Wellness Event Ideas: Putting Your Delegates First

Employee wellbeing is a hot topic in the world of event planning at the minute, and rightfully so! With the pandemic only highlighting the importance of taking care of our mental health, employers are incorporating wellness strategies into business operations and reaping the rewards. Across the corporate landscape, employers have learnt first-hand the benefits of taking care of their people. Not only does introducing wellbeing into work create a happier and healthier workforce, but employers have also seen stronger engagement and increased productivity. Employees feel they are cared for and valued which boosts morale and promotes a positive business culture where everyone is reaching their full potential.

According to Mind, 1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem each year in England. Whether you’re planning an annual conference, a week of training, or a day of relaxation, incorporating employee wellbeing into your next event can have a major impact on your employees’ physical and mental well-being. To help you get started, here’s some of our favourite ideas.

Get people moving!

After extended periods where your guests have been sitting, why not add an activity to get them up and moving! Maybe you could host a “walk and talk” where you can mix networking with a stroll around the venues golf course or gardens. Maybe you could host a game of life size Jenga or Noughts and Crosses! There are lots of ways to get people moving, but make sure you consider options for those with health restrictions. You could do some in chair exercises, starting off your sessions with stretches or breathing exercises to reinforce delegates focus and energy.

Food is Fuel

When you incorporate well-balanced meals into your meetings and events, your delegates will be happier, energised and more focused. Healthy and nutritional meals will keep guests alert and engaged with what’s important, your sessions and speakers! But remember, a healthy menu doesn’t have to mean a boring one. Create a menu with the venue chef that avoids carb heavy foods but packs in energy boosters such as blueberries, green tea, dark chocolate and nuts. You can offer light snacks and smoothies between meals or throughout the day to make sure your guests feel energised when sessions are underway. Hydration is key so ensure your attendees have access to water to improve concentration levels.

Give your delegates something to take away.

We’re not talking about corporate gifts. We’re talking about information on how they can improve their own mental well-being. Incorporate a wellness session into your event and explain to your delegates how they can practice simple techniques to improve their mental health. You could teach them simple breathing techniques or yoga moves to use when they are feeling stressed or anxious. Delegates will feel they are leaving your event with something they can use in those moments they need to recoup and de-stress.

Perfect Playlist

Music has the power to stir our emotions. It can be used to make your audience feel relaxed, focused or uplifted. We suggest introducing music to different moments of your event. Maybe you could kick off your opening session with a fast tempo song to build excitement. You could even encourage a sing along session to build audience participation and create a sense of community. Or, you could play instrumental, slow tempo music when you would like your audience to relax, the opportunities are endless!

Scent Psychology

Our sense of smell is the strongest of all our senses, so it’s no surprise that certain scents and fragrances can have an effect on mood. Infusing your conference room or breakout rooms with different scents can encourage different feelings. For example, peppermint oil invigorates the mind and cinnamon can fight mental fatigue. Choose your scents based on the atmosphere and purpose of each room to help boost or relax your delegates. To find out the effects of other scents, check out this blog by Pretty Okay Candle Co. 5 Scents and Their Affects on Your Body & Mood

Meditation Stations

Events are exciting and busy environments, but they can also be overwhelming and triggering for delegates. Consider creating a quiet room where your attendees can break away and escape from the event environment. For some people, an event can trigger physical, mental and neurodiverse needs, and this space is the solution. It may even be that the addition of a quiet room to your event stops these delegates from leaving all together. EventWell create these spaces to help the mental wellbeing of your delegates. Their quiet rooms provide attendees, speakers, visitors, exhibitors, event crew, and anyone working behind the scenes with a supervised space to escape from the event.

Energise Your Environment

Think about the environment you are creating for your audience. In the early planning stages, search for a venue with natural lighting and space. The event should be exciting but breathable, so think about bringing plants, greenery and florals inside. Could you integrate outdoor activities in to your agenda? We suggest making use of terraces and balconies as networking or break out areas to have a change of scenery from the main room. Different colours have the power to create reactions in the brain that affects mood and overall productivity. For example, yellow helps to generate creativity, while blue toned colours are known to calm and relax., so consider the purpose of each room and add pops of colour using furniture, wall art or backdrops.

Wellness Wall

This could be a memorable and fulfilling way to finish off your next event. Invite delegates to write a note about a moment of the day they have enjoyed, something they are grateful for, or something they are working towards. Have them stick the notes up on to a wall and watch as everyone shares their positive thoughts. After all a smile is infectious!

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