S A L E S & M A R K E T I N G
At the Meritage Collection ’ s Napa , California , property , group options include yoga overlooking the valley ’ s vineyards .
Agenda :
WELLNESS
GROUPS LOOK BEYOND THE NORM TO ADD MINDFULNESS , WELLBEING AND ACTIVE
EXPERIENCES TO EVENTS .
Adecade ago , the go-to healthy program element for a convention was a suggested early morning walk with the stray fellow attendees who weren ’ t hungover from the previous night ’ s festivities .
Today , many meeting planners are building schedules that prioritize wellness , from the menu to breakouts and beyond . The shift reflects the cultural fixation on health , mindfulness and the like .
BETTER BREAKS “ Wellness is definitely an important sector within the hospitality market ,” says Kenzie Vath , corporate director of wellness and sustainability for the Meritage Collection , a group of five resorts in California and Hawaii . “ It has a huge market share , and the dollars are growing .”
Meritage has been developing a comprehensive group offering that devotes
Contributed by MEGAN ROWE
a whole menu to wellness options . At its Napa Valley properties , choices might include open-air yoga on a deck overlooking vineyards , sound healing therapy in a wine cave , juice shots at break time and a healthy cooking class at dinner .
The resorts are open to special requests for activities like circuit training or guided meditation that require outside experts , Vath says . “ We try to make it seamless for the planner .” Lately she has seen rising demand for retreats that have an overt wellness bent , with healthy meals and break snacks throughout the day and mocktails at the end of the day .
Hyatt Hotels Corp . has found , not surprisingly , that meeting clients all view wellbeing through a different lens . Where it ’ s a priority , says Mia Kyricos , senior vice president and global head of wellbeing , planners look at various aspects , “ whether it be movement and
fitness-related classes to start the day or reconsidering the overall design of the meeting space . For other organizations , having the option to offer plant-based proteins , infused water stations and wellbeing breaks that focus on taking a mindful moment are simple ways to infuse wellbeing into the agenda .”
BETTER TEAM-BUILDING The Allison Inn & Spa in Oregon ’ s Willamette Valley developed a slate of wellness-themed team-building activities that were inspired by its clientele . Hipster-central Portland , Oregon , is a major feeder market for events at the Allison , and “ in the last few years many groups from there have come to us with their own ideas ,” says Nichole Cooper , the hotel ’ s director of sales . Those ideas have included aura reading classes , bubble soccer matches and goat yoga , and the Allison staff has made them happen .
“ We decided to come up with some plug-and-play options for groups so they didn ’ t have to come up with their own crazy ideas ,” Cooper says . The activities typically reflect the inn ’ s setting or supplier
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