As event organisers we are constantly chasing the ‘perfect’. With every event we want to deliver high attendee engagement, and an experience that connects with each attendee on a human and emotional level. One way that we can do this is to consider the needs of our delegates during the entire lifecycle of our event. By looking after the wellbeing of our attendees we enable them to really focus on the messages we want to communicate when we bring them together.
Research has shown that unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles increase the risk of becoming overweight, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. The Healthy Award programme focuses on steps that venues can take to support healthy eating and to encourage more physical activity.
However, as an event organiser, there is plenty you can do to support the health and well being of your attendees:
Where possible, book your event at one of our existing Healthy Venues.
Alternately, include a call to action for venues in your event RfPs. See the suggested wording below.
And incorporate some (or all) of the Healthy Meeting Steps below into your event.
Call to Action for Venues
[Organisation name] cares about SDG3 the health and well-being of our event attendees. In an effort to improve the attendee experience at our events, we show a preference for accredited Healthy Venues when selecting venues for our events.
Healthy Meeting Steps
Promote active travel to and from event venue
Provide a wellness experience for delegates (morning yoga / 5k run / walk / meditation session); encourage people with health conditions or impairments to use every opportunity to increase their physical activity, include time in the event for attendees to get outside and get some exercise or a wellness commitment challenge at your event.
Create a space in the event for quiet time.
Always have fresh fruit or salad available as part of any meal
Encourage exhibitors to offer only healthy food and beverage from their stands
Offer only low-sugar or no-sugar drinks where drinks are served
Ensure that at least half of all bread served is wholemeal / wholegrain
Provide free drinking water on site
Position salad and vegetables first in buffet lines and provide dressings and condiments separately to the dishes
Signpost healthier items in the buffet line.
Ask the venue what health and well-being activities are in place for their staff, invite available venue staff to join e.g. 5k run make your event inclusive.
This SDG is a very important reminder about the need for having health and well-being criteria implemented at your events and for event venues to join the movement and guarantee at the same time workplace health and well-being!
This video from Milano Convention Centre does a great job in summarising some of these steps!
“Mindfulness, wellness and CSR [are] ... spilling over into much more than just session content or activities. We are seeing it in event design, food, breaks, room set-up, snacks, furniture, downtime, mental health discussions, mindful minutes, getting outside at events and much more’.”