Nurturing mind and body have become essential components of meetings. Attendees aren’t interested in sitting in a room with artificial light for hours on end. Today’s travelers want meetings that are energizing, not exhausting. Boost attendance and productivity by adding physical and mental health opportunities to meeting schedules.
In a recent travel trends survey commissioned by Hilton Hotels & Resorts, half of respondents say it is important for their travels to address mental or physical wellness. The American Express Travel 2023 Global Travel Trends Report echoes that finding, with 72 percent of participants reporting they are more focused on self-care than they were a year ago.
In response to such findings, venues are touting their health-focused services and amenities, while planners are seeing value in adding wellness experiences.
Take wellness breaks
“We’re starting to see planners building in breaks, not building such aggressive schedules, and they’re being more mindful about their scheduling overall and how it affects the attendees and their energy levels,” says Kristin Delahunt, vice president of convention services for the Atlanta CVB. “I’ve had groups ask for ideas and local suppliers that can coordinate mental health breaks during sessions.”
Activities can be as simple as group yoga, low-impact exercise, or guided meditation sessions to start or end the day. Because rest and downtime are integral to mental and physical health, quiet rooms—dedicated areas where attendees can unplug and destress—also are popular with planners and groups.
“They’re looking for spaces in hotels they can designate as a no-electronics area or a recharge station just for people to get away and have a quiet space,” Delahunt says. “They might want low lighting and comfortable [seating]. They might bring in scents for a mini-spa atmosphere.”
Hyatt Hotels Corp. recently announced it will provide planners with access to renowned well-being specialists through videos available for meetings and events.
Stick to the routine
For some, maintaining their fitness routine is a priority. So, properties are expanding their exercise options. At some hotels, a concierge will take guests on runs or walks or offer fitness classes. And many hotels are furnishing their fitness centers with high-end equipment, such as Peloton bikes. Hilton takes it a step further, offering the bikes in select guest rooms. The Tempo Wellness Rooms at Canopy by Hilton Washington DC Bethesda North include a Peloton bike, dumbbells, yoga mat, resistance bands, and personal massage equipment.
In addition to exercise, many travelers want to keep their food routine, as well. “We have meeting attendees who expect to be able to swim at 6 a.m. and have steel-cut oatmeal,” says Carol Smith, director of sales and marketing at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Va.
The resort has cultivated an Eastern philosophy that life should be lived in harmony, Smith says. “Traditional Chinese medicine believes you take care of your health, versus Western medicine that believes you take care of the sickness,” she says. “We try to focus on taking care of your health.”
That belief permeates the property’s atmosphere and amenities. “Even when you walk into the building, our aromatherapy is very peaceful,” Smith says. “So many people say, ‘The moment I walked in here, I felt like I was in a different place.’”
Lansdowne offers guests yoga and Asian-inspired stretching, which is a more structured and pronounced series of movements focusing on the liver, lungs, pancreas, and heart, Smith says. The property is testing a wellness floor as a serene space where guests can enjoy traditional Asian tea service and Asian-inspired foot soaks.
“The objective is your feet are really the energy for you, and if you take care of your feet and your ankles, they say the rest comes,” Smith notes.
Soak in a spa
Few things are more relaxing than a day at a spa. And resorts are investing millions in upscale spas to indulge guests’ desire for well-being.
The luxurious Spa Palmera at The Boca Raton resort in Florida recently was awarded five stars by Forbes Travel Guide. The 50,000-square-foot wellness oasis was modeled after the grandeur of Spain’s Alhambra Palace and offers lavish experiences, such as a Moroccan-inspired hydrotherapy treatment that includes a salt room, sauna or steam room, and a bathing ritual.
Berry Hill Resort & Conference Center in South Boston, Va., includes a European-quality spa where guests can treat themselves to massages, facials, and body treatments. Upon request, the licensed spa staff will extend operating hours to accommodate guests. Berry Hill also hosts wellness weekends that include yoga, skincare classes, and acupuncture. In addition, the property offers group fitness sessions and tennis instruction, which planners can add to an event.
“It’s very appealing,” says Leigh Ann Shields, Berry Hill’s marketing manager. “We would be delighted to add something to make the experience as much or as little as they want.”
Feel good by doing good
Helping others boosts the spirit. That kind of wellness is something attendees are craving, and many groups are connecting with the destination community through volunteer CSR projects that create meaningful meeting experiences, build teams, and offer a sense of accomplishment and authenticity.
