Five ways to bring wellness to events

With the wellness trend rapidly growing and becoming an integral part of everyday lives, it’s essential for event planners to consider delegate wellbeing as part of their event itinerary. Including physical activity, providing access to the great outdoors and ensuring a varied nutritious menu is on offer can promote wellness, improve delegate experience, prevent burnout and encourage creativity. To help event planners bring wellness into events, De Vere, a collection of historic mansion house estates and distinctive contemporary hotels and event destinations, has listed its five top tips to ensure delegates feel productive and motivated throughout the day.

1 Healthy menus

Offering a nutritional menu at a meeting or event helps keep delegates’ engagement levels high and can prevent a mid-afternoon slump. Steering clear of processed foods and focusing on plant-based and high protein meals is key.

Healthy eating doesn’t need to be boring though, which is why De Vere’s Group Nutritionist, Wendy Martinson OBE, has created a series of delicious conference and banqueting menus packed with great sources of protein, essential fats, fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which helps support the immune system and promote a healthy gut.

2 Active agenda

Being sedentary for the most part of the day will leave delegates feeling restless and lower energy levels. Including short, varied workouts throughout the event can help to avoid this, refresh the mind and keep productivity levels at an optimum. Sets of jumping jacks or stretching exercises at regular intervals are an easy way of incorporating quick active activities to the agenda.

3 Teambuilding activities

Adding a fun and engaging teambuilding activity can improve team morale, build stronger relationships, increase creativity and make for a memorable event.

De Vere Wokefield Estate, near Reading, offers a one of its kind teambuilding experience available from the on-site teambuilding partner, Graham Robb Associates. Event organisers can arrange an adrenalin-packed array of activities including woodland laser combat, archery, zorbing and high ropes to name a few.

4 Offline relaxation

While taking regular breaks is important, they don’t have the same rejuvenating effect when they are spent glued to a smartphone. Mindful relaxation practices such as Pilates or meditation provide attendees with the opportunity to switch off, reflect, and prepare the mind for the rest of the day ahead.

De Vere Cotswold Water Park offers early morning Pilates sessions to help with delegates productivity and mindfulness as well as leaving them feeling relaxed, refreshed and revitalised. Led by Pilates teacher Laura Hatherall, the hour-long classes can be added onto any meeting or event. On warmer days, delegates can opt to take their class outside and reap the benefits of the hotel’s impressive outdoor space, including the surrounding 152 lakes.

5 Nature benefits

The great outdoors is a key part of wellbeing and can easily be used to enhance event experience. Not only is spending time outdoors beneficial to health, by reducing blood pressure and stress levels, it also enhances creativity and cognitive function. Hosting an outdoor or walking meeting is an opportunity for delegates to take a break from the screens and enjoy a change of scenery.

De Vere’s hotels and venues – most of which are set within 20-acres or more of natural parkland – have designated walking routes guiding delegates through the countryside, meaning that every walk will be enjoyable and offer something new to explore. Plus, guests can borrow a pair of Hunter wellies from reception before heading outdoors.

To learn more, please visit: www.devere.co.uk/smart-space