Cryotherapy freeze-frames healthier meetings
RAMY JAMES SALAMEH REPORTS FROM THE HIGH TATRAS WITH A COOL IDEA FOR WELLNESS AND INCENTIVES
earing just a headband , face mask , shorts , gloves and clogs , I stood nervously before two chambers within the ‘ Cryotherapy Centre ’ of the AquaCity Wellness Resort in the Tatras region of Slovakia . One chamber was set to -60 ° C , ready for me to acclimatise to the eye-watering temperatures , and the other at -125 ° C , for the main event , a two-minute blast of Arctic temperatures . This whole ritual was part of a ( pre-Covid ) meetings package , which this eco-resort had designed around MICE wellness trends , yet who could have envisaged how pertinent health issues would become .
The extreme temperatures cause vasoconstriction , which leads to the body cleansing the blood by narrowing blood vessels and pulling the blood back into the core . Other positive effects include the release of adrenaline , noradrenaline and endorphins which boosts one ’ s mood and mental alertness . And it seemed to work ! In the proceeding ‘ meeting ’ our delegate group felt wide awake , engaged and buzzing with ideas .
Lucia Blaskova , AquaCity Representative , said : “ We have built long-term relationships with premier league youth teams and athletes , but we are now seeing corporate clients wanting detailed programmes using sport , wellness , nature and tech connectivity as key drivers .”
Cryotherapy was once seen as the preserve of elite athletes trying to expedite the recovery of an injury . In today ’ s ‘ new-normal ’ landscape , it exemplifies growing demand for ‘ immuno-balancing , mindful and sustainable ’ meetings and incentives ; a quick and cost-effective way to boost morale , mental creativity and reflect the corporate world ’ s social responsibility towards employees or indeed delegate wellness .
Eva Lickova , MD of Slovakian events agency Elcop , highlighted the pull of the Tatra , having tendered for the 15th European Company Winter Games last year ( cancelled due to Covid ). “ We secured 113 of 120 votes from the European Federation for Company Sport to run this event ,” she said , citing the region ’ s capacity , natural diversity and spectrum of activities as a major draw . It bodes well for future business .
AquaCity has a 360-degree focus on wellness , combined with hotel rooms , meeting spaces and , importantly , is situated in the sought-after Tatra Mountain region . Cryotherapy is something I can now positively advocate ; even more so in the current climate where trends no longer suggest ‘ digital detox ’ but ‘ working wellness retreats / meetings ’ where you are technologically switched-on not off . This ties in with new advancements in virtual / hybrid event tech , evolving opportunities to ‘ work from anywhere ’ and , in turn , will activate new-normal incentives .
Below : Cool event runnings : in Slovakia ’ s High Tatra cryotherapy chambers
Disparate teams can be brought together in natural environments for health-oriented activities .
Some health pioneers and enlightened leaders are already ‘ prescribing nature ’ through outdoor conservation projects for employees .
Gabriela Kothuhova , DMC director at Enjoytatras . com , agrees : “ Our region is at the forefront of several key trends , motivating growing demand for working wellness retreats and meetings in nature , so we continue to develop products around responsible , active adventure and wellness using the region ’ s natural assets .”
From geothermal to glacial , ‘ water ’ continues to sustain the Tatras landscape and is very much part of this unique portfolio of incentives and is utilised by most regional MICE hotels . There is enough here to take meeting and incentive groups out of their comfort zone , including Speleo-trekking & Speleo-therapy ( respiratory health ) in subterranean cave networks , to ‘ bear watching ’ by bike or even getting the low-down from scientists at the Solar Observatory perched on Lomnicky Stit ( mountain ), the region ’ s second highest peak .
“ All of our events are integrated with healthy pursuits which emphasise physical and mental balance . Demand will grow ; at 1,351m above sea-level , surrounded by mountains , inside a National Park , we are aware organisers are looking away from cities ,” says Michal Sadovsky , assistant director of sales , Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras .
Jan Bosnovic , key account manager of TMR Group , which runs 13 hotels and six ski resorts in the region adds : “ Short-term , I forecast smaller corporate stays / meetings in the bosom of nature and away from major cities ”.
TMR ’ s two-room ‘ Hotel Noc Na ’, located at the summit of Lomnicky Stit is just the ticket for getting away from everyone else and another chance to ‘ freeze-frame ’ healthy experiences .
ISSUE 112 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 39