Successful Meetings and Discover The Palm Beaches Florida teamed up with health experts like Dr. Oz and Andrea Sullivan to provide tips on keeping meeting attendees safe, healthy, and revitalized. From program design to food and beverage choices and health-risk management, the guide provides thirty-eight ideas and best practices. We picked out our top tips along with a few bonus ideas.
Top Ten Healthy Meeting Tips
- Gamify Fitness – Use your mobile event app or incorporate wearable devices like a Fitbit to track movement and spawn healthy competition.
- Start Later – According to Dr. Oz, don’t make your attendees feel guilty about getting the sleep they need. Maybe a 9:00 AM start could help.
- Exercise During Presentations – Keep everyone’s blood flowing with brief, sporadic physical or breathing exercises and remember that sitting is the new smoking.
- Curb Back the Sugar – Hotels and planners are pretty conscious about this lately, but just a reminder to replace sugary foods with high-protein options. Nuts are filled with nutrients and help prevent hunger.
- Dial up Superfoods – Good for your mind and for your body – fruits, veggies, whole grains and fish help increase energy, fight diseases and even help you lose weight.
- Increase Awareness– Communication is key. Especially with international travel, safeguarding attendees can be more challenging. Make sure attendees are aware of any health risks associated with traveling to a location – such as the Zika virus for pregnant or soon-to-be pregnant mothers.
- Be Proactive – Anticipate the needs of attendees with extra shawls or blankets for a cool night, sunscreen and flip flops for beach events, or lip balm and eye drops for dry climates.
- Pop an Aspirin (and a Supplement) Before a Long Flight – Advise attendees that vitamin supplements can strengthen their immune system before flights and an aspirin can help prevent pulmonary embolism as a result of sitting too long.
- Bonus: Just the Right Light – If you can’t hold your event outdoors, MGM’s Stay Well Meetings has implemented Circadian Lighting which is “engineered to emulate the properties of natural light, enhancing productivity, energy and experience.”
- Bonus: Highlight Wellness Content – Provide useful information throughout your meeting in the format of quick tips or host an informational session on wellness that all attendees can find helpful in their daily lives.
