< PreviousOur facility is proud to be recognized for cleaning and disinfecting to a higher standard to keep our space clean and safe for occupancy. BACK TO 100% CAPACITY The Austin Convention Center is officially back to 100 percent capacity with no social distancing requirements, giving you com- plete freedom in how you set up your event. MAKING YOUR VISION OUR MISSION Located in the heart of downtown Austin, Texas Five contiguous exhibit halls with 247,052 square feet of column-free space Surrounded by 12,000+ hotel rooms within walking distance WELCOME BACK! IT’S TIME TO GET BACK TO DOING WHAT WE DO BEST ACC_GBTB_TMP_8.125x10.875.indd 110/26/21 3:08 PM hall. In addition, more than 6 acres of parking lot space have been trans- formed into a public park. SAFE CREDIT UNION CONVENTION CENTER Renovated, expanded and renamed, Sacramento’s convention center is now known as the SAFE Credit Union Con- vention Center. After 2.5 years of con- struction and an investment of $180 million, the city introduced a GBAC STAR-accredited facility that offers 240,000 sf of function space, includ- ing 160,000 sf of exhibit space in four halls, 40,000 sf of flexible ballroom space and a 15,000-sf outdoor plaza. West, East and North lobbies have their own entrances, ballrooms and meeting spaces, allowing different groups to be hosted simultaneously. NEW ORLEANS ERNEST N. MORIAL CONVENTION CENTER A five-year, $557 million Conven- tion Center Development District Project is underway. However, the reconstruction of Convention Center Boulevard between Poydras and Hen- derson streets in the Warehouse Dis- trict, and the construction of a 7.5-acre public park that runs the length of the building, are complete. The park fea- tures green space, water features and art installations. The project also calls for $379 million in upgrades, includ- ing new meeting rooms, public areas, restrooms, audiovisual equipment, and escalators and elevators. SAVANNAH CONVENTION CENTER The Savannah Convention Center expansion is on track to be completed in the late summer of 2023, and that’s good news for association planners looking to book this quintessential Southern city in Georgia. The enhanced building will include 200,000 sf of exhibit hall space, a new 40,000-sf ballroom and 32 customizable break- out rooms. Load in/out and parking capacities will also be enhanced with a new 58 foot-wide hangar door and 900-space parking garage. The con- vention center will also boast a new entrance with an all-glass façade, as well as additional outdoor space. TAMPA CONVENTION CENTER Tampa will have an expanded con- vention center by the summer of 2023, thanks to a $38 million investment. The project includes a 16,000 sf, two-level addition offering 18 new meeting rooms and a terrace overlooking the Hillsbor- ough River. Existing meeting space will be outfitted with new carpeting, paint, new air-wall fabric and upgraded light- ing. Currently, the GBAC STAR-certi- fied Tampa Convention Center offers 200,000 total sf, including a 36,000-sf ballroom and 35 meeting rooms. SEATTLE CONVENTION CENTER Seattle will soon be ready to wel- come more group business with an expanded Seattle Convention Center (SCC), formerly the Washington State Convention Center. Last summer saw the topping out of the Addition (aka Summit building), which will double the existing capacity of the convention center, adding approximately 255,000 sf of exhibition space, 120,000 sf of meet- ing rooms and 60,000 sf of ballroom space when it opens early next year. Collectively, these various conven- tion center projects paint a promising big picture for the future of the conven- tion industry, one that includes a multi- tude of new opportunities for associa- tion groups. | AC&F | themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJULY 2022 The Miami Beach Convention Center now offers a 60,000-sf ballroom, 127,000 sf of new meeting spaces and a 500,000-sf exhibit hall. The Tampa Convention Center project includes adding a 16,000 sf, two-level addition, 18 new meeting rooms and a terrace overlooking the Hillsborough River. 40Our facility is proud to be recognized for cleaning and disinfecting to a higher standard to keep our space clean and safe for occupancy. BACK TO 100% CAPACITY The Austin Convention Center is officially back to 100 percent capacity with no social distancing requirements, giving you com- plete freedom in how you set up your event. MAKING YOUR VISION OUR MISSION Located in the heart of downtown Austin, Texas Five contiguous exhibit halls with 247,052 square feet of column-free space Surrounded by 12,000+ hotel rooms within walking distance WELCOME BACK! IT’S TIME TO GET BACK TO DOING WHAT WE DO BESTPLANNERTIPS themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJULY 2022 M eeting planners already had a multitude of respon- sibilities that needed to be fulfilled promptly and efficiently, but the COVID-19 pandemic added an entirely new dimension that demands unparalleled flexibility. “We have to be more agile in plan- ning and have more contingency plans during a pandemic,” says Melinda Bur- dette, CMP, CCM, HMCC, senior direc- tor, events for Meeting Professionals International (MPI). “The ever-chang- ing environment, closures