5 Ways to Incorporate Wellness Into Your Next Virtual or Hybrid Event

Health and wellness has become an increasing trend within the meetings and events industry. According to the “Wellness in Meetings and Incentive Travel Study” by the Incentive Research Foundation, 68% of the individuals surveyed noted that wellness is a “critical focus” for meetings and events they have planned. In March 2020 when in-person events came to an abrupt halt, this intensified the growing importance of well-being more than ever – with a focus on the mind, body, spirit and nutrition as a way to improve the event experience, keep attendees engaged, and combat “Zoom fatigue.”

The five tips below provide some examples of how you can incorporate wellness into your next virtual/hybrid event.

1. Calm the mind

Mindfulness exercises are known to decrease stress, strengthen the body’s immune system, and stimulate and calm the mind. Incorporate guided wellness activities into your virtual events – for example, yoga, guided deep-breathing exercises, and brain-focus meditations – to calm attendees’ minds prior to your event or throughout the day. If hiring a meditation or yoga expert is not desirable or within the budget, try something on a smaller scale and provide calming music before or between sessions. You can also provide links to workout videos attendees can follow after the event in their own time.

2. Foster and encourage deep connections

Increased connection is known to strengthen people’s immune systems and lower the rates of depression and anxiety. Create an event app to allow attendees to chat with one another and gain an increased sense of connection. Using an event app for your event is not only great for delivering event content but can also present a valuable networking opportunity for event attendees.

3. Communicate health tip reminders

Utilize a mobile app to send push notifications to attendees reminding them of healthy tips. For example, you could remind them to “drink more water” or “take a moment to stand up and stretch” in between breakouts.

4. Be mindful of time

Increased breaks help to minimize stress and can help reenergize participants for their next sessions. When formulating an agenda for your virtual event, be mindful of breaks. Provide your attendees with plenty of time for food and bathroom breaks as well as a moment away from the screen to stretch their legs.

5. Encourage healthy food choices

Encourage healthy food choices by having a chef prepare a healthy meal with your attendees virtually that accommodates a range of dietary requirements. Not only is this a great way to create a dining experience for your event but can also be a way to participate in a fun activity and drive engagement. Alternatively, you can send healthy snacks or other food and drink options to your virtual attendees prior to the event.

Meetings are a part of life, but great meetings can change lives. Whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person, we design experiences that matter. We have the expertise, technology knowhow, and supplier network to create memorable meetings and events for your company, your attendees, and your brand. We work with you to understand your meeting or event goals and help you build attendee engagement into your plan, recommending approaches to maintain your attendees’ focus throughout the experience. Read more about our approach.