In recent years, the awareness surrounding the importance of mental wellbeing has increased vastly across all industries, or not least within the Events Industry! People have become more aware of the significance in both work life and personal life. As a result, we have seen increasing requests from our clients for suggestions on the best ways to incorporate mental wellbeing into their events, from space on an agenda, to breakout sessions and wellbeing festivals.
1.Wellbeing Activities
There are so many different activities that can be introduced to an event that focus on mental wellbeing. We work with our preferred suppliers to offer variety of activities that can be modified to any venue, budget or time constraint. Yoga workshops are great to offer to your delegates to allow them to relax, unwind and reset for the day ahead or after closing. Other ideas such as Mindfulness and breathing workshops, reflexology sessions, Tai Chi or creative activities, also offer relaxation opportunities. Offer massages, such as Indian head massages or massage chairs. One other idea could be to introduce a bespoke colouring wall to allow everyone to participate.
2.Speakers
Speakers are a great way to deliver an impactful message for all types of events. Ensuring the message is both informative and engaging. There are some really amazing speakers that specialise in delivering talks that can offer techniques for wellbeing and stress management and can advise and engage on topics such as mental health in the workplace, implementing wellbeing strategies, and metal health first aid.
3.Energisers
What better way is there to start an event than with laughter? As someone once said, laughter is good for the soul. So, it is great way to kick off an event. It is important to try to elevate the energy within a room and energisers are an effective way to do so. These can include a singing workshop, a quick quiz or a highlights reel from the day before, to get your delegates engaged, laughing and the endorphins pumping. Introduce health and fitness sessions around the event, and put on activities such as cycling or running. If a venue has facilities onsite, work with them to make sure the opening times are flexible, so that everyone has the opportunity to use.
4. Food and Beverage
This can make a huge difference to your event. Incorporate fun and healthy food to your offerings, such as urban smoothie bikes! Being aware of food provenance and sustainable eating can be achieved by engaging local niche suppliers. Host a foraging workshop or cookery demonstrations.
5. Downtime
The hustle and bustle of an event is great for some, and too much for others. Offering a ‘quiet area’ composed of relaxed seating, power stations and refreshments can be a simple way to promote personal time. Ensure you allow breaks within your event agenda for your delegates to be able to take a realistic amount of time out of the day for themselves. If an agenda is too full, then people will lose their attention and will not feel invested in.
6. Connect
Human interaction is a fundamental need and closely linked to maintaining mental wellbeing. No matter the size of your event, simply offering plenty of networking opportunities and encouraging conversations between your delegates is an effective way to promote wellbeing. You could introduce digital detox…. Doesn’t everyone need time away from screens and this again encourages conversation.