and travel restrictions pose the most chal- lenges for planners these days. You have to be nimble and plan for multi- ple contingencies.” This situation has created some dilemmas for planners as they seek to find the most appropriate venues for their meetings and events. “The ever- changing rules make it really hard, particularly if your group or client has any strong posi- tions on the [pan- demic health and safety] issues,” says Julie Ann Schmidt, CMM, CMP, C19CO, founder and CEO of Lithium Logistics Group, a global event and logistics firm that manages programs worldwide and provides hotel and venue-sourcing services. “That can be on both ends of the spectrum — those who are worried and want lots of safety precautions, and those who do not want masks, for example, and are frustrated with any restrictions. It is hard to choose a venue when you do not even know what you can do at an event. This makes it hard for both the sales teams at the venues and the planners. You are not sure what you can sell and what you can buy.” Amid the uncertainty, many resources and tools have emerged to help planners navigate through new, pandemic-related problems they encounter. By utilizing these new resources, as well as tradi- tional site-selection guidelines, planners can continue to hold successful, well- attended meetings. Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC, contends that planners generally have managed to navigate successfully through the turbulent waters triggered by COVID-19 during the past two years, just as they have been capably addressing technological and other developments. “The acceleration of changing meeting environments has been rapid over the past seven years, and meeting profes- sionals have become comfortable with rapid change, I believe,” he says. “Thank goodness, given the last two years and what may come in the next few years. I am confident we will be well-versed in changing our meeting dynamics over the reopening phase.” STAYING INFORMED ABOUT COVID-19 One of the most critical keys to suc- cess in planning a meeting during the pandemic was to stay informed. Since launching an agency-wide response to COVID-19 in 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta has been issuing information and guidelines — and occasionally legally binding orders and regulations — for managing the pan- demic. The World Health Organi- zation, based in Geneva, Swit- zerland, also has posted COVID-19 developments and advisories, on an international basis. Several meetings industry organizations, such as the Events Industry Council (EIC), Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), also offer helpful information. Planners also need to check the state, county and city guidelines for their prospective meeting locations. “Right now, this is an ever-moving target,” says Nancy J. Zavada, CMP, VENUE VISION COVID-19 Rules Pose Site-Selection Challenges BY DAN JOHNSON Planners agree that the first thing to look for during the early stages of venue selection is if the venue has received a Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR accreditation. COURTESY OF THE KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON CONVENTION CENTER 42CMP Fellow, founder and president of MeetGreen. “Following CDC guidelines can change daily, and responding appro- priately requires diligence. Different areas of the country or world have local mandates that may be different than where attendees live. Planners should be striving for the highest level of health and safety. We ensure our clients have the support of health and safety experts from a beginning assessment through on-site protocols and post-event report- ing.” Some groups employ specialists to assist in the process. MeetGreen utilizes the services of Arrive Management, which specializes in event safety, secu- rity and emergency management. Specialized, certified pandemic training also is now available for plan- ners. MPI offers the Pandemic Meeting & Event Certificate online course, which helps planners “navigate the next normal for event strategy in a post-pandemic world.” The program, which awards 20 CMP clock hours upon completion, focuses on participants rethinking their event strategy for maximum adaptabil- ity in an increasingly disrupted global environment, developing checklists for safer event design, and establishing and deploying event tactics to reduce COVID-based risks based on current cir- cumstances, primarily in North America. Health Education Services (HES), based in San Carlos, California, offers two COVID-related online courses for professionals: “COVID-19 Compliance Officer” and “Pandemic Compliance Advisor for Meeting Professionals,” both of which provide a certificate of completion upon passing an exam. Additionally, the latter class is avail- able for up to 3 CE Credits through the EIC. Another HES course, “COVID Compliance for Live Events,” outlines protocols necessary before and during live events, including health screenings, social-distancing parameters, proper personal protective equipment use and sanitization regulations. Schmidt received a COVID-19 Com- pliance Officer (C19CO) certification during the early stages of the pandemic so that she could understand