REGIONAL EVENTS
How to make your event a ‘ breath of fresh air ’
The great outdoors is quite literally your backyard , especially in Australia and New Zealand . With so many wide-open spaces and picturesque backdrops in near reach , why is almost every day spent indoors ? As an EA , you might feel like you ’ re chained to your desk at times — and many of your colleagues and executives will surely agree . So , why is it that when planning events and meetings , it ’ s the first choice to plan it indoors again ? Particularly after 2020 , everybody has spent more time than necessary surrounded by four walls …
As 2021 begins and you start to plan meetings and events again , perhaps you should consider planning an outdoor event . Yes , the weather can be unpredictable , and the logistics of an outdoor event might seem overwhelming . But what of the benefits ? Here ’ s why you should take your event plans out the door and into the amazing landscape the world has to offer this year .
Nature at its finest With Australian workers spending 1 / 3 of their life at the office , the time spent indoors borders on extreme . Once you arrive at work in the morning it ’ s more than likely you won ’ t venture outside at all until you leave . For some that means rising before the sun and leaving well after it sets for the day . For at least 1 / 3 of your life , you don ’ t get to breathe fresh air or see the sun or even be around nature — and that ’ s not considering where the other 2 / 3s are spent …
Being in nature boosts productivity for a number of reasons and is something that human ’ s lack significantly in the modern day . While being surrounded by nature might seem like a natural stress-reliever , it actually has a chemical effect on the body , too .
w Fresh air : Indoor air often has a suboptimal balance of oxygen , nitrogen and carbon dioxide . Fresh air has much higher levels of oxygen that cause blood vessels in the lungs to dilate and improve cleansing and tissue repair . It also means better blood circulation to your brain , which results in more energy and mental focus as well as providing an extra hit of serotonin to increase happiness . Fresh air also brings more vital gas into your body to help lower your heart rate and blood pressure — something that many stressed workers could use in their fast-paced work environments .
w Sounds : While the benefits of fresh air might already be known , the sounds of nature also play a huge part in de-stressing the body . According to Harvard physician Eva M . Selhub , co-author of Your Brain on Nature , “ A drop of nature is like a drop of morphine to the brain since it stimulates reward neurons in your brain , turns off the stress response to lower cortisol levels , lower heart rate and blood pressure , and improves immune response . And when stress is low , focus is possible , which fosters more productive meetings .”
w Exercise : Being stuck inside the office all day usually equates to a lot of sitting down time . By holding outdoor meetings and events it encourages guests to stand or walk around in nature . As meetings industry publisher SmartMeetings ’ writer Allison Fazio says , “ When team j
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