Mental Health and Well-Being Receiving More Consideration
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2021 Study by Incentive Research Foundation (IRF)
Wellness has long been a part of meetings and incentives. With COVID continuing to pose health threats and impact attendee comfort and confidence, meeting and incentives planners are looking at the concept of wellness through a different lens. At the fifth annual Meet Well Summit on September 8-9, more than 50 meeting and incentives planners and suppliers from across the country gathered in at The Wigwam in Litchfield Park, Arizona, to experience wellness inclusions and discuss the changing definition of wellness.
Wellness in meetings has always been driven by the goal of making attendees feel comfortable and cared for, but the emphasis on emotional wellbeing has increased because of the pandemic. COVID seems to have raised more awareness of mental health concerns. Work-related team meetings are often check-ins with people, and there’s more transparency, vulnerability, and compassion.
The group discussed how attendees are different since the pandemic, and how they are more open about expressing their emotional needs. People have worked from home for so long, and coming back to a meeting is, as one planner put it, like “coming back into the sunshine.” The group also acknowledged that many attendees could have anxiety about being back in a group. Some people are ready to be part of the event, just not all of the event all day.
Communication is critical to helping attendees feel informed and in control of their experience. One planner explained how “overloading” attendees with information ahead of the event helped to manage expectations and empower attendees to make decisions for themselves. Some attendees find a great deal of comfort and protection in clearly-communicated health & safety protocols, while others prefer to know what types of rules and restrictions they are expected to abide by. One size does not fit all, and a regimented schedule does not work. A big part of achieving attendee comfort and peace of mind is assuring attendees that you are providing flexibility and options regarding the agenda, breaks, and spacing.