contact tracing and testing, as well as the other aspects of how the events world was impacted. “I was providing training about how to get back to live meetings in early 2021 for my peers,” she says. She emphasizes the need to constantly keep aware of changes in coronavirus policies and other information, as well as the value of networking. “Find col- leagues who have held or are holding live meetings and cultivate a peer group that can serve as a sounding board, and that will share what they have done,” Schmidt says. “By staying on top of what’s going on and what other people are doing, you can then be sure you have the best information to make good decisions for your group or event.” RESOURCES FOR FINDING CLEAN, SAFE VENUES Once planners have become well- educated about health and safety issues surrounding coronavirus and developed a strategy to keep informed about sub- sequent developments, they will have a clearer understanding of how to choose a venue that matches their priorities. Many planners recently have found that the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) can be a valuable resource. GBAC helps organizations and businesses prepare for, respond to and recover from biologi- cal threats, biohazards — including pan- demic and infectious disease outbreaks — and real-time crises. The organization offers education, training, certification, crisis counseling and response management for situa- tions where environments require a much higher than normal level of cleaning, disinfection and restoration. The GBAC STAR Facility accreditation is awarded to facilities that have satis- fied the following requirements: • Established and maintained a cleaning, disinfection and infec- tious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents such as the coronavirus • Employ proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques and work practices in place to combat bio- hazards and infectious disease • Have informed cleaning profes- sionals who are trained for out- break and infectious disease prepa- ration and response “IAEE [International Association of Exhibitions and Events] continues to work closely with the Global Biorisk Advisory Council for infectious-disease scientific expertise for our pandemic- related resources,” says Scott Craig- head, CEM, IAEE’s vice president of exhibitions & events. “GBAC certifies venues that meet health and safety requirements that provide optimal risk mitigation for COVID-19 spread. I rec- ommend that planners seek venues that have GBAC or equivalent certification.” Burdette agrees that a GBAC STAR Facility designation can provide the planner with assurance that the venue is meeting health and safety standards, but offers additional advice. “If the venue has received the GBAC STAR designation, then you know that it is meeting industry standards,” she says. “Also, ask the venue how many like- sized meetings and events it has hosted during the pandemic, and ask for the contact information for the lead plan- ner. You can then call the planner and ask how the venue responded, among other things. Another option is to ask any partner who participated in events 43 JULY 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Nancy J. Zavada, CMP, CMP Fellow, founder and president of MeetGreen. rear, right, says it’s important to keep up with CDC guidelines and communicate with attendees, as the guidelines can change constantly. COURTESY OF NANCY J. ZAVADAat the venue how they felt during the event about such things as communica- tion, health and safety and duty of care.” Plenty of meetings industry organi- zations, convention and visitors bureaus, venues and meeting magazines provide helpful online information, includ- ing health and safety policies, about meeting facilities. “Venue salespeople are the best resources,” Schmidt says. “They have a vested interest in selling their space and making sure planners know what they are offering. Also, their CVBs are selling everything in the city or state, so they are good resources. There are also great tools for sourcing, such as Cvent, that have a lot of data on the property. That can help you decide if the property is for you before you send them a lead.” MaryBeth Powers, CMP, president of Planning Powers LLC, a full-service meeting and event-planning company, says that once a site has been selected for a meeting, it’s critical to remain in contact with it about health and safety issues. “Get updates regularly from the venue,” she says. “Check with your local CVB and/or your hotel or venue partners about the COVID proto- cols in place.” Zavada contends that, ultimately, it’s the planner’s responsibility to assure that health and safety measures are met. “While the venues can assist with the health and safety measures, it is up to the planner to determine their guidelines and protocol for the event, and commu- nicate it with the facility,” she says. “Too often, we are seeing planners relying on the venues to provide these measures, which is an unfair burden.” NEW SITE- INSPECTION TOOLS Schmidt asserts that deal- ing with COVID-19 now is the major challenge for planners. “I have been doing this [event plan- ning] for more than 20 years, and in that span of time, the main