami in 2012…
Miami would be perfect. I would definitely attend that.
Ohhhhh, man! I wish I wasn’t a poor college student.
This sounds exciting, I live in L.A., but it is a little cost prohibitive for me at this time. Any 1 day only pricing?
Ditto!
No, sorry. But keep in mind you can commute to the conference if you
don’t want to spend the money on the hotel. In the unlikely event we
don’t sell out we might be able to accommodate you in April for
partial attendance. Check back.
No such luck here. I’d love to go and lord knows my husband would love to go somewhere warmer, but southern California is a bit far from the Atlantic coast of Canada…
You only live once!
hmmmm, this coincides with the break of my 2 seasonal jobs… I haven’t been in a good Ultimate game in way too long. and the chance to meet up with some other PBers is way enticing. There is a definate possibility…
I’d love to see you there, Peggy. Yes, we’re going to be eating like Primal kings, basking in the sun, and attending some killer workout and lecture sessions, but one of the biggest draws, at least as far as I’m concerned, is getting to meet people that are like-minded; getting to meet the readers of MDA, those living the PB. On a related note there are probably going to be some great networking opportunities.
Grok on!
Mark, I’d be there in a heart beat, but baby is due almost that day! /cry Love the idea about national meet ups! I’ve been toying with the idea of organizing a Mid West retreat on some farmland in Southern Ohio to enjoy a weekend of real primal living. Keep these going!
I’d love to go, but am also a poor college student…also it’s quite a ways away from Oklahoma! Maybe it will come to Texas one year (:
I think this is a brilliant idea Mark, if only I could go, I would!
I think this is a great idea and would love to attend. Unfortunately, I cannot afford it. I wish there were more advance notice so I could have saved and planned for it. Oh well, perhaps next time.
I’d love to, but this is a little too short of warning for me. I _just_ booked a cruise that leaves NYC on the 24th.
I’ll be Primal in Bermuda, though, while you’re enjoying yourselves…probably no Ultimate on a boat, though.
Oh man, my heart’s doing flips from excitement at the thought of how incredible an experience this would be.
My brain’s saying: whoa, flight, hotel, reg fee…. that’s a lot of $.
And there you have it. For now, I’ll probably have to sit it out.
East Coast location, more advanced notice (for budgeting), steeper early early bird discounts, would all help.
Thanks for putting this on, Mark!
I hope you consider an East Coast PrimalCon.
Mark -
I hate to reiterate what most everyone has already said, but the cost is also prohibiting me from going as well. I think the agenda that’s been put together, the goodie bag, the location – they all sound great and I wouldn’t fault your team one bit for looking to put on a great time. I really wish I could attend and get in on the excitement, but I truly wish the best for those that can attend.
Would there be a possiblity of some webinars from this?
We’ll likely be filming some of the lectures but I’m not sure yet how or when they’ll be made public. Too bad you can’t make it, Jeff. I was hoping you’d be one of the attendees. Maybe next time!
When you hit the MidWest, please let me know. Me and AcmeBike would be all over this!
I think it’s a go!
That’s great, lars. You’re going to have the time of your life. Looking forward to meeting you. Grok on!
Oh man! Now how do I convince the Mrs????
Heck yes!
Great idea, Mark! I’m really going to try to make it. I’d love to meet all of my fellow primals. There are o few of us here in the frozen north
I hope to see you there. The average high that time of year is a perfect 68 degrees in Oxnard, CA. Grok on!
Hm… Yup – the price-conscious ones among will be bemoaning our budgetary realities. $ounds amazing!
What? No gilliebean and husband? It won’t be a proper PrimalCon without you.
Seriously though, I wish you two can make it!
Maybe you could do an opening night or closing night event that us locals (locals with budget restrictions) could attend? Something for say… $30 each?
I’ve been thinking about doing some other speaking engagements along these lines. For this event, we almost certainly won’t be offering any one day or one single session passes, but I’ll see if I can work in some sort of talk in LA at some point. It wouldn’t be a full on PrimalCon but could be fun nonetheless.
It’s a little pricey, but put me down for “strongly consider.” I’ve been havin trouble going fully primal, and this event might provide the motivation I need.
This is another reason I wanted to host this event – to give people the tools, resources and motivation they need to jump start a Primal life. The blog and book are fantastic for this but there’s something about one-on-one interaction that can make all the difference in the world. I hope to see you there, lilia!
I just registered myself and my fiancee. Been looking for a good reason to go to sunny CA for a while now. Can’t think of a better reason.
We are coming all the way from Boston. A nice weekend in the sun is exactly what we need.
Looking forward to meeting you, Chris. You’re in for a great weekend. We’ll be sending you an email within the week to follow up with a few more details about the event. Stay tuned!
Sounds great, what is the age range of the participants so far? My husband and I are 60 and aspiring PBers, but don’t want to be left in the dust…
Not at all. We expect a wide range of ages and fitness levels and will be tailoring the events and Primal fitness sessions accordingly.
Hmmm! Will have to strongly consider since I live here in LA. Haven’t had time away from the kids in a while.
