While phrases like “work-life balance” and “workplace wellness” have been part of the business lexicon for some time, it has become a hot topic as of late. Even if some interpret wellness efforts within a business as altruistic, the fact remains that healthy employees perform better. Not only can this increase morale amongst workers, but it can also make your company more attractive to potential applicants. And, along the way, it will benefit your bottom line too.
Wellness pavilions create a space within your event dedicated to these concerns. Attendees can explore the vast array of services available to help maintain the mind and the body. Interested parties can get more information about various techniques and strategies, as well as business offerings. Additionally, having the ability to experience some of the services first hand can leave a lasting impression.
Mindset and Performance
The fact that your mindset can affect your performance is old news. We all know that stress can play a negative role in our professional (and personal) lives. However, many people feel left to their own devices when it comes to managing the daily pressures of work or even life.
Most people spend the majority of their waking hours at work. And, once they’re off the clock, many simply move on to another set of requirements and obligations. Helping people learn how to care better for their mental, emotional, and physical health can ease the sense of burden that many carry with them day after day.
Teaching business leaders to create a nurturing and supportive environment allows them to reap the dividends of better employee performance. It can also lower healthcare costs for businesses and staff, which is guaranteed to relieve stress across the board.
Attendees can also learn new techniques to help make their lives feel more manageable, even if nothing actively changes in the tasks that must be completed on a daily basis.
What to Offer in a Wellness Pavilion
So, now that you understand how promoting wellness at your event can create benefits for everyone involved, you need to decide what to offer. Depending on your available space, you have the following options:
- Vendor Booths
- Informational Booths
- Speakers and Presentations
Vendor and information booths can be seen as separate entities based on their goals. While vendors are often focused on selling a particular product or service, information booths can fill a purely educational role. For example, a specific dental clinic may offer content on their available services along with the benefits of proper care, while a booth run by your company’s selected dental insurance provider may present information from a purely educational standpoint.
Health screenings are also a popular addition to these events. These can be included in vendor or information booths, or in a separate area within the pavilion. Simple screenings, like blood pressure readings, don’t take up too much space or time. More advanced testing, such as blood sugar readings, as well as those that require a level of privacy, such as melanoma screenings, may need more space and specific accommodations.
If you have classroom space available, or a central location that can hold a crowd, then consider adding speakers and other health and wellness presentations. These can be offered by specific booths in attendance as well as outside experts. One source of information that should be included is an overview of any company offered health plans. Often, these programs are complex, so having someone available for a presentation and a quick Q&A session will be well received.
To make the most of speaking options, include a diverse range of subjects from the health and wellness category. Topics could cover stress management, diet and nutrition, exercise and physical fitness, the importance of quality sleep, and more. Create a set presentation schedule and release the timeline in advance. That way, interested parties can plan to attend any presentations that peak their interest.
Wellness Event Vendors
While you have the options to choose whichever vendors work best in your event, it can be challenging to determine where to begin if you are unfamiliar with this business landscape. To help you get started, here are some current vendor options that provide such services.
FitLife Events
FitLife Events connects organizations with event solutions in the area of fitness. They will work with you to develop a strong concept and stay with you through execution. Once the event is complete, FitLife also helps event holders to measure the success of the event with a variety of metrics.
X-Bytes
X-Bytes offers an entire wellness lounge that provides access to a variety of wellness offerings including: wellness talks, fitness/wellness tip sheet takeaways, video fitness micro-breaks, wellness challenges, wellness coaching, and so much more to keep participants alert, engaged and energized.
The wellness lounge can be custom branded and is designed to be easily included within most events. The topics addressed can be tailored to the audience or provide information of general benefit regardless of the participant’s occupation.
Health Insurance Providers
If your event is focused on the employees of a specific organization, the medical insurance provider associated with the company benefits package may have presentation services available. Often, it is in the best interest of insurance companies to ensure their members lead healthy lives, so they may have services available.
Local Hospital Systems
Many community hospitals take advantage of opportunities to reach out to people living and working in the area. They may have personnel on staff that arrange such presentations, and participation in your event can provide mutual benefits by keeping attendees informed on certain health and wellness topics, and by the hospital system being able to get involved with potential customers.
Nearby Universities
Other local resources are nearby colleges and universities. You may be able to collect with professors covering health and wellness topics, or with graduate students for are near the completion of their studies.
Advertising and Marketing
When you create marketing materials, make sure to include highlights from the wellness pavilion. This can include the speaker schedule as well as an overview of the vendor and informational booths that will be onsite. For employee centered events, make sure to add the information to various communication platforms. This can include newsletters, paycheck stuffers, internal emails, intranet postings, and flyers.
To give enough time for word-of-mouth to have a positive effect, and to allow interested attendees to make arrangements to be present, make sure you advertise the event at least four weeks in advance. That gives everyone the opportunity to make any scheduling adjustments necessary to attend specific presentations without having to scramble for coverage.
The idea behind the marketing is to make sure people are aware of the event in a timely fashion. If you wait too long, and the event isn’t mandatory, you may find attendance to be light. By giving everyone ample notice, you significantly increase the chance of having a successful event.
Bring it Together
Health and wellness are as integral to a successful business as any other employee service. Not only are healthy employees more productive, but they are also happier in general. By highlighting available services and providing updated wellness-related information, your event provides a valuable service to all guests in attendance.
Catherine Reed
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