challenges that planners face has changed a lot,” she says. “In recent years, the main chal- lenge has been working around COVID and the restrictions that can place on a meeting or on the venue. Navigating that has been a challenge for the past two years and I think it will continue to be a challenge for another year.” The amount of time planners now devote to health and safety issues cannot be overestimated, but plan- ners can’t simply shift their attention to addressing health and safety issues. They need to devote generally the same amount of attention — or more — to other responsibilities. Craighead says that not only health and safety, but dig- italization of events, must be factored into all phases of planning. Planners need to keep aware of the new digital tools available, both for holding remote, virtual and hybrid events, and for site inspection. “Most venues have moved to virtual tours of their space during the pandemic, which is extremely helpful to planners who may be facing travel bans and unable to conduct in-person site visits at this time,” Burdette says. “In addition, I have seen a number of planner-focused Facebook groups pop up where plan- ners are asking for experiences at par- ticular venues.” Cooper is excited about the new site- inspection technology. “I believe the investment in remote venue-evaluation technology, born out of travel restrictions to visit venues, will help us better evalu- ate live meeting venues in the future,” Cooper says. “I see some fantastic exam- ples of virtual site-inspection platforms developed in the last two years. XplorIt is interesting as it brings the destination into the virtual tour as well as the venue space, giving you a full destination per- spective. Allseated advanced its capa- bilities off the back of its ExVo virtual conference platform, so venue staff and multiple client representatives can meet in the virtual venue space online, to hold a meeting and tour, with full interaction.” Allseated’s Vision offering pro- vides 360-degree venue scanning, a website widget, save templates, smart floor plans, virtual walkthroughs and Allseated Connect, a virtual meeting platform that enables planners and others to explore the layout with access via a tablet, laptop, desktop themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJULY 2022 Scott Craighead, CEM, IAEE’s vice president of exhibitions & events, says not only are health and safety initiatives part of the recent changes venues are undergoing, but online technology as well. Julie Ann Schmidt, CMM, CMP, C19CO, founder and CEO of Lithium Logistics Group, asks herself the follow- ing questions when choosing a venue. • Do we fit in the property? • Is the date available? • What are the COVID restrictions? • Will the venue’s rates fit in my budget? • How is the sales and venue team to work with? The way they are in the sales process speaks to how they will be in the planning process. • Do we like the venue? Does this or another venue best fit our aesthetics and style? • How does the space compare with the other options? • What services or additional services does the property, venue or area offer? • Is this a desirable location for the event? This can be an important factor, particularly if you are look- ing at multiple destinations. • What other groups will be using the venue? For some clients, this matters. | AC&F | QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING A VENUE Julie Ann Schmidt, CMM, CMP, C19CO, founder and CEO of Lithium Logistics Group 44or virtual reality headset. Powers con- tends that virtual site inspections, while valuable, aren’t always as productive as in-person visits. “If you are unable to do a site visit, you can’t always ‘experience’ the property and the space,” she says. “Virtual tours are a good option; however, while virtually you may see one thing, your own eyes may see an entirely differ- ent space, such as thin airwalls and bad lighting, which can affect your meeting.” Inspections are important, but only a part of the venue-selection process. Many organizations and companies — including IACC, Lithium Logistics Group, MeetGreen, MPI and Planning Powers — offer excellent site-selection services. PUTTING THE HORSE BEFORE THE CART Before checking into possible ven- ues, however, planners need to estab- lish the preferences of their group. “Planners need to know their audi- ence and the goals and objectives of their meeting or event,” Burdette says. “Some questions they need to ask are, ‘Is my audience willing and able to travel?’ ‘Will my meeting or event fit within the venue?’ ‘What unique spaces can be uti- lized within the venue or city?’” Zavada recommends that planners first determine destination options based on where the main attendees are located. “These days, minimizing travel and time away from home is important,” she says. “It is also pos- sible to determine which location has the lowest carbon footprint. Once the destination is selected, research venues that accommodate your program — as well as dates and rates — and survey for environmental certificates and ini- tiatives. These decisions are the most important part of the process for the success of the meeting.” Depending on the location, finding available venues can be a challenge, requiring the shifting of meeting dates and short-term rebookings due to the pandemic. “An RFP process is the best way to overcome this, by identifying what a particular market location has to offer for space and dates,” Craig- head says. “During these times, it is also important to identify a venue that will extend flexibility in the planning process, with changes and uncertainty caused by the pandemic.” Cooper advises planners to look at each meeting as a new experience and to scrutinize venues against the vari- ables that have the greatest impact on the event. “Do not be tempted to roll out the same RFP questions you did for the last meeting if success for the new meet- ing is born out of different things,” he says. “Thinking about the impact of the venue failing in each area of delivery will help you focus your evaluation on their capabilities in the areas that count the most. Will a faltering internet infrastruc- ture cause havoc to a technology-laden event? Of course it will, just as an event that needs deep relationship-building needs attractive social spaces and qual- ity food and beverage, [which] will prove to be the glue that bonds people.” Schmidt emphasizes the impor- tance of clear communication in choos- ing a venue. She says that if venue per- sonnel don’t have accurate or complete information, they often make a wrong decision. “This shows up when I hear a planner say, ‘Why didn’t I know that?’ or the client say, ‘If I had known that before, I would have made a different decision,’” Schmidt says. “Sometimes, this comes from a planner or sales person making an assumption about what the other person knows. I had a client who was surprised when she did not have all the space contracted that she needed. She did not look at it. She just assumed, ‘I gave them my agenda, so why didn’t they ensure they had my space set?’ She assumed it was their job to check the space, not hers, as the cli- ent, to ensure what she was buying.” ESTABLISHING TRUST IN RELATIONSHIPS Everyone interviewed agreed that perhaps more than ever, it’s critical for planners to work with like-minded partners, including venues, that they can trust. “Assuring the new health and safety requirements are met requires planners to have a strong mix of partners to collab- orate with, and constant and clear communication among the part- ners,” Craighead says, adding that key partners include the venue, the DMO, local health and safety officials, service contractors, and the health and screening processor for the event. A communication plan with all stakeholders and participants before, during and after the event is key, he says. “It boils down to establishing trust- ing relationships with your venues and partners so that you are all truly invested in the process,” Burdette says. Cooper warns that planners’ chal- lenges sometimes arise because they didn’t give full responsibility to the venue to design the components of the event that they control and in which they have expertise. “’Trust thy venue,’ is my mantra,” he says. As an example, Cooper asks why planners would choose to create their own event menus when the executive chef and their team know menu planning better than anyone. This also saves time and resources, he adds. “Always remember that your venue is a valued partner in producing impecca- ble events,” Zavada says. “Enroll them as part of your team early in the process, communicate and work together hand- in-hand.” | AC&F | JULY 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Melinda Burdette, CMP, CMM, HMCC Senior Director, Events Meeting Professionals International It boils down to establishing trusting relationships with your venues and partners so that you are all truly invested in the process. Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC, says meeting planners have always been accustomed to rapid changes. In the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many planners to repeatedly put these skills to use. 45themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJULY 2022 I n a recent seminar entitled, “Increase ROI by Increasing Well- ness,” Dave Stevens, director of global events and field marketing for Alation, spoke of how when one’s mind, body and mental state are in sync with each other, it increases wellness, and when event attendees experience this at a conference or event, ROI can be increased by as much as 30%. That’s a number to which many meeting plan- ners and conference organizers should pay attention. A significant benefit of introduc- ing wellness programs into events is improving attendees’ experiences by stimulating their mental and physi- cal health. A well-curated wellness program can help motivate, energize and build confidence. Pat Schaumann, manager/consultant, life sciences development, McVeigh Global Meet- ings & Events, has been involved in the medical meetings and events indus- try for more than 25 years. One thing she’s learned in the past two years is that employee and attendee well-being has taken on an entirely new meaning. “Attendees have been isolated and less engaged, and returning to normal is going to take time,” she says. “Attendees need to reconnect, and what better way to do