Are you dreading your next onsite Meeting or Event… surrounded by heavy banquet meals, dinners, appetizers, break stations loaded with everything from rich entrees to those decadent hotel brownies and cookies followed by long stretches of sitting? Our Meeting & Event Planners are happy to be experiencing an increase in requests for healthier options and activities at our clients’ meetings and events. American Meetings COO, Todd Bludworth says, “In addition to the benefits for our clients and their attendees, our staff also feels more productive and rejuvenated onsite. Plus it saves budget dollars that can be used to enhance another aspect of the meeting or event.”
Creating healthier menus and stretch breaks is a great start, and here are some additional activities we have implemented with much success:
1. Short fitness breaks between sessions to help stimulate blood flow and re-energizing meeting attendees.
2. Incorporate yoga and breathing exercises as part of the itinerary so attendees go home not only feeling relaxed but equipped to better manage daily stresses at work (especially popular with our sales and internal meetings).
3. Take the meeting outdoors (if space allows) – fresh air and sensory stimuli can reawaken a group, resulting in fresh ideas, inspiration and relaxation.
4. Incorporate curriculum that teaches lifestyle changes into meeting itinerary – attendees will go home with a new understanding on achieving work-life balance.
5. Include nutrition information on menus and food labels to raise awareness of healthy eating.
6. Use the money saved on lighter menus toward including hotel gym access for all meeting attendees or one free chair massage for meeting attendees.
7. Make local maps available at your registration desk that outline the closest hiking/jogging trails, parks and other active ventures.
8. Send daily tweets, texts or emails to meeting attendees with a healthy tip of the day.
9. Take more intimate sessions on the “road” by holding walking meetings.
10. Start each session with a stretching activity.
For more information contact bd@americanmeetings.com or visit our website at www.amiwebstaging.wpengine.com
Happy, and healthy, planning!!!
