Physical activities like a morning jog can add energy and teambuilding to events. Photos courtesy of Nth Degree Events

“Health & wellness” is more than an expression for the meetings and events industry — it’s become a driving force. Today, attendees can expect to find a wide range of offerings on event itineraries, from early morning hikes to meditation and yoga breaks, to locally-sourced food and beverage items, to nurture mind, body and spirit.

Health and wellness look different for everyone, which means planners must be flexible when planning program agendas. Food and beverage, spatial considerations and scheduling are all more intentional than ever before.

The planning is purposeful for one simple reason: “We need to make sure every attendee has the best seat in the house and experiences the information in a way that meets them, not challenges them,” says Kimberly Lewis Inkumsah, executive vice president of equity, engagement and events for the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), an evidence-based roadmap for applying the WELL Building Standard to support the health and well-being of people and organizations.

To do this, she says, event planners have to think holistically about space and place. Health and wellness initiatives align with sustainability, so discussing solutions for one commonly leads to the other.

“Health and wellness are literally part of the journey when we talk about sustainability,” Lewis Inkumsah says. “How do you bring people together in a responsible way? How do you work collaboratively? We started to see some of the trends in health and wellness pop up in our sustainability call to action.”

A Fresh Selection of F&B Options

Health and wellness have always been on a planners’ radar, but COVID and attendees’ lingering reluctance to fully return to more in-person events has put it firmly top of mind. Food and beverage is one primary focus area that has seen some big changes.

John Coval is the executive director of auxiliary services at Marywood University in Scranton, PA. In this role, he oversees all aspects of conference and event planning for both internal and external events, as well as the campus’ dining services department. He says COVID stressed the importance of the mind/body connection and holistic well-being like never before.

“It became very apparent the health of the individual was paramount to everything we do,” he says. “The shift in health and wellness went toward food and menu selections and the overall surroundings.”

Planners are taking greater care when planning menus, Coval notes. “For conference attendees, we find there are greater dietary needs, and the requests are getting more specific. We’re doing a lot of made-to-order. Even our own students are more focused on the specifics — they are entitled, and have a right to ask for what they get. They used to just eat around something — now they know they can request specific things. That’s really becoming paramount.”

Because the dining services team is now accustomed to meeting students’ different dietary requirements, it’s carried over to their conference attendees, Coval says.

“For planners, my advice would be to be more cognizant of your attendees’ needs than ever before. They have to start shifting their attention, as we have, so they have a better understanding of their various dietary needs or physical limitations,” he says, noting that planners who are more sensitive to ADA and other guidelines will ultimately be more successful when executing events.

From a dietary perspective, the snacks available for attendees to get a little energy boost or curb hunger pangs between sessions have also undergone a transformation. Gone are the days of sugary, carbohydrate-laden options like cookies, popcorn or candy. They’ve been replaced with protein-rich snacks like nuts and granola.

Planners want foods that can supply a steady stream of fuel for attendees to get through busy days rather than the temporary rush they get from sugary treats. Nicole LaPointe, founder & CEO of GatherPointe, a full-service event agency in Lincoln Park, MI, even featured a kale shake station at a recent conference in New York.

Mocktails are another popular option. LaPointe is seeing more attendees choose alternatives to alcohol — so much, in fact, that mocktails have quickly become a fixture on event menus. “You have to have a mocktail option. People are asking for them. It’s really become a big trend in the last year,” she says.

“People are just getting away from alcohol more. I don’t know if it’s because they want to avoid it to stay sharper during the sessions or if there are other reasons. Some mocktails are rather sugary so they may not necessarily be the healthier option, but people are really staying away from alcohol.”

Adding health and wellness elements helps attendees balance a jam-packed agenda with opportunities to unwind and recharge. Some remote workers and naturally shy people take longer to feel comfortable in a group, and planners are more sensitive to their needs, as well.

“We didn’t really know how people would react when they came back for events. There was a lot more focus to uplevel the experience and make sure people were as comfortable as possible. At the end of the day, that’s why we put events together,” says Robert Lowe, president of Nth Degree Events, an event planning firm in Duluth, GA.

Paying attention to attendees’ well-being also makes good business sense — when people feel good, they function better. They have more energy and drive. It’s easier to focus. “People are more engaged — you’re able to absorb more information,” Lowe says. “We’ve learned so much from the science, and it just makes sense. It’s kind of silly that it took as long as it did [to pay attention to attendees’ health and wellness].”

He points out the shift to working from home or working a hybrid schedule makes it difficult to sit for long periods. “[At home] they could take a break when they needed to or get up and get a drink when they needed to,” says Lowe. “Now, attending a conference and sticking to a schedule — it’s incredibly exhausting.”

LaPointe says the focus on health and wellness at events has ramped up since COVID. “I think people are a little more health-conscious, and when we were in the pandemic, the thing to do was walk in the morning, or go for a bike ride, do yoga in the backyard, or go for a hike without people. People still want that physical activity, but now they want to do the activities they did during COVID with a group of people. There are a lot of small things we’re incorporating that people seem to enjoy,” she says. “I’m finding the trend to be a group will go and participate in an activity. It’s really great networking.”

Get Up and Get Outside

After food and beverage, physical activity is another big shift for event itineraries. A host city’s “walkability” is a big consideration for planners. “The meetings and events industry learned very quickly that walkable cities matter,” Lewis Inkumsah says. “When we think about carbon footprint, that’s something that rose to the top.”

She cites Boston as one example of a city that liked the idea of becoming more walkable. “In the tiered cities … so many of our metro cities had to redefine how they bring people together. Boston had their convention center on the water but most of their hotels were in Back Bay. City officials did a lot to make their city more walkable and accessible to draw meetings where people were not just locked in their room but could go out and experience culture, place, people and the event itself.”

Indianapolis is another metro area showing what it’s got to offer in the wellness space. “The trend is definitely to get people out and about,” says Deanna Hrycak, general manager for Sodexo Live! at Indiana Convention Center. Sodexo Live! is the event management side of Sodexo, the food and facilities management company.

“Indy has a bike share program where people can rent bikes and ride them to attractions. Attendees can feel better mentally and physically before they even get to the event.” Hrycak suggests planners call on the CVBs and other partners in the host city to recommend activities, or even provide sample itineraries.

“A lot of us have lived, or were born and raised in these areas and have great suggestions that might not cost a lot of money. Our sales team is frequently asked these questions,” she says, noting the convention center has a minor league baseball field right across the street, a nearby state park that offers different outdoor activities, and a nearby canal with walkable areas. “It just starts with talking to your connection in the city you’re going to. We all have plenty of suggestions that are reasonably priced.”

When attendees are ready to completely unplug and get out into the fresh air, venues have plenty of ways to get outdoors before, after and even during events.

Heather Ritt, director of sales at Temecula Creek Inn in Temecula, CA, says more planners are asking for activities to help get people out of their rooms. The staff at TCI can set up yoga sessions for a meeting or event at any time rather than limiting participation to their regularly-scheduled, free Saturday morning class. The venue’s incredible grounds also invite attendees to take a break and get outside.

“Offering a balance of enjoyment and a healthy lifestyle comes naturally to us at Temecula Creek Inn,” says Ritt. “We’re set amid 300 acres of lush, natural surroundings. Our guests love to explore the butterfly and chef’s gardens, play a round or two of golf, enjoy fresh fare in our onsite restaurant, take in yoga classes or just hang out and relax with colleagues amongst the scenery. It’s ingrained in our Southern California culture to offer a healthy side to meetings and events. Group planners tell us they appreciate the benefits fresh food and availability of outdoor activities affords to their attendees. They come away more engaged and with renewed ideas. What organizations wouldn’t want that?”

The herbs in the chef garden are also used in some of the bath and body products sold in the spa — another draw for attendees, who appreciate the opportunity to use items with natural ingredients.

Similarly, Sutisa Spellman, director of sales and catering at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, CA, says many planners request activities like golfing or spa days for event attendees or incentive groups.

“We can customize outings. Some groups will offer golf lessons as an add-on or incorporate them as part of the meeting. That all ties into the wellness,” she says. “Everybody is looking to be healthy. If you have something to offer that makes you different, it works well. If you tie that into a meeting or event, it’s something different for the attendees.”

Likewise, event attendees at Marywood campus regularly get outside to discover the campus’ ample green space. More planners are taking advantage of the grounds and holding events outside. “Because we’re so open, organizations can have meetings outdoors. We’re not confined by physical space. They can go to more unusual spaces they may not have done before,” Coval says.

Attendees aren’t the only ones who benefit from a well-nourished mind, body and spirit. Ensuring the presenters are comfortable, hydrated and prepared is essential to running a high-energy, inspiring event. Not all speakers have years of experience in front of a group, so calming any jitters is important.

“Guest speakers are typically the most stressed,” says Lowe. “What we can do is give them a quiet room and place to go [to focus and prepare mentally]. Other ways we’ve helped speakers — we’ve provided speaker coaches who can help them feel comfortable with delivering the speech.”

From a budget perspective, healthier options aren’t always more expensive. “There’s always the question of needs versus budget,” Lowe says, “but one of the beauties with this is it’s not usually an added cost. It typically doesn’t cost more to offer green tea over an energy drink — that’s a big benefit of this.”

Other Trends

Other trends are gaining momentum. Quiet rooms are near the top of the list. “It gets crowded and can be overwhelming for some people, so we now make sure we have a quiet room at all of our events,” LaPointe says. “It’s a place where people can go and work on their own or just have a few moments of peace and get away from it all.”

Karlee Vincent, author and sponsorship engagement manager with a global event management agency, applauds the efforts she’s seen to accommodate the needs of nursing moms. “When I was a nursing mom, I came back to work and was doing a lot of traveling, but it was difficult for me to find a space to pump when I was at conferences and events,” she says. “We’ve seen huge growth around that, which is a huge win for women. It makes them feel like they are part of the community without having to go too far out of their way. Just that simple level of care can go a long, long way.”

Virtual reality (VR) and artifical intelligence (AI) are two trends popping up at more events. Planners are just starting to explore their many capabilities. Vincent is seeing a growing interest in blending both of these worlds. “Depending on the client and their sponsorship base, sometimes they will combine the VR and AI technology,” she says. “For instance, I’ve seen VR wellness stations, where an attendee can put on a VR headset for a fully immersive experience. Or it provides a soothing auditory listening experience to help with the hustle and bustle and gives them a chance to calm themselves.”

Vincent sees huge opportunities for health and wellness using some of the emerging technology. “If event organizers take it a step further to add in VR experiences for nursing moms, who sometimes have a hard time relaxing, there could be a blended opportunity,” she says.

Planners continue to not only identify needs in the health and wellness space but develop innovative solutions to meet attendees where they are on a fully holistic level. C&IT