that than to offer more personal targeted events to allow them to slowly integrate back into the fold of their peers and to share well-being activities?” With her dual job as director of pro- grams and operations for the Global Wellness Institute and the Global Wellness Summit, Kendra Kobler sits at the intersection of wellness and hospitality. “I have been on the board of the New York Spa Alliance for five years, and have helped plan and run our annual symposium,” she says. “I now plan all off-stage logistics for the [Global Wellness Institute’s] three- day conference, from event com- munications to registration to meals and receptions. Considered the “Davos of Well- ness,” the Global Wellness Summit is now recognized as the most important conference in the world on the business of wellness. “Wellness has become even more of a buzzword since the pandemic, and it’s become more urgent than ever to bring together thought leaders into a single space,” Kobler says. “On the main stage and in breakout rooms, our delegates aim to bridge the gaps among the wellness sectors, health care and medicine, and we hope to eradicate preventable disease worldwide — we call it the ‘Wellness Moonshot.’ After the world faced unprecedented shut- downs, leaders in the wellness world are especially eager to travel, meet, mix and mingle again.” MORE THAN YOGA Brittany Smiley, senior director, life sciences, McVeigh Global Meetings & Events, has been in the industry for more than 20 years, and has incorpo- rated wellness events such as 5K runs, morning yoga, cardio kickboxing and hiking within an annual conference, product launch or national sales meet- ing. “The current wellness trends are focusing more on self-care and living a healthy lifestyle,” she says. “With the onset of COVID-19, wellness events were a priority for daily movement and mental health.” Coordinated Response on Wellness (CROW) Practice works with meeting and event planners to provide well- ness services for virtual, face-to-face or hybrid meetings. The company offers a comprehensive resource for event professionals, offering more than 100 wellness services, from acupressure to Zumba, with more than 500 wellness experts nationwide. “I can think of WINNING WITH WELLNESS Healthy Event Activities Are More Important Than Ever BY PATRICK SIMMS PLANNERTIPS 46nothing more fulfilling than bringing genuine healing services to the pub- lic, especially our often-overburdened and stressed [attendees],” says Kris- tine Iverson, president and founder of CROW. “I’ve experienced the benefits of each of our offered wellness ser- vices, and have learned to manage and transform the stress of my own busy life through utilizing these skills, practices and opportunities.” Like many attendees at conventions, Iverson always sought professional challenges in all of her roles, whether in live events or training and HR with var- ious cruise lines around the world. “Our world needs healing. The pandemic and all the related chaos has turned our world upside down — physically, men- tally, emotionally and spiritually, every single person on the planet has been impacted,” Iverson says. “For many, this time has brought an awareness of impermanence, releasing attachments and the need for well-being.” As co-founder and association plan- ner for YardsNearMe, Alex Haley has organized and hosted numerous well- ness events. “The wellness industry is one of the essential industries these days, because we have seen the impor- tance of taking care of our well-being as an inevitable part of our lives,” he says. “Therefore, we should frequently orga- nize wellness-focused events in various places across the world. The events can be yoga retreats, meditation retreats, mindfulness summits, campaigns for mental health awareness and others.” Over the last two years, people have developed the habit of spending more time indoors. The result, accord- ing to the experts, is worse physical health. “Therefore, we should encour- age attendees to engage in different physical activities as well as spend time in nature,” Haley says. “Wellness events can motivate them to do regular exercise and take care of their overall well-being with the holistic wellness approach. For this purpose, we need to organize wellness retreats to encourage people to take part in these events and boost their well-being with guidance from the wellness experts.” Heather Larson, CMP, president & CEO of Meet Chicago Northwest, works with 62 hotels in the Chica- goland area, as well as park facilities and a 100,000-sf convention center to arrange meetings and conferences. “We’re seeing a great deal of health and wellness activities being intertwined into the meetings and conventions we are already hosting,” she says. “Obvi- ously, in a post-COVID world that we’re living in, we have groups that are enjoy- ing green space, a little more elbow room and getting out into nature more and taking advantage of what’s outside.” Team-building events have his- torically had a wellness theme behind them, but now it’s even more so. “This was a trend that was coming prior to COVID — millennials were asking for more active experiences, they didn’t just want to sit in a ballroom. That’s not what the younger generations