Disney, Châteaus, and why people leave

Applications are now open for our next Community Council program.

In April 2027 we are returning to Château de Courtomer in Normandy, France. Together with a small group of experienced community leaders, program designers, and relationship-driven founders, we'll dive into the messy nuances of building community and gathering. Will you be one of them?

Community Council is designed for people who create and hold space for others. If you put community at the heart of your work, and you’re looking for a place to step out of your day-to-day to gain new perspectives and focus, this is for you.

The days mix structured sessions and unstructured time. We work on real problems, test frameworks against each other’s experience, eat long meals, and leave room for the conversations that only happen when nobody has a train to catch.

Dates: April 13-16, 2027
Location: Château de Courtomer, Normandy, France
Deadline to apply: November 6, 2026

If this sounds like something you've been looking for, apply to join.

Questions about the process or the program? Explore our FAQs or simply reply to this message. I'd love to hear from you.

What does your room feel like?

Last week I was in Vegas for IMEX (International Meetings and Events Expo). I was speaking about the Belonging Triangle later in the week but made sure to get there early to take in some of the education tracks before the larger show kicked off.

One moment that has stuck with me since then was a workshop on design principles with the Disney Meetings & Events team. To set the stage: the conference was held at Mandalay Bay, and the sessions were in your typical workshop rooms with moving divider walls, a screen, a podium, and cushioned chairs. While the topics varied, each room I entered throughout the day felt relatively the same. That is, until I attended the Disney session that afternoon.

Immediately, the space felt different. You entered the room and were met by 10+ greeters, some of whom were ushering you to rows and holding up signs and fingers to show how many seats remained (as if filling the last seats on a roller coaster). There was a Disney soundtrack playing (no other workshop had music), additional projections on the walls, and a voice-over saying the session would begin shortly (again, roller coaster vibes).

The session kicked off with an emcee who set the tone, warming the crowd, cracking jokes, all with four paintbrushes sticking out of their hair. They introduced the speakers and we moved through video case studies and interactive ideation sessions. When the session ended, we were each handed a Rice Krispies treat shaped like Mickey Mouse ears on the way out.

The meat of the workshop was Disney's Five Experience Design Principles:

1. Discover the client’s wish. Engage beyond the surface to learn the “why” behind the “what,” and gain insight into the magic our clients want to create.
2. Connect to the heart of the story. Bring every element to life to tell our client’s story in a way that only Disney can.
3. Inspire each other. Collaborate with Cast Members across disciplines and consistently challenge ourselves to innovate and elevate.
4. Design with intention & imagination. Transform events into experiences.
5. Walk the path. Consider each step the attendees will take and how the experience will impact them.

But the thing that I keep coming back to: everyone was given the same room. Yet Disney found a way to make it feel uniquely theirs. When you're planning your gatherings, talks, workshops, how will someone know they are in your room?

💎 Internet Treasures:

1. Pew Research Center released a new study last week on Online Communities and Connection in the US, noting that of the 9,750 Americans surveyed, 4 in 10 are members of an online community. They also have a follow-up piece on why people leave them. Great reads!
   
2. I am a big fan of the CMJ team's work and ever since reading this post on the Community Commitment Curve, I've found myself coming back to it again and again.

👋 Come say hi!

I will be speaking at Community Week in Lisbon in November, with a spicy take on gathering design and agenda building, all with the goal of designing rooms where strangers can become friends, fast.

If you'll be in town would love to say hello! You can also get 10% off tickets with the code CHRISTINA10.

📚 One more fun thing

I am the person who will spend an entire evening watching previews and never decide what to watch (I’m equally chaotic in a library looking for my next read) so needless to say, I loved this Which Big Fall Book Should You Read visual from Lit Hub. (Which one did you get?)

Until next time—keep gathering with intention,

—Christina

Founder, Community Council & BoardingPass