There’s no doubt that events can be stressful for both attendees and planners. It’s always a good idea to consider the ways in which you can create a healthy and mindful experience for everyone involved. In fact, depending on the event or industry, attendees may even expect health and wellness woven into the experiential design of events. After all, mindfulness refers to staying present in the moment, and that’s exactly how your guests should feel. Read on for some helpful tips and tricks to emphasize wellness at your next conference, board meeting or gala to create an even more elevated experience!
Menu Selection
A healthy menu goes beyond ensuring there’s a side salad option or juice bar available. It entails providing nourishment to all your attendees, so they are energized throughout the day. This benefits everyone in the end, because healthier menu options lead to increased focus and participation in your event, instead of a raging sugar crash by mid-afternoon. Even by simply expanding meal options to include dietary restrictions such as gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, etc., attendees will be more appreciative of the control they have over what they’re eating, and that can lead to a lasting impression of your event.
Venue Location and Design
While you may not always have the luxury of hosting your event at a natural oasis or serene mountain top, you can always be mindful of how to create more open and active event spaces. Limit the time that attendees are spending sitting down, take activities outdoors as much you realistically can, and encourage movement or standing when possible. Consider the atmosphere you are setting, from lighting, scents and sights. Even if your conference or meeting is taking place in a busy metropolis or convention centre, it is still possible to create moments of serenity for your guests.
Event Activities and Scheduling
A two hour hot yoga session may not make sense for your event, but there are ways in which health and wellness can be included in your itinerary in small, but impactful ways. This could be providing information on bike trails, hiking paths, gyms or spa locations for delegates to explore in their free time. Schedule small breaks in between each event activity or session, to give your guests the time to both absorb the content they are taking in, and have little check-in’s with themselves and their surroundings. Design activities based around meditation, goal setting, getting adequate rest , practicing gratitude and other pillars of mental wellness and mindfulness.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Expand on your list of target sponsors and consider how they can elevate the wellness aspect of your event. There are a number of brands and companies that offer various products and services centered on health and wellness, with the list only growing. Concentrating your outreach efforts to these kinds of sponsors can also help mitigate some of the costs for your event’s wellness goals.
Marketing and Promotions
If you are looking toward integrating wellness into the look and feel of your event, this should also extend to any marketing that you’re conducting for it. Include healthy tips and messages in your social media posts and digital communications. Explore swag and promotional items like sleep masks, essential oils, massage rollers or even literature on wellness topics! A great way to assess the success of your efforts overall is to cover how mindful or ‘healthy’ your event was to survey delegates in an event feedback or satisfaction form.
Looking for more tips on how to execute the perfect event? Contact us to find out how we can help!