are interested in. People want to be healthy, so I think these things are here to stay.” Sergio Diaz, CEO of Keynote Speakers, books experts and thought leaders at conferences and events, and has seen a rise in people demanding speakers talking about wellness. But that’s nothing new to Diaz, as he spent five years as the publisher for 47 JULY 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Planners are incorporating more wellness activities into their events, especially as the world moves past the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, which halted live conferences and the benefits of human interaction. DEPOSITPHOTOS.COMGaiam, one of the largest health and wellness media companies, which produced its own conferences. So, he attended many events that had a wellness component. “People are very sick and are tired of listening to doctors tell them to take a drug. People want to start being more responsible for their health and learn from experts,” he says. “Many compa- nies are now taking their employees’ physical and mental health more seri- ously because of COVID, and because they are seeing how it is impacting their productivity with people leav- ing or missing work due to stress or getting sick too much.” For that reason, wellness being incorporated into meetings is more popular than ever. He recently attended the SXSW Wellness Expo, which cov- ered the three keys to health — mind, body and soul. “For an event, the key is to have good interactive workshops that keep employees engaged,” Diaz says. “A good speaker helps, but at these events, it is more about interactivity than lis- tening to a speaker.” THE MAKINGS OF A WELLNESS EVENT The first step in designing a suc- cessful health and wellness event is to understand your audience. “If every year you do outside yoga, perhaps you add something different — change it up and offer tai chi or qi gong,” Iver- son says. “We provide our clients with unique well-being experiences — for example, a cacao workshop, honey workshop or a scent fusion station where we combine sight, sound and scent into a sensory experience.” A typical health and wellness event by CROW Practice includes a cus- tomized wellness experience for any group, taking into account the number of participants, needs, time allowed, location and budget. For example, to support physical health, the company can offer a variety of fitness classes — tai chi, chair stretching, yoga, dance, kickboxing or boot camp. “To support physical, emotional and mental health, we offer meditation, mindful art, aro- matherapy, chair massage, acupressure and a variety of animal encounters, like goat yoga or puppy playtime,” Iverson says. “In some cities, we offer unique tours that support well-being. We also offer a variety of wellness and mindful- ness speakers, including industry leader Deepak Chopra.” Schaumann’s key to success in planning these health and wellness events is to start small with resources you already have, then think of a theme, timing and prepare a working budget. “Make mental health accessible,” she says. “Get inspiration from your attendees. Use the event as an opportunity to host seminars or training on how to support a co-worker, how to manage stress, or emotional intelligence and its application to the attendee.” Some basic wellness activities she recommends include meditation for 5 to 10 minutes; bringing in a local chef to train attendees how to cook healthy recipes; planning a group walk or hike around the area; participating in vir- tual body-weight fitness classes and offering exercises that are generational appropriate. Smiley agrees that the organizer must know the audience and think about the attendees to ensure the maximum attendance. “Add a touch of competition and watch attendees just take off,” she says. “Have a dedicated customer-success team design chal- lenges and programs to meet your goals. Redesign wellness events at your event by engaging expert train- ers and include appropriate, measur- able challenges.” In Kobler’s opinion, forward- thinking speakers and cutting-edge content is what helps define wellness at an event. But networking and talk- ing about wellness ideas also helps. “Encourage your attendees to network outside their circle. During the first lunch of our three-day Summit, we facilitate table-topic discussions. Each table has a sign with the topic, and it’s first come, first served,” she says. “It’s a simple way to encourage delegates to follow a passion and make new connections, rather than sitting with their usual posse. We also host a dine- around dinner where we pick several local restaurants for smaller group dinners, and we randomly assign attendees to restaurants to spark new conversations.” themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJULY 2022 Wellness activities at conferences and events can include meditation, stretching, yoga, tai chi, hiking, morning or afternoon runs, learning healthy recipes, acupressure and more. Kristine Iverson President and Founder Coordinated Response on Wellness In some cities, we offer unique tours that support well-being. We also offer a variety of wellness and mindfulness speakers. COURTESY OF KRISTINE IVERSON 48WELLNESS IN ACTION The most