“Volunteering—being able to give back—feeds the soul,” says Shavannia Williams, director of strategic partnerships with Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) in Atlanta. “What I’m hearing from our clients is they want to provide more of an experience for their attendees to increase engagement and an opportunity to give back to the community they’re hosting their conference in,” she notes.
Projects can be tailored to a group’s interests. “If groups have a particular interest around education, for example, we connect them with a local opportunity such as a reading program or the Boys & Girls Clubs,” Williams says. “I really appreciate our clients being focused on wanting to make an impact and have a legacy here outside of hosting a conference.”
Eat healthy
More than 40 percent of respondents to the recent Hilton survey say they plan to seek healthier food when traveling. The healthy-eating movement led Hilton to add dried fruit, kombucha, and organic frozen meals to the offerings at some of its properties.
Lansdowne Resort also focuses on wholesome foods. “A lot of attendees have become much more aware of what they’re putting in their bodies, which is fantastic,” Smith says. “Food choices are a big part of what customers are asking for. They expect our operation to be sensitive to allergies and have all the food labeled. We’ve been doing that for five years.”
The resort caters to groups by setting up kiosks featuring specific dietary options, such as gluten-free products, so guests can easily find foods that fit their needs.
“Even at coffee breaks, we have nuts and dried fruit,” Smith says. “We can do brownies and cookies, but there is a focus on eating to fuel your body. Lots of people are educated now. Health and wellness is a lifestyle; it’s not a trend anymore.”
Similarly, Berry Hill Resort customizes menu choices to ensure guests eat well. “Our culinary team and menu planners are happy to work with event coordinators to ensure the dietary needs of guests,” Shields says. “If there’s something someone really wants, our chef will make an adjustment to make it gluten-free or dairy-free or whatever he needs to do to accommodate a guest’s needs. If they’re not comfortable with what they eat, they’re not going to enjoy their experience.”
GWCCA has a large in-house food provider and onsite beehives that produce honey used in cooking and served on its own.
“They are able to get super creative and help meeting planners create menus,” Delahunt says. “They’re very sensitive to dietary accommodations and all the trends in terms of health foods and responsible packaging. They’re creating entire buffets that are strictly gluten free or strictly vegan.”
Play with your food
Food can transcend meals and become a teambuilding event centered on healthy eating.
Lansdowne Resort hosted a healthy cooking competition for a group. The resort’s executive chef, banquet chef, and sous chef led the event, which brought together nearly 100 people who had not previously been together. Three teams competed to make guacamole, a charcuterie board, and meatless chili.
“It was great for our chefs to talk about how to use more healthy ingredients, more local ingredients,” Smith recalls. “It was fascinating, and the team loved it.”
Berry Hill Resort offers group mixology classes that can be customized to include mocktails with no alcohol. World travel is the theme of this year’s classes, with June focusing on Australia.
Connect with nature
As the pandemic isolation proved, people need to connect. Events and meetings bring people together for vital human interaction, but connecting with nature also improves well-being. Communing with the natural world is restorative and calming and can improve attentiveness and memory, according to the American Psychological Association.
Look for venues with opportunities for outdoor activities. At Lansdowne Resort, groups of as many as 30 can take a guided nature walk on the Potomac Heritage Trail along the Potomac River.
Berry Hill Resort offers about 700 acres of natural space for walking and biking, with nearby fishing lakes.
“Berry Hill is unique in that once you arrive on the property, there is seldom a need to leave,” Shields says. “Our all-inclusive resort offers the perfect escape, allowing guests the opportunity to focus on their meeting or event while enjoying the beautiful countryside of southside Virginia.”
In Galveston, Texas, Moody Gardens has a hotel, spa, and convention center surrounded by 32 miles of the Gulf of Mexico coastline. Nature-inspired attractions include an Aquarium Pyramid with more than 10,000 marine animals and a Rainforest Pyramid that houses endangered plants, animals, and birds.
The GWCCA campus includes the 22-acre Centennial Olympic Park. “It’s open green space,” Williams says. “Attendees and the community are welcome to be in the park and enjoy the space for exercise or reading or work, or you can do yoga. It’s a great space that brings the community together.”
Venues with close proximity to outdoor recreation benefit planners, too. Not only can such locales attract attendees, but they also mean attendees don’t have to go far to relax, saving transportation costs and making it less likely they won’t return for meeting sessions.
As Williams notes, “I have heard from our clients that they appreciate the opportunities that our campus provides because people are not leaving
the campus.”