Not to sound like a cheesy salesman here, but it really is the perfect getaway – 3 days just outside of LA to recharge, refocus and re-energize. As I said in the post above I was blown away by the resort. I had no idea it existed just north of where I live until a couple months ago. I visited the location and told my wife we’ll have to visit the hotel PrimalCon or no PrimalCon!
Now I REALLY need to win the lottery. Wish I could make this fly, financilly!
How do I convince the Mr?!
Eat like a Primal king and queen for 3 days, play in the sun and sand, meet others living the Primal lifestyle and learn skills from industry experts that you’ll use for a lifetime of health and wellness. Does it take any more convincing?
man i wish i could afford that! I would be there in a heart beat.
Both the conference and the accomodations look like fantastic values! The one suggestion I would have would be to get some type of medical education accreditation, such as from American Academy of Family Practice, or American Association of Nurses. This would allow anyone in the health care field (doctors, nurses, physical therapists, etc.) to write off the tuition, travel and lodging as tax deductible expenses. Also, it might qualify as a medical expense in some situations. Cheers,
Oh Mark, I would LOVE to attend. I was actually thinking the other day that there ought to be an event like this! Unfortunately, I’ll not be able to because of the cost (I’m a librarian living in Ohio, eep!), but if all goes well & my fiance & I make the move to the west coast in the next year, I would hope to attend in the future.
This sounds so awesome! Unfortunately I will not be able to make it this time as I am planning a golf vacation for May. I am not that rich… yet
Mark, do you have ANY IDEA when you will do the next one? Maybe 2011? I will without a doubt be at the next one!!! Miami in 2012 sounds great!
I’ll be signing up to receive updates so I know what this event is all about!
-Todd
Yeah, I have no idea when the next one will be, or even IF there will be another. If this one is a success we might do another one next year sometime.
That would be wonderful! It will be a success Mark… we all know it
I’m going to start saving for PrimalCon 2011 right now!!!
Do you think they’d let us park our RV in the parking lot??
We can likely set you up with some RV parking space. There is a city owned parking lot next to resort. I’ll contact you via email.
Oh, how I’d love to attend the PrimalCon! If only I can convince the mister…
A 13 hour drive… Not too bad. I’ll have to work on my tan And find some money… I could sleep in my car.
Gotta find a way.
Use your Grok power, Caveman Sam!
First off, great location. Have done the Strawberry Fields Triathlon there a number of times (before I went Primal ). Sounds like if I want to meet Mark, I’ll need to bring my bodyguards (The Conejo Valley Posse).
Would love to bring my wife and kids to the Primal BBQ on Saturday night. Would be willing to pay for them for just the dinner.
I’d love to go. But I need more advance notice. Gotta give my vacation scheduled for the year in January. No time off during this, this year…. Oy! I hope whomever goes has a great time!
Holy cow that sounds awesome!!! Too bad it’s all the way in CA…so add two $$$$ plane tickets onto that price
Would definitely consider going to an east coast/mid-america PrimalCon though, this is really a great idea!!
Seriously – I’m only a teacher! I want to come more than I can say, but I can’t afford it.
Maybe we can talk you into doing a more centralized location – I second the nomination for Texas, like maybe Dallas?
With enough heads up, I could save up for it…
I understand times are tough and money can be tight but for those of you saying “I can’t afford it”, try changing that to “How can I afford it?”. Our brains love to solve problems and by asking yourself how you can afford it you’ll be surprised over the next few days the ideas you come up with. I’m sure many of you are skeptical but give it a try. What do you have to lose?
Yes, sticker shock is powerful. I’m building in an extreme amount of value into this convention. I hope everyone that can make it will try as it’s bound to be a weekend worth remembering.
I can afford it. I just don’t have the time off then. Sigh.
Believe me, I would LOVE to go, & I don’t think the price is bad at all! But unless I put aside our goal of getting rid of the rest of our plastic debt this year, there’s no way we can pay for the admission & the cost of air.
i would half expect primalcon to be deep in the woods. no computers allowed. we would be ifasting like crazy and writing in the sand w sticks!
I like it. You could call it “PrimalCore.” In the mean time, beaches and barbecues sound mighty fine to me.
Yeah, we considered getting more caveman with it, but the PB is all about living Primal in the context of the 21st century. I’d never give up the Grok stuff because it’s too much fun, but I’m also all about modern comforts and conveniences.
Oh, it sounds wonderful! Unfortunately, I can’t get away during the school year (without playing hooky). If I could find a cheap flight from Baltimore to LA, I’d be there though. If folks in their 60s are going, I’ll feel better since I am 51
Off to Travelocity…
I’m certainly going to go (living in Encino makes it hard not too). Just gotta see if the other (better looking) wheel on my motorcycle of life will be able to attend as well.
Looking forward to meeting you, wieder. Grok on!
I’m now registered three times. Ooops! Sent a message on Primal Nutrition to hopefully get it corrected.
What a cool idea! Have fun! Unfortunately little groks make this a no-go for me.
