Dinners with a Difference is a facilitated discussion over a meal that dips beneath the surface of everyday conversations. 

Dinners are hosted monthly in Wollongong, NSW.

Come solo or bring someone you’d like to get to know better.

Everyone is welcome.

Upcoming Dinner

Thursday 13 June

FRIENDSHIP can be a treasure that enriches our lives, providing support, joy, and companionship. For some, it is the golden thread that weaves through the fabric of our social tapestry, binding us in mutual affection and understanding. Yet, some of us feel lonely, isolated and unsure how to build new friendships.

The dynamics of friendship are ever-evolving, influenced by our circumstances and life stage. The skills we used to make friends as young people, doesn’t always help us navigate initiating friendships as adults with busy lives. Cultivating and sustaining meaningful friendships requires empathy, effort, and a keen understanding of the delicate balance between give and take, but our ability to do this is greatly impacted by our capacity and circumstances. 

What to Expect

The dinner is a facilitated space where you’re encouraged to listen deeply, share openly, create shared meaning, and appreciate differences. There are no experts and everyone brings their own perspective.

To kick off the conversation, the week before the dinner we email out a questionnaire (Google Form) that each attendee needs to fill out. Your answers begin to shape the conversation and your host, Gretel Van Lane, will refer to your answers on the night.

When you arrive for dinner, you’re welcome to grab a drink from the bar and sit with people you know, or choose to sit with people you don’t know (yet). Once everyone has settled in, Gretel will introduce the topic, share some of her experiences and pose some questions to the group.

Entrees will be served as you’re discussing the first round of questions. At some point in the evening, you will move seats and have the opportunity to speak with different people.

Your dinner ticket will include a selection of entrees and mains. Dietary needs can be catered for, and drinks will be available to purchase on the night.

We will have the restaurant to ourselves, so we'll be able to be as honest and loud as we desire.

If you have any questions, fill out the contact form below.

About Your Host

Gretel Van-Lane facilitating Dinners with a Difference

Gretel Van Lane

I thrive on genuine connections and heartfelt conversations. That's why I founded Dinners with a Difference – to cultivate spaces where we can delve beyond the surface, guided by thoughtful facilitation. From fostering intimate dialogues to organising relaxed gatherings for singles, my mission is to ensure everyone leaves feeling nourished, acknowledged, and refreshed.

With over 15 years of experience as a facilitator and communications specialist, I've collaborated with purpose-driven organisations to spark engagement around social issues. My expertise lies in fostering connections, nurturing relationships, and bridging communities.

Outside of my professional endeavours, I've devoted my spare time to immersing myself in personal growth and embodiment practices. Crafting environments where individuals can authentically connect and truly be heard brings me immense joy.

To learn more about my other work, visit: www.gretelvanlane.com.au

Upcoming Topics

Truth

Commitment

Bittersweet

Home

Imperfection

Creativity

Obligation

Privilege

Pleasure

Failure

Belonging

Boundaries

Testimonials

  • Everything was incredible! A truly great concept and execution of an event!

  • Gretel! You truly have a gift. The way you model courage in a really authentic way helps everyone in the room to be brave and also show up authentically. You are also really funny! I loved listening to you speak - it was entertaining and reassuring.

  • A rare opportunity to connect with warmth & curiosity without risk.

  • In the midst of adulting, when conversations can often either be surface-level or we just don’t have time to go much deeper, this format gave us a really well facilitated forum in which to dive-deep and build new connections in a unique way.

  • As a young Aussie guy, most of the conversations I have are surface level, sports-based, or just entirely sledging, which I love, but I don't really have the opportunity to philosophically explore topics or share meaningful (and related) anecdotes in a respectful forum where I could be challenged, encouraged and introspective, just for the sake of good conversation.

  • Such a great night. Main take away for me is there’s more discussion to be had and with different perspectives and experiences there’s more understanding and a lot more common ground than we think.

  • So many fun people to share with. Great listeners & questioners as well as talkers. We were only just getting started on the topic. Could have chatted for hours longer. Such disparate views. Wonderful!

  • I had such an amazing night and felt so safe, seen and heard. Love it and looking forward to the next one.

  • The dinner was warm, connecting, and very enjoyable. A place to share food and connect on a meaningful topic and experience a lovely diversity of knowledge and opinions.

Contact Form

If you have any questions about participating in Dinners with a Difference, drop us a line.

If you’re a venue or company that would like to partner with us, we’d love to hear from you.