Event Health Check: Wellness

The growth of wellness within events isn’t surprising; more focus, than ever before, is being placed on our wellbeing and mental health in day-to-day life and as a reflection of this, events – of all types and sizes – are making moves to embrace the wellness trend.

To keep the future health of events in check, we’re looking at some of the tactics that can be incorporated to promote wellness and deliver added value to attendees as part of their wider event experience.

Pick a Venue That Will Help Harness Wellness

Identifying venues that offer amenities to support a wellness agenda will be the first step towards setting the right tone. From catering possibilities, through to availability and access to breakout areas and outdoor spaces, the venue selected for an event should be able to successfully facilitate the execution of planned wellness initiatives from start to finish.

Promote Mindfulness

Studies have shown that incorporating mindfulness activities into event and meeting programmes can help reduce professional and personal stresses and anxieties and enhance the ability of delegates to retain information.

There are different ways to get attendees to participate in mindfulness practices. Create quiet zone breakout spaces where delegates can disengage and immerse themselves in a meditation session or draw inspiration from the art of yoga and invite attendees to breathe, move, relax and be in the moment.

Get Attendees Moving

No matter how engaging event content is, sitting endlessly in the same position is not conducive to obtaining and maintaining information. Look at ways that will get delegates out of their seats and moving. Increasing blood flow can energise attendees, the release of endorphins can elevate their mood and enhance cognitive functions – all factors which can aid the absorption of key messaging.

Introducing fitness components at the beginning/end of an event and building in dedicated time for attendees to get involved, can also be a good way to promote physical wellbeing, self-care and nurture positive mind sets and attitudes. Group runs, walks, spin sessions, HITT (high-intensity interval training) or Pilates, are just some of the many fun, sweat-inducing, workouts that could be organised and added to an extended programme. With an intended audience in mind, activities can be selected to both cultivate a culture of wellness and enhance the impact that an overall event delivers.

Change of Scenery

A dose of fresh air can go a long way in invigorating and inspiring delegates. Although season/weather dependant, formatting an event that includes sessions outside can be an effective way of bringing people together in an environment that breaks away from the norm. It’s also an opportunity to get creative with a programme and think about ways to deliver content in interactive and participatory ways. Moving outdoors can awaken the senses and leave attendees feeling refreshed, motivated and ready to engage in other aspects of an event.

Back inside, it’s important to have an awareness of the interior settings that delegates will be exposed to. Consider how furniture, lighting, surface textures, scents and other sensory elements could be integrated into the overall event design to add to a delegates’ wellness journey.

Talk the Talk

Events provide a powerful platform to educate and increase awareness on important issues. Alongside business-related communications why not think about intertwining contextual talks around mental wellbeing and other related topics; an unexpected programme enhancement that attendees could really benefit from in both personal and career spheres.

Meaningful Connections

Humans like spending time interacting with one another and making meaningful connections. In fact, research has indicated that human-to-human interactions can have substantial health benefits, including the alleviation of stress, depression and loneliness. Factoring in networking sessions, where attendees have the opportunity to invest in one-on-one communications and come together, is therefore another way to further drive the wellbeing agenda, whilst simultaneously facilitating business conversations.

Whatever shape or form networking takes try encouraging delegates to switch off their phones and construct environments that reduce direct screen time. Reducing the influences of distracting technologies will help keep attendees present and increase their ability to remember detail.

Wellbeing Stations

Mix it up: complement a corporate backdrop with activities that attendees will want to try out to improve their own state of wellbeing. Seated massage stops, juice bars, meditation zones, sensory spaces and health seminars are just a few of the many options that can be weaved into a programme to offer practical solutions and advice, with potentially life improving results.

Food and Drink

We all love consuming fried and greasy food, but there’s a time and a place for it. Healthy menus don’t have to be boring: serve attendees delicious and nutritious meals and snacks that will feed both their bodies and their minds. And, if produce can be sourced locally, so much the better from a sustainability perspective.

Looking at ways in which to provide nutritional tips and advice to educate delegates on what foods can contribute to a healthy lifestyle are also small takeaways that can serve to support the wellness ethos both during and after an event.

When it comes to keeping people hydrated, water, smoothies, juice and alcohol-free shots and cocktails are health-boosting, popular options to try.

Smart Timings

Be time smart when putting an event schedule together. Think about how timings and activities can be allotted to reduce pressure and allow delegates to leverage the best out of their experience. For example, could a later start time be arranged to avoid stressful travel at peak times. Is there enough break time planned between sessions? Or if there’s an overnight element, could the bar be substituted for the spa; giving attendees a chance to spend their evening unwinding and relaxing, with the added option to get an early night for some quality sleep. It’s these little considerations that will make all the difference.

Implementing wellness ‘well’ into an event relies on a holistic approach being taken. This means that everything from the venue, event format, design and programme has to be considered with wellness objectives in mind. Integrating wellness and wellbeing elements into your event will help delegates feel better (mentally and physically) and expand their ability to take in and retain core information and messaging. Plus, if they have a positive experience at your event, they are more likely to become advocates – helping boost future ticket sales – and return themselves to other events you organise.

Talk to the In2Events team today and find out how we can help transform your events into experiences that are constructed to immerse, inform, inspire and deliver value at every touchpoint. Understanding your why compels us to shape unforgettable live interactions, that work to meaningfully connect your brand with your audience. Let’s chat about your next project: 02392 320 581 or email: info@in2events.co.uk