popular activity Smiley has encountered is morning yoga. “Typically, the client wants it to take place as close to the sun rising as possible,” she says. “The client would provide branded yoga mats to all participants. Sign-ups would go out for the various sessions, then the event would execute; [and there were] group pictures afterwards.” At a recent health care association conference, Smiley held a tennis tour- nament to get attendees active. “The attendance was great and all skill levels participated,” she says. “The associa- tion surveyed its membership to deter- mine the activity.” Meanwhile, her co-worker, Schaumann, planned a hike at a Scott- sdale, Arizona resort that had different levels of endurance, calling it a “suc- cessful and a wonderful way to network with other attendees, get energized and enjoy the incredible destination.” Crow Practice recently had a desti- nation management company request 15 concurrent live services, including FIT classes, yoga, meditation, sound healing, aromatherapy, personalized nutrition, smoothie making, Zumba and tarot-card readers at a Central Florida resort. “Par- ticipants took advantage of indoor and outdoor scheduled activities, as well as visiting our flow stations to walk up to ongoing activities at their leisure,” Iver- son says. “Our clients often tell us how much our health and wellness services helped their participants refresh, revive and reconnect with themselves and each other. For CROW, this is confirmation that we have fulfilled our purpose.” The 2021 Global Wellness Sum- mit was held in Boston, and wellness professionals from all over the world joined. “As of 2020, the Global Wellness Economy is at $4.4 trillion dollars, and we had representatives from all sectors, including wellness real estate, design and architecture, lifestyle, nutrition and fitness, wellness tourism and hospital- ity, spa and beauty, mental wellness and many more,” Kobler says. “It was exhil- arating to meet in person again.” On top of that, the sponsors led knowledge workshops and provided delightful goodies for all attendees with a health and wellness theme in mind. Hotels are also getting into the trend. “Conferences being held at our Westin Chicago Northwest have added morning fun runs to their schedules utilizing the green space around their property,” Larson says. Another event incorporated yoga on the lawn for attendees. “It’s not that you’re getting away from the after-hours cocktails period — that’s still something people want to do. But there’s also a big seg- ment of millennials, though it’s not lim- ited to them, who are willing to wake up early and do an elective of sorts that revolves around wellness.” THE PANDEMIC’S INFLUENCE The pandemic was such a shock to the world and has been a truly pain- ful experience for so many. For the meetings and events industry, almost everything shut down completely, as no one was able to safely gather together. “Some of our largest clients had to lay off many valued employees, and included our mindfulness sessions in their final meetings,” Iverson says. “It was touch- ing for CROW to be thought of as bring- ing a touch of healing to our clients when they most needed us.” The International Live Events Asso- ciation (ILEA) even requested and received free virtual meditations and mindfulness sessions from CROW. “Since events have begun again, we’ve continued to offer virtual, live and hybrid health, and well- being sessions to a vast variety of clients across the U.S. and world,” Iverson says. “We’ve been hum- bled by the enthusiasm of our clients and pleased to provide them with the best health and well-being services pos- sible, customized for their unique needs.” The pandemic has had a negative impact on attendees’ sense of safety, wellness and con- nectivity to peers, and the long-term psy- chological impact on event attendees has yet to be fully understood. “As planners, we have learned that there is a ‘new nor- mal’ in planning all events,” Schaumann says. “We have also seen that physical activity does more than improve your physical health. It releases endorphins that boost your mood and reduce stress. Hence, our event activities have changed. Planners need to proactively identify their overarching cultural challenges and holistically design support systems that address the specific forms of stress and anxiety their attendees have faced. We have to build a culture of care in a virtual or face-to-face setting.” That’s why it’s important to focus future meetings on reimagining and innovating events that support the physical and mental well-being of your attendees, in addition to making them feel safe and secure in the environment that you are providing. | AC&F | JULY 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Pat Schaumann Manager/Consultant Life Sciences Development McVeigh Global Meetings & Events We have also seen that physical activity does more than improve your physical health. Hence, our event activities have changed. Kendra Kobler, director of programs and operations for the Global Wellness Institute and the Global Wellness Summit, says wellness is more of a buzzword since the pandemic, and people are eager to travel again. COURTESY OF KENDRA KOBLER 49Next >