Booking Terms & Conditions
1. Definitions
"Agreement" means these Terms and Conditions together with any Trip Booking Agreement or registration form between The Interwoven Institute and the Participant.
"Participant" means the individual registered to take part in the Trip.
"The Interwoven Institute" or "the Institute" means The Interwoven Institute Inc., a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation and tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (EIN 39-4265187), based in Brewster, Massachusetts.
"Trip Agreement" means the registration confirmation issued by the Institute to a Participant for this Trip.
"Personnel" means the staff, board members, contractors, trip leaders, and local partners engaged by the Institute in delivering the Trip.
"Local Partner(s)" means any ground operator, guide, artisan, workshop host, or other third party who provides services at the Trip destination under separate agreement with the Institute.
"Trip" means the specific program, dates, and destination described in the applicable Trip Agreement for which a Participant registers.
2. Provision of Services
The Institute will provide the Trip described in the applicable Trip Agreement in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. Registration is made directly with the Institute. By registering for the Trip, the Participant agrees to these Terms and Conditions, which constitute the entire agreement between the Participant and the Institute regarding the Trip.
a. Travel Insurance
The Institute requires comprehensive travel insurance for all Participants, covering at minimum trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical treatment abroad, emergency medical evacuation, baggage loss, and flight delay. Securing this coverage is solely the Participant's responsibility.
b. Passports and Visas
For international Trips, each Participant must carry a valid passport and any visa or entry permit required for the destination country, valid for at least six months beyond the Trip's return date. The Institute is not responsible for travel interruption or cancellation resulting from a Participant's failure to obtain proper travel documentation.
c. Participant Information
No later than two (2) weeks before departure, each Participant must complete a pre-trip informational form that will require you to provide: full legal name as it appears on their passport; passport number and issue/expiration dates; date of birth; nationality; food and other allergies; dietary preferences; flight
d. Deposit Requirement
A 50% non-refundable, non-transferable deposit is required to reserve a spot on the Trip. If registering within 90 days of departure, full payment is due at the time of registration.
e. Trip Payment
The Institute offers a payment plan with 25% of trip fees charged to your original method of payment thirty (30) days after your deposit, and the final 25% of fees charged thirty (30) days after the first payment. If registering within ninety (90) days of the trip, full payment is required. Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable. If a discount code is used, only one code may be applied per Participant.
f. Cancellations and Refunds
A Participant who wishes to cancel must notify the Institute in writing. The following applies:
Cancellation at least 90 days before departure: the non-refundable deposit is retained; any other payments made are refunded in full.
Cancellation within 90 days of departure: all payments made are non-refundable.
If outstanding payment is not received by the balance due date, the Institute reserves the right to cancel the Participant's registration and retain all money already collected.
A Participant who leaves the Trip after it has begun is not entitled to any refund, credit, or compensation.
If the Institute cancels or significantly changes the Trip for reasons within its control, it will notify Participants in writing and offer a full refund or full credit of payments made, which constitutes full settlement of any claim against the Institute or its Local Partners.
If the Institute cancels the Trip due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control (acts of nature, war, labor action, pandemic, earthquake, flooding, government travel restrictions, or similar), Participants will be offered a full credit of payments made, or a refund of costs the Institute is able to recover from its suppliers and Local Partners. Non-recoverable costs, including non-refundable deposits, will not be refunded.
The Institute reserves the right to cancel the Trip at any time — including for insufficient registration, or if trip quality or traveler safety is compromised in the Institute's judgment — with a refund of payments received constituting full and final settlement.
The Institute is not responsible for losses on non-refundable or non-transferable airfare or other travel arrangements made by the Participant.
Refund complaints should first go to the trip leader. If unresolved, a written refund request must be submitted to the Institute within 30 days of the Trip's last day.
g. Optional and Included Activities
Each Trip may include activities specific to its destination and programming — such as artisan studio visits, craft workshops, market excursions, guided walks, or other cultural or hands-on activities — as described in the applicable Trip Agreement.
The Participant accepts, at their own risk, the inherent dangers of these activities and of the Trip destination generally. Assistance from a trip leader or Local Partner in arranging activities does not make the Institute liable for any bodily injury, illness, or death arising from a Participant's involvement in them.
h. Age and Health Requirements
This is an adult-only Trip. Participants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of departure.
Institute trips may involve physical activity, travel over uneven terrain, and extended periods of standing or walking during workshops, studio visits, or excursions specific to the Trip. It is the Participant's sole responsibility to choose a trip appropriate to their physical and mental fitness, and to research current health recommendations for travel to the Trip's destination, including any recommended vaccinations or medications.
i. Photography and Media
By registering, the Participant grants the Institute permission to use photographs and video taken of them during the Trip for the Institute's website, social media, The Rewoven Human Substack, donor and grant materials, and related publications. A Participant who does not wish to be photographed may opt out in writing before the Trip begins.
j. Code of Conduct
Each Trip destination has cultural customs specific to its region, including customs around dress, food, drink, and social interaction in local settings. The Institute will provide cultural orientation materials relevant to the specific Trip, and Participants are encouraged to research further on their own. The Institute does not tolerate illegal drug use and asks that Participants of legal age consume alcohol responsibly. The Institute reserves the right to remove a Participant from the Trip, at that Participant's own expense, for illegal activity, drug use, or hazardous behavior.
k. Acceptance of Risk
Travel to any Trip destination involves inherent personal risk related to cultural, political, and geographic factors. For international Trips, the Institute draws on guidance from the U.S. State Department and its own local contacts in planning the itinerary, but it remains the Participant's responsibility to review current travel advisories at travel.state.gov before departure.
By registering, the Participant acknowledges these risks and agrees to release, indemnify, and hold harmless the Institute, its board, staff, and Local Partners from liability arising from bodily injury, illness, or death connected to the Trip, whether resulting from intentional or unintentional acts.
l. Forum and Governing Law
By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions, the Participant acknowledges that the Institute is a nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of Massachusetts. Any legal action arising from this Agreement shall be litigated exclusively in Massachusetts, and this Agreement is governed by Massachusetts law, excluding any conflict-of-law rules that would apply another jurisdiction's law.
m. Severability
If any provision of this Agreement is invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect. Where possible, an unenforceable provision will be modified to reflect the parties' original intent.
n. Updates to These Terms
The Institute may update these Terms and Conditions at any time; the version in effect at the time of a Participant's registration governs that Participant's Trip. It is the participant’s responsibility to familiarize themselves with them. Updated Terms and Conditions are available at www.theinterwoveninstitute.org/booking-terms-conditions.