I recently read something (not sure where) about a conference for people involved in promoting the local foods, organic farmers movement (maybe it was Slow Food?) It turned out the conference center had a lot of regulations about who could provide food, where it could come from, etc., and the menu turned out pretty disappointing when it should have been awesome. Point of the story – I hope you have done your homework with this hotel’s kitchen or catering group. If not, start planning early, and best of luck!
I wish I could be there.
Dang! How about PrimalCon Oz? Right here in Australia at OUR Gold Coast? Unfortunately I don’t have the $$ to get to the US and it’s a bit far for me to swim. Great idea Mark! I’m jealous and I hope you all have a great time. Sounds awesome.
So cool! Thanks for planning this. I’d come if it were a little sooner but I’m afraid to commit to this so late in my pregnancy. Enjoy! I can’t wait to hear how it goes.
I couldn’t possibly miss this since it is in my backyard!! I recently moved to Mandalay Shores so this is perfect. Looking forward to meeting you Mark and other PBers!!
drive wouldn’t be too bad from southern oregon but it’s a lotta dough for a school teacher. i think i’ll just crash the party, sleep in my car and catch you guys on the beach for that frisbee match and obstacle course
…just kiddin
Awesome!
I’ll be there!!! Can’t wait!!!
OOOOOOoooohhhh!! I wish I could go!! I am in desperate need of some warmness and sun and not-frozen water…guess what its doing here in WI…SNOWING!! grrr…!!
And I would so love to meet all of you guys and Mark!
However, my fiancee and I are in the process of buying a house right now and there is no way we can come up with the extra $$…*sadness*
Hopefully we can make it to PrimalCon #2!!
I’m living in the other half of the world (Israel), and this is the first time ever I regret it…
I really hope you’ll keep doing such events, and sooner or later, I’ll come. that’s for sure!
Ah man. I think I have a race that weekend. Plus I’m not sure about the cash flow situation. I need to save for a new Tri bike, unless you have one of those laying around you want to give me
Sounds awesome though!
Wow this sounds fantastic. The place sounds like it is beautiful too.
I think I asked Mark about something like this in an email last May/June. Happy to see it coming to fruition less than a year later (so I can pretend to take partial credit for it
).
I can’t attend, though, as I’ll be moving from the UK to the U.S. during April/May and getting out to CA from D.C. would just be too much.
Otherwise, I would definitely attend. I hope this is extremely successful and the first of many to come in the years ahead. And Miami sounds great as a future destination. Maybe the National Mall would serve as a high-profile locale in the future and be more convenient for North-Easters on a budget.
But sand and sun are much better, especially compared to rainy, cloudy, cold Scotland.
Gotta dominate the Feb. RKC first, but I WILL definitely be at the next one. Have fun and a always GROK ON!
Would be there in a flash but unfortunately will be in France at that time.
It would be good if you could do something on the US east coast some time or even in Europe for those of us on this side of the pond.
Man, I would love to go but… $ will not allow it. Hey – I’m a former conference planner and greener – any chance I could work off my conference fees?
this def interests me but i’m going to paris in march (don’t think i can quite recover the funds to turn it around to fly cross country for this) maybe primal con#2
Well, if I hadn’t scheduled my doctoral clarinet recital for the 28th, I might go. Or at least consider it. But then I’d remember that I was a poor college student, and then I still wouldn’t be able to go. But I live near Dallas, so can I third the aforementioned motion to bring one to Dallas?
Maybe you could plan the next one at the Gold Coast in Australia! I would love to attend but it’s too far for me to travel. It sounds like a great set up. Have fun!
It’s official, I am signed up! And I’m making a week long trip out of it. Gonna load up my car with skiis and my mountain bike and leave MT looking for skiing and riding along the way. Can’t wait to meet fellow grokkers!
oh boy, this sounds amazing & pretty reasonable, all things considered. wish I could go but I look forward to reading all about it.
I’m booked! So ridiculously excited. Can’t wait to meet as many of you as possible.
fantastic, well done Mark for taking this to the next level!
Its a tad far from London, but if there is ever a UK event I would be interested!
If you had one of these somewhere on the East Coast, I’d register in a heartbeat. Heck, I’d help volunteer too.
Worth checking out DC’s new convention center: http://www.dcconvention.com/ (Full disclosure: I live in DC and found out about this site from a friend who also does.)
Wow! I just found your website and I LOVE the idea of a full weekend learning, but I am a single parent, new teacher and I think even if I could afford the event I would so get busted for playing hooky for just one day! I would agree with those above that more advance notice with the opportunity to save money for such an intensive event would assure more people being able to attend. Thanks!!!!! I look forward to learning more from your website!
Relative primalNoob here. The addition of Barefoot Ted’s seminar has me drooling at what seems to be the summit of all that i’m discovering is holy! But I have to reiterate, East Coast please!! I’m having a hard time justifying all the driving/flying/lodging and associated costs for basically a weekend trip. Man I”m on the edge but I’ll probably end up holding off for something closer (hopefully in the future?).