How to Bring Wellness and the Great Outdoors into Meetings and Events
Looking after our mental and physical wellbeing has never been more important. To maintain health, wellbeing and productivity, many companies are integrating wellness in their meetings and events. It is essential that you allow your delegates to take time out, so why not consider fitting in wellness sessions and outdoor activities into the schedule, to allow delegates to get some fresh air and clear the mind.
To help event planners bring wellness and the outdoors into events, De Vere, a collection of historic mansion house estates and distinctive contemporary hotels and event destinations, has shared its top tips to ensure delegates feel relaxed but productive and motivated throughout the day.
A breath of fresh air
Exercising outdoors with exposure to nature has been proven to have many positive influences on health, particularly mental wellbeing, and enhances mood and self-esteem. As little as a 20-minute walk or a short run at lunchtime can have beneficial effects. Delegates can take advantage of our jogging trails, and join the De Vere Wellbeing at Heart Strava Club where you’ll find lots of routes and segments to try around our hotels for all abilities.
Our properties are set within 20 acres or more of natural parkland offering plenty of outdoor space for guests to explore and help clear the mind. It also provides endless opportunities for outdoor breakout sessions; team building activities; dining al fresco; working in the sunshine – thanks to the super-fast Wi-Fi that stretches up to a 100m perimeter around each property.
You are what you eat
The benefits of a healthy menu include a sense of well-being, improved mood, memory, and cognitive skills, as well as stronger bones and teeth to name a few. Eating for good health can be fun and exciting, which is why De Vere offers a selection of delicious and nutrient rich menus packed with great sources of protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals which helps support the immune system and a healthy gut. These menus also cater to a variety of dietary requirements.
Have some fun
Take your delegates outdoors for a walking meeting or during their breakout to enjoy some outdoor games. Our properties feature new outdoor games, including chess, connect4, draughts and football, and picnic options to allow delegates to enjoy the hotels’ beautiful surroundings and to bond outside of a work environment comfortably. Adding a competitive element through games also helps delegates to build relationships and encourages a more open collaborative culture.
Stretch it out
It’s essential for event planners to consider delegate wellbeing as part of their event itinerary. 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. Consider incorporating a wellness activity into the schedule to not only relax delegates, but to prevent restlessness and low energy levels to keep productivity levels at an optimum.
We understand the importance of wellbeing, so from 25th June our hotels will be offering complimentary daily wellbeing sessions including yoga and Pilates classes for guests. On warmer days, delegates can opt to take their activities outside to reap the benefits of the impressive outdoor space our properties have to offer.
Hotels in the portfolio include De Vere Latimer Estate, nestled in an Area of Outstanding Beauty, De Vere Cotswold Water Park, – surrounded by a nature reserve and 152 beautiful lakes, De Vere Tortworth Court set within a 30 acre estate which includes a Victorian arboretum housing more than 300 plant and tree specimens, De Vere Beaumont Estate located within 44-acres of stunning grounds which includes natural ponds, manicured gardens and quirky sculptures, and De Vere Wokefield Estate, set in 250 acres of Berkshire parkland and home to 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.
Your Wellbeing at Heart
At De Vere we always put the safety of our guests and staff first – and even more so today. Our specially designed Your Wellbeing at Heart programme ensures a healthy and safe visit for guests and meeting delegates, and a safe working environment for our team members. With the support of ChemEco, De Vere has carefully crafted a range of new measures, enhancing the already meticulous deep cleaning of meeting and event spaces, bars, restaurants, and bedrooms. This includes regularly sanitising public areas using jet action ‘misting’ technology which uses hard acting yet environmentally friendly solutions from ChemEco.
To learn more about meetings and events with De Vere, please visit: www.devere.co.uk/smart-space
