5 Tips for Keeping Your Events Energized and Illness-Free

When we think about corporate events and incentive travel, our minds often wander to fabulous destinations, luxurious accommodations, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. However, there are two unsung heroes in the narrative: health and safety.

Especially during cold and flu season, the well-being of attendees, including our own team members, is crucial. A healthy group can often be the difference between a successful event and a problematic one. Let’s explore some key strategies to prevent illness, maintain healthy practices on-site, and manage medical emergencies, ensuring your program is remembered for all the right reasons.

1. Treat Yo’ Self (to a good self-care routine)

As a corporate event planner, your well-being is just as important as the seamless execution of your events. It's essential to adopt a self-care regimen that boosts your immunity and keeps you at the top of your game. Start by nourishing your body with nutrient-rich foods, staying hydrated, and ensuring you get plenty of sleep. 

Remember to manage stress through mindful practices (many of our team members practice yoga or meditation), as high stress can compromise your immune system. When you're managing an event, keep up these habits and make sure to sanitize regularly, from your workspace to your devices. After all, taking care of yourself isn't just a seasonal commitment; it's a year-round promise to ensure you can always bring your best to the table.

2. Develop Health and Safety Guidelines for Your Event

Remember when your coach would give you a game plan? Well, think of health and safety guidelines as your playbook for a healthy event. This might include protocols for cleanliness, hand sanitizing stations throughout the venue, the management and accessibility of first aid kits, and procedures for handling any health-related incidents. This part also involves putting a risk management plan in place. These guidelines should be clear, concise, and tailored to your event and communicated effectively with your team.

By setting and communicating these standards, you create a safer environment that allows everyone to focus on the purpose of the event: connecting and collaborating.

3. Survey the Space

Assessing the venue is a pivotal step that goes hand in hand with crafting your health and safety guidelines. Before finalizing a location, evaluate the space thoroughly to ensure it meets not only the needs of your event but also the well-being of your attendees.

Start with the size and layout of the venue. Is there enough space to accommodate your guests comfortably while allowing for any necessary distancing measures? Consider the flow of traffic through the venue — you'll want to avoid bottlenecks at entrances and exits, which can be assessed during a walk-through. Accessibility is another critical factor; ensure there are ample accessible routes for all attendees, including those with disabilities.

In your pre-planning phase, meet with the venue's management to understand their cleaning protocols and emergency procedures.

4. Preparing for Illness or Emergencies

Even the best-laid plans can face unexpected hurdles. A medical emergency is something that no one wants to happen at an event. But having a plan for these kinds of issues can be the difference between life and death – both for your attendees/staff and the success of your event. Let’s talk more about best practices when it comes to preparing for the worst.

1 | Access to Medical Professionals and Facilities

Having access to medical professionals, AEDs, and knowing the overall layout of the facility during a program is crucial. This preparation can make all the difference in a crisis. Furthermore, establishing a dedicated first aid or medical station is a proactive step, providing a reassuring presence and immediate assistance for any medical concerns that may arise.

2 | Communication During a Crisis

This may be the most important tool when it comes to handling a crisis. Clear and calm communication is vital during any medical emergency. Establish a protocol for communication, ensuring that everyone on-site  knows who to contact and how to proceed in case of an illness or emergency. Be sure to clearly communicate any safety and security information with the attendees themselves.

3 | Post-Event Health Follow-up

Just like a cool-down after a big game, a post-event health follow-up is important. Many illnesses can remain asymptomatic until the event has ended and everyone has gone home. Information is your best tool to help protect others who may have been (unknowingly) exposed to illness. Encourage participants to have a medical check-up after their return, especially if they feel unwell and consider sending a survey to collect information on illnesses experienced in the first few days after your event. This not only ensures well-being but also helps in monitoring any travel-related health conditions. 

5. Health & Wellness Programming

In the world of corporate events, the emphasis on attendee health goes beyond precautionary measures — it’s about actively fostering wellness. Add in guided mindfulness and stretching sessions to the agenda, provide healthy food and drinks, and include opportunities for participants to get outside and/or get moving. Initiatives like these not only enhance the attendee experience by providing a refreshing counterbalance to more intensive sessions but they also demonstrate a thoughtful investment in their holistic well-being. These purposeful pauses are not just appreciated; they're remembered, contributing to a culture of health.

When putting health and safety at the forefront, we can ensure that the experiences we create remain positive and memorable. By planning ahead, your next event will be ready