Treat Yourself to a Glamping Adventure

For the better part of the year, Washingtonians have been sitting in front of their laptops with sweats on. We all need a vacation to destress and unwind from the chaos that is 2020, but the pandemic brings any plans of getting out to a halt. Luckily, you don’t have to stray far from the city for a luxurious getaway. Local couple turned business partners Theresa Converse and Brian Schram recently launched their new glamping business, Outdoor Eventures, giving D.C. residents the perfect escape in the era of Covid-19.

“I’m looking forward to providing an outlet for people to hopefully relieve some stress from everything that has been going on,” Schram says. “One of our biggest goals with this business is to provide a really fun unique experience for people, and I think a lot of people really need that right now.”

Outdoor Eventures offers luxury tent accommodations for parties, corporate events, weddings, intimate gatherings or whatever you desire. Converse and Schram take care of everything for you, allowing you to just enjoy your time wherever you may want to set up camp. Get the full camping experience by reserving a traditional campsite in the woods or just enjoy a romantic night under the stars in your own backyard. And don’t worry if you’re not an avid camper – the Outdoor Eventures experience was made with both city slickers and outdoor enthusiasts in mind.

“It’s a funny little blend,” Schram explains with a laugh. “Theresa grew up camping, and I am definitely more of a snob and not a huge camper, so this kind of meets in the middle. We both really liked the concept of allowing people to have a little luxury during their camping trip, but also get those traditional experiences.”

Photo courtesy of Outdoor Eventures.

Outdoor Eventures was initially born out of necessity. Last year, Converse and Schram began planning their dream glamping wedding. The couple reserved their wedding venue for the whole weekend, hoping to enjoy the space with their friends and family as they celebrated their big day. While looking into local vendors to supply tents and services for the weekend, Converse and Schram found that pickings were slim and expensive. They wanted to be able to host their wedding at a reasonable price, and saw the lack of vendors in the glamping market as an opportunity.

“We threw some numbers together and decided to do it on our own,” Converse says of their venture into the glamping world. “It was our own need that we were trying to fill, and then we thought some other people might benefit from it in the area.”

The couple’s former careers made them perfect candidates to start such a business. Converse ran festivals for an events company while Schram was in the hospitality business, two industries that have been left reeling from the effects of Covid.

Though the realities of the pandemic hit the couple hard, it also offered an opportunity to go all in on their idea for a glamping business.

Outdoor Eventures’ Brian Schram + Theresa Converse. Photo courtesy of subjects.

“Covid definitely played a part in escalating our timeline because both of our worlds were pretty rocked as a result of the virus,” Schram says. “We were scrambling a little to put together a game plan and figured now is as good of timing as ever to start our business.”

While launching a business may seem like the last thing to do in a pandemic, Converse and Schram are making it work. Though bigger events like weddings or retreats are still on hold, small groups have been able to reserve glamping gear for fun and unique social distancing-approved get togethers. The couple hopes to build up their business and host invite-only glamping events with local businesses such as wineries and breweries when it is safer to do so, but are happy offering smaller escapes for now.

“I’m looking forward to connecting with more venues and potential clients for next year this winter, and planning our own wedding finally,” Converse says. “[But] it’s nice to be able to bring something positive to people’s weekends.”

For more information about how to book your own glamping adventure, visit www.outdooreventures.com. Follow Outdoor Eventures on Facebook and Instagram @outdooreventures.

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