How to Incorporate Wellness Into Your Meetings & Events
After two years of meetings being held in virtual or hybrid environments due to COVI-19, in-person events and meeting are ramping up and bookings are anticipated to continue to climb. The effects of COVID-19 continue to influence health and wellness standards at in-person gatherings currently and will well into the future. The pandemic has highlighted how crucial preventative care and good health are for meetings and events. There is a growing demand for reassurances that planners prioritize health and well-being both physically and mentally.
Benefits of Wellness
Professional meeting planners are looking for ways to prioritize health in order to address participants concern about their health and wellbeing. Businesses are aware of the benefits of the wellness trend, which has grown in popularity, and it's not going anywhere soon. They recognize that people expect more health solutions not only at work, but also during off-site meetings and gatherings
When employees attend offsite meetings or conferences, they face additional challenges. They regularly have to travel by plane, stay in hotels, and be in large groups in meeting rooms. Travel-related stresses add to the general daily stresses people already have to deal with.
Incorporating wellness options can improve mental, physical and emotional health, strengthen the immune system, reduce stress, and lower anxiety and depression.
What Types of wellness should you incorporate into your next meeting:
Nutrition: Encourage healthier options, use local vendors, add hydration stations. Staying hydrated is essential and it helps with concentration. Make sure there is plenty of water.
Meditation or mindfulness exercises: Because wellness is as much about mental health as it is about physical health, providing a safe area for any participants—to decompress, reflect and contemplate the happenings of the day, will be a welcome addition to your meeting and will help attendees calm their mind.
Relaxation, exercise and movement: Have a morning yoga session or run with a group.
Tech-free zones: Give an area where attendees can get away from the distractions of their cell phones and laptops, or hold screen-free sessions.
Onsite wellness: Add check-ups and screenings to your event.
Sunlight/Nature: Incorporate short breaks that allow attendees time to get outside for a some vitamin D or recharge with a short walk.
What can event planners and venue managers do?
Actively and strategically managing wellness is becoming a top priority for many meeting and event professionals. Here are four strategies to ensure integration:
1. Location: If you are planning your next event, researching the location is important. Work with a venue that focuses on wellness (and is prepared to make accommodations, take into condition the room selection, what views attendees will have, and is there easy access to outside areas.
2. Organize: Most events are already jam-packed with speakers, sessions, workshops and networking. You want to schedule in wellness activities so the fit seamlessly and stay focused on the meeting goals. Schedule in appropriate breaks to allow for networking and connecting to other attendees, or get involved with one of the wellness offerings.
3. Focus on Environment: Create a better event by focusing on the environment including lighting–not too dark or too bright, music–music stimulates the brain, temperature of the rooms (we all know those conference rooms can get chilly), look at seating options. Provide space for participants to include any ability-related needs when registering (e.g., wheelchair accessibility, auditory or sensory impairments).
4. Create inclusive strategies: Look at year-over-year data to identify patterns and trends in attendees, vendors, exhibitors, and speakers (both positive and negative). Read and analyze social media comments and event reviews. Choose diverse speakers who can challenge your attendees’ attitudes, ideas, and beliefs.
What results can you anticipate?
Your meetings can provide attendees with options that focus on the business at hand and are stimulating, interesting, and they won’t feel overwhelmed when they depart. Including a good balance of business and wellness can pay off with less attendance attrition, a better connected experience, and positive attendee satisfaction.
When it comes to event management success, every planner understands that the wellbeing of your attendees and event management team is the top priority.
Schedule a free safety and wellness consultation for your next event.