Julia Green, sales and commercial manager at Center Parcs, shares her expert knowledge on how to keep delegate wellbeing at the heart of every conference...
Ensure everyone arrives feeling present
Why should a conference or event officially start when your attendees take their seats? People will be arriving from various locations and will have had different
mornings - from the school run or an early gym class to delayed public transport or even a
battle with an ironing board. They’ll all arrive in different headspaces.
Rather than asking everyone to take a seat for the event to start, ask everyone to head
outside and take a few minutes to breathe deeply, look up at the clouds and take in their
surroundings. This collective activity will ensure everyone has the chance to be present and
therefore better mentally prepared for the conference or event they’re about to attend. It’s also
a great conversation point, and will create a memorable start to the day.
The most important meal of the day?
If your event runs throughout the day, it would be beneficial for your delegates
to enjoy a healthy breakfast. Studies show that breakfast can improve our attention span and
memory – both vital for delegates who will be absorbing information throughout the event.
Arrange with your venue to serve a quick, easy and light breakfast that’s full of slow-release
carbohydrates, like low-sugar muesli pots with a helping of high-protein yoghurt and fruit, or
smoothies packed with berries, porridge oats and nut butter.
Protein-rich foods can lead to
greater mental alertness, so combined with healthy carbohydrates, there will be no rumbling
tummies or daydreamers in the room.
The mid-morning caffeine fix
The habit of a coffee or tea first thing in the morning is one practiced by many and is often
considered a ‘must’ before even leaving the house. However, you should encourage your
delegates to ease off the coffee first thing in the morning.
If your delegates are set to arrive before 10am, provide plenty of water and caffeine-free
alternatives including fruit teas and fresh juices.
They might be on the hunt for coffee out of
habit, but they’ll thank you for keeping them hydrated, as long as there are lots of tasty
alternatives that pique their interest.
Introduce coffee and tea as part of the first event break, from 10am onwards, when cortisol,
the hormone that enhances focus, drops - and their bodies will be most receptive of the
caffeine.
The great outdoors
A 2021 Microsoft study, revealed that the average human attention span has
dropped to eight seconds, shrinking nearly 25 per cent in just a few years.
Nonetheless, even in the context of an
event or conference, planners must consider ways to optimise delegate engagement – that’s
where nature comes in.
In 2019, a research paper by Scientific Reports stated that just two hours of nature-rich contact
a week makes people feel a sense of 'high wellbeing' and being 'in good health'. If you can
grant your delegates at least 30 minutes of fresh air in two 15-minute sessions, you’re
contributing to that sense of wellbeing, while also benefiting from reenergised attendees back
in the room.
A
s breaks are announced, encourage everyone to stretch their legs, and take in some fresh
air. Rather than stay indoors responding to emails, why not encourage them to respond with
a call while out in nature.
