Wellness
Healthy principles
CMW SPEAKS TO GLOBAL WELLNESS SUMMIT SPEAKER NOLAN NICHOLS
W hy is health and wellbeing crucial for successful event planning and execution ? Health and wellbeing is the new ‘ gold standard ’ for what a successful event can look like . When attendees can leave your event or conference and say , “ I ’ m a better person from having attended that conference ,” that ensures your conference stays a must-attend event year after year .
As meeting planners , it ’ s essential to stay ahead of trends , and there is no doubt that wellbeing is becoming a high priority in people ’ s lives . And this will only accelerate , especially with Generation Z entering the workforce . Wellness isn ’ t just a trend of today – it ’ s here to stay .
Tell us a bit more about the three principles – plan , posture and pace – and how these can be used in business events ? There are three principles that can be used to build more wellness into your life – plan , posture and pace .
The first is ‘ PLAN moments of wellness ’. As a meeting planner , this means intentionally scheduling wellness into the conference . This could look like a lot of different things , such as a three-minute meditation at the start of a mainstage / general session , a safe and quiet ‘ wellness room ’ that is accessible and healthier food and drink options throughout the event . These are specific moments planned for attendees ’ wellbeing .
The second is ‘ POSTURE yourself for wellness to find you ’. This involves creating opportunities for attendees to experience wellbeing organically . An example would be a gratitude wall where attendees can write down things they ’ re thankful for , or a ‘ Thank You Note ’ table where attendees can write a thank you
Above : Nolan Nichols
card to someone in their life , such as a fellow conference attendee , convention staff member , or a loved one back home . This is all about those organic moments that an attendee can encounter where they can unexpectedly walk into moments of wellness .
The last is ‘ PACE yourself and know your race ’. It ’ s tempting to fill every moment of the day with programming , but it ’ s important to ensure that attendees aren ’ t exhausted after day one of a three-day conference . Incorporate more pacing into the event , such as extending breaks to 30 minutes instead of 15 , or ending afternoon sessions slightly earlier so attendees feel refreshed for evening activities . These small changes help attendees maintain a sustainable pace throughout the conference , ensuring they don ’ t feel like they ’ ve run a marathon by the end .
The strategies of PLAN , POSTURE and PACE are all related to each other , and it can open a lot of exciting opportunities for meeting planners to elevate their events in a new way through wellness .
What are some simple relaxation techniques that can be integrated into the event schedule ? Incorporating quick meditation exercises can have a profound impact . For example , the quick two-minute meditation I lead attendees through before I start my keynote talk at a general session is one of the things that people talk about the n Nolan Nichols is a Fortune-500 keynote speaker and founder of A Million Dreams , which specialises in personal and professional wellbeing .
n For more information , contact : nolan @ amilliondreams . info or visit : amilliondreams . info .
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most because people don ’ t usually set aside time to do those things unless they are prompted to do so . Building in these type of moments are quick , simple and effective .
Another trend that has been popular for a while that is now starting to shift are the early morning workouts and yoga sessions . While these have always been great ideas , they often suffer from low attendance due to the early start times – waking up early after a busy day and late night isn ’ t attractive to many attendees . One way to innovate this would be to shift these moments to later in the day . So instead of a 45-minute yoga session at 7:00am , maybe it ’ s a 15-minute yoga session during one of the afternoon 30-minute networking breaks .
What are the long-term benefits of prioritising health and wellbeing in the event industry ? By prioritising health and wellbeing into the event industry , it will further solidify the importance of face-to-face meetings and in-person experiences . This industry has been incredibly resilient through many challenges , most notably the global pandemic . However , we can ’ t assume the worst is behind us and there are no future threats . The rapid advancement and adoption of video technologies , virtual reality , and artificial intelligence could pose significant challenges as these tools continue to improve and get better .
But this is where health and wellbeing come into play . Technological tools often do not emphasise health and wellbeing ; in fact , studies have shown that technology can negatively affect wellbeing . And this is the window of opportunity for meetings and events .
As an event planner , if you can create an event where attendees leave feeling like they have improved their wellness and wellbeing , that ’ s the biggest way to ensure the longevity of your event . Design your event so that it has such a positive effect on the lives of attendees that they can ’ t imagine not attending it . That ’ s the power of incorporating
32 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 131