Workshops Environment

All workshops take place in a fully operational window, door and millwork production shop in a scenic country-side environment in Ridgway (Ouray), Colorado. It's quiet with crisp air and usually with beautiful weather. Attendees are encouraged to get away from their daily business and focus on maximizing the benefits from the workshop with clear minds. Logistics is pre-arranged by Alpine. This allows attendees to get off the plane and be ready to soak up the sun and knowledge on the next days.

Although workshop equipment can be changed or updated through time, it is a fully operational production woodworking shop during non-workshop days, running machines including a shaper, jointer, moulder and clamping press.

Depending on the workshop series, the sessions are limited to four to six attendees so that everyone gets to learn, ask questions and share their experiences. Workshop questionnaires are collected prior to each workshop so that the agenda can be adjusted to accommodate all attendees' needs and specific interests as much as possible. A post-workshop survey is also collected to collect feedback to develop future workshops.

Vendor partners are invited and may be present at some workshops to provide the latest knowledge and demonstration on what they know best. Selected product catalogues may be provided for knowledge discussion and for future reference. The workshop adheres to a no-sale environment unless products are requested by an attendee. Unless it’s of interest to everyone present, the request will continue offline to provide an uninterrupted learning environment.

The workshop dress is casual, plus the mandatory protective gear necessary for an operating woodworking shop. Long pants, sturdy shoes, and shorter (or tied-up) hair are the minimum requirement to protect you from the cuts and possible injuries that may occur at any woodworking shop. Attendees can bring and wear their own safety gear or use the gear provided by the workshop, but all shop visitors are required to wear the appropriate safety equipment.

Attendees are provided both an electronic and physical binder copies of the workshop agenda and reference materials. Many choose to use tablet devices to take notes directly onto their electronic binder. All attendees have taken the physical binder home for their future reference.

WiFi and wireless are not available at the shop itself (or at least minimal depending on your carrier). You may have to go outside to receive good wireless signals. This, though, allows attendees to stay focused on the workshop and get the most out of it. The hotel has WiFi access.