During the 2024 Workday Rising event in Las Vegas, the company held a sunrise fun run. Courtesy of Workday

Corporate planners are jumping on the wellness train, as the demand for an environment that promotes physical, mental and emotional well-being continues to grow. Planners can find success by developing a supportive and healthy environment, whether it’s choosing venues with natural light, good air quality and ample space, or ensuring the schedule includes balanced activities with regular breaks for relaxation and movement.

Offering nutritious and inclusive food options while incorporating physical activities like yoga or walking can keep attendees energized. Other elements include offering quiet zones and stress-relief sessions. A successful event with wellness in mind also requires forethought to integrate options that attendees will have time to appreciate while not overloading their schedules.

There are companies that specialize in helping planners integrate wellness into their events, such as Olympian Meeting. “The problem that we’re seeing with a lot of events is they throw a wellness room in the corner, but then the agenda is so jam packed that nobody has any time to go see it, or they can’t find it,” says David T. Stevens, wellness architect and co-founder of Olympian Meeting. “I was talking to someone the other day and they says it gave them anxiety trying to find the wellness room.”

According to the company, improving the attendee experience starts with an agenda that incorporates breaks, such as adding movement between sessions, or breaking long sessions into shorter segments to keep participants mentally fresh. One of Olympian’s focuses is on mindfulness practices such as meditation and breathing exercises, which they note have been shown to reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance learning and memory.

“Mindfulness is really about agenda design and thinking through the attendee experience. How long are your sessions? What are your start times? What are your end times? Those kinds of things that give people’s brains the opportunity to process and ingest information,” Stevens says. “Mindfulness is being thoughtful. If you have a party that goes to 1 a.m., and you start at 8 a.m. the next day, you’re literally setting them up for failure and sabotaging yourself.”

According to Stevens, mindfulness is also incorporated into the agenda design when it comes to circadian rhythm – the pattern the body follows during a 24-hour cycle. For example, after lunch, attendees often experience a dip in energy, known as a postprandial dip, which makes afternoon learning sessions a challenge. Stevens suggests planners slot an interactive experience, such as a CSR activity like building bikes, volunteering at a food bank, or other tasks of that nature to keep them engaged. “Do something that gets people out of that dip and lets them do tasks instead of trying to feed them a lecture when it’s basically going against a brick wall,” he says.

Olympian Meeting now offers five- and 10-minute Quick Focus Mindfulness Sessions free of charge that can be streamed through YouTube or Spotify and made available via a QR code for attendees or linked to an event app. The sessions include guided cues and dialogue to help attendees focus and can be streamed before, during or after sessions or during breaks. They can also be used by attendees on their own time.

Brianna Lewke, director of GTM Enablement at Lyra Health, has worked with Olympian Meeting for some of her meetings and events, including their summit for more than 100 attendees and sales incentive trips for about 35 participants.

“Because we’re a mental health company, a lot of what we do is focused on wellness, because mental health is part of that,” Lewke says. “When we look at the speakers, we hire someone who’s going to inspire and be positive and thoughtfully minded.”

The company’s recent sales incentive trip was particularly successful, she says. “We had forest bathing, where they had a practitioner come. It really helped everyone focus on mindfulness and set them up for the day.”

Lewke says they have also included simple solutions to have movement during or between sessions, such as offering yoga balls in a meeting room. “We’ve had mindfulness breaks,” she says, where attendees were given time to go outside. “We’ve also had yoga practice in the morning at our sales kickoff. We had a run/walk. We had a guided meditation – a lot of different creative ways to get people up and moving and to focus on wellness. People also really enjoy that it’s outside. It’s before the full day’s activities so they can focus on their wellness first.”

She adds that, for evening activities, she is thoughtful about ending content early enough for attendees to take a break before dinners or parties. “We give people time to breathe and leave space during the evening activities as well, when they have time to network. There are also plenty of non-alcohol options at evening events.”

The ideal session length, according to Lewke, is 45 minutes – no more than 60 minutes – with a break in between. “We make sure that there’s movement so that we don’t have people eating in the same room that they are having their content, for example, so that they get up and go move to a different place,” she says. “We’ve been thoughtful with menus that are inclusive of all dietary restrictions and preferences, and we try to always err on the healthier side.”

At a corporate wellness retreat in Sedona, AZ, leaders could recharge with mindfulness practices, yoga and more, along with exploring the region’s renowned scenery. Courtesy of Dami Kim / Body and Brain Wellness

All About Location

Selecting an appropriate venue is part of the strategy for some planners, such as a venue with ample natural light and access to green spaces or views of nature, which can be both mentally and physically beneficial for attendees.

Workday held its 2023 Workday Rising event in San Francisco’s Moscone Center with some 15,000 attendees and is heading back there in 2025. Some of the wellness initiatives were tied to the company’s focus on sustainability. Missy Castro, senior event manager for Workday, says strategies implemented included having attendees walk from their hotels to Moscone Center as both a sustainability effort, as well as giving attendees a chance to build connections with each other along the way.

Workday had a wellness room adjacent to the expo floor which was programmed every day, including options for chair massages. “On one of the days, we did a sound bath, and on one of the days, attendees could get micro facials. That’s where we also housed the puppy playdate,” Castro says.

The conference also featured a sunrise Fun Run, which drew some 500 attendees. “We started the day in a positive light, and then the following morning, we did sunrise yoga in Moscone South on the second floor,” Castro says. “We were trying to get people to come together, build connections and have that not impact their journey on the expo floor.”

Workday offered a wellness center for attendees to decompress. There were meditation stools, a labyrinth, yoga blocks, roller balls and more. There were also 15-minute drop-in stretch breaks, as well as a tranquility zone with beanbags, lamp diffusers, a water fountain and peaceful music, according to Castro. Workday also offered a wellness center at this year’s Workday Rising held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, with an outdoor aspect for fresh air and natural light.

Physical Activity Is Always Well Received

Noelle Mireles, senior manager, events, Lincoln International LLC, prioritizes wellness in the company’s client meetings and events. “What can I do that levels us up, while keeping the attendee in mind?” she asks.

Mireles cites one example of an experiential ski event for the company’s clients. Aside from setting them up with ski guides, when they came back from skiing, there was a wellness room for the participants thanks to a partnership with the hotel spa. The room included an oxygen bar to help with the altitude, healthy snacks, juice shots, a juice bar, chair massages, and other wellness-focused amenities.

“I do one women’s event per year, and we put a huge focus on wellness for that one,” Mireles says. “For their activity portion, we partner with the spa, adding in sound baths and expedited yoga – 15-20 minute stretch sessions.”

For an event Lincoln International held in Napa, they added a hike and an outdoor healthy lunch in a vineyard. Mireles says some of the attendees rented a pickleball court for an afternoon break.

One other element that Mireles uses to incorporate wellness is health-related swag, such as an oxygen boost and electrolyte packets, as well as sleep kits.

A Meeting of the Minds

Caesars Entertainment began offering its Wellness Menu earlier this year, which is a comprehensive selection of activities and services aimed at promoting holistic well-being for its clients. Planners can choose from a variety of options, including yoga sessions for all levels tailored to help build flexibility, strength and mindfulness.

“Our goal is to build strong partnerships with planners to support them in achieving their objectives and exceed their attendees and stakeholders’ expectations,” says Kelly Gleeson Smith, vice president of sales, Caesars Entertainment Meetings and Events. “By offering wellness food options, activities and speakers, the hope is that we are making it simpler to add these elements to their program and ultimately increasing the level of satisfaction and engagement for their attendees.”

Some of the mindful options on the Wellness Menu include meditation sessions. “Our selection of guided meditation sessions offers a tranquil space in an agenda for relaxation, stress reduction and inner-peace cultivation through various techniques like mindfulness and visualization,” says Gleeson Smith. “Sound baths, another highlight, envelop participants in soothing vibrations to release tension and restore balance.”

She adds that planners can also incorporate Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping sessions, which help address emotional issues and alleviate stress. There is also somatic breathwork, which empowers individuals to connect with their breath for emotional release and inner growth.

Wellness challenges curated in partnership with Heka Health encourage healthy habits and lifestyle changes and offer gamification opportunities, according to Gleeson Smith.

“Alongside all this, of course, is a selection of nutrient-rich foods nourishing the body, promoting overall health,” she says. “This holistic approach fosters a healthier and more balanced lifestyle for all participants and can certainly add unique, memorable connections to attendees and the overall success of an event.”

Caesars also offers access to leading wellness speakers and instructors who present talks and workshops on stress management, nutrition, mindfulness and personal development, Gleeson Smith says.

Speakers include Pandit Dasa, a former monk of 15 years who is now an expert in workplace culture, mindful leadership and well-being. Sepideh Eivazi, founder of Dawn of the Earth, brings a holistic approach to wellness, blending Somatic Breathwork and custom tea blending to events. As a member of the Breathe Initiative at the Global Wellness Institute, Eivazi advocates for the power of breathwork and integrates Emotional Freedom Techniques for transformative journeys, according to Gleeson Smith.

Nolan Nichols, founder of A Million Dreams, specializes in interactive keynotes and workshops aimed at increasing workplace belonging and personal well-being. Nolan’s expertise lies in storytelling, fostering connection, embracing diversity and delivering impactful content for Fortune 500 companies and beyond.

Dami Kim, a Tao guide, brain education trainer and consultant, Certified Life Coach, and Certified Brain Management Consultant, offers a menu of wellness options planners can choose to incorporate through Body & Brain Wellness, where she is Director of Corporate Wellness.

Kim and her team offer aura readings for opening receptions, which serve as an ice breaker, and help attendees to relax. “During reception time, people like to mingle, and they want to have some ice breaking time. That’s when we bring in our wellness component for the first time,” she says.

Body & Brain offers classes that are accessible to all participants, such as brain tapping, stretching and balance challenges. “We do very simple exercises, but their mind needs to focus, so the practice is constantly getting the mind to feel the body. When you feel the body, you feel energy. You can see how much stress goes out of the body during the energy training.”

The company recently worked with a trade show with 9,000 attendees which set up an open space wellness area where attendees could come at their convenience to take a break. Body & Brain had four different stations of aura reading and offered 15-minute brain breaks for attendees so they could refresh before heading into meetings. There are also options to incorporate sound healing experiences and Tai-Chi at meetings or events, as well as organize wellness retreats and team-building options.

Planning the wellness aspect of a meeting or event ahead of time can help minimize stress and burnout among participants and boost attendee retention. After the event, sharing wellness resources and collecting feedback can also help improve future experiences. C&IT