“ Planners are looking for ways to keep attendees engaged and attentive .
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A wellness-focused meeting room at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park , London
“ Planners are looking for ways to keep attendees engaged and attentive .
WE DON ’ T SEE 8-TO-5 MEETINGS WITH WORKING LUNCHES .”
partners : A lotion blending experience , for example , takes advantage of ingredients from the onsite garden ; a tea tasting involves experts from Smith Teas , which provides teas to the resort . Chocolate and wine tastings showcase the knowledge of the in-house wine and food staff .
Many of these are indoor activities by design , a hedge against unpredictable Pacific Northwest weather . They also don ’ t require transportation or complicated setup .
“ Planners are looking for ways to keep attendees engaged and attentive ,” Cooper says . “ We don ’ t see 8-to-5 meetings with working lunches — these days , a lot of groups meet at 7 ( a . m .) to go for a walk in the vineyards , or do group meditation , and the meeting might start a little later than in the past .”
Sometimes just getting outside provides a welcome diversion . At the Quinta da Marinha resort outside Lisbon , walking meetings are an option . The meetings are actually hour-long breakouts that consist
NICHOLE COOPER , THE ALLISON INN & SPA
of a focused discussion and a walk through the onsite golf course . A staff member leads the walks — which typically involve 10 to 15 members and are followed by a group coffee break — to make sure meeting attendees don ’ t disturb golfers .
“ It ’ s still not big — maybe 10 % of groups do it ,” says Joao Pinto Coelho , the resort ’ s sales director . “ We suggest it during site inspections as an alternative to breakout rooms .” Options like yoga during breaks are more popular , he adds .
TAKE A WALK For Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group , Mindful Meetings involve different elements inspired by the location : essential oils spritzed in the meeting rooms , a hike in the forest , paddleboard yoga , garden tours , landscape painting , healthy Thai cooking classes , a run in the neighborhood park . Menus are designed to stimulate , nourish and fight fatigue .
“ Ideally we want planners to see the hotel on the site inspection so they see how they can incorporate not just the meeting rooms but other elements as well ,” says Emily Snyder , Mandarin ’ s group vice president of global sales .
Even the definition of wellbeing is a moving target , with no one-size-fits-all approach , Hyatt ’ s Kyricos says . “ It ’ s important to provide customers with a variety of options that best meet their needs for that specific meeting ,” she notes .
Some options generate healthy ancillary revenue . The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa charges US $ 50 per person for 75-minute sound healing sessions ; a 2.5-hour juicing , smoothies and morning elixirs class fetches US $ 125 a head . Lotion blending classes at Allison Inn run US $ 35 per participant , while guided tea tastings bring in US $ 60 per attendee . Activities like goat yoga are outsourced and the cost depends on the supplier .
ROI is always a concern for meeting planners , but Snyder says that ultimately the wellness ROI of meetings can ’ t be calculated .
“ You feel refreshed and revitalized , you haven ’ t sat through heavy meetings eating donuts , so when you do go back to work , you ’ re ready ,” she says .
54 hotelsmag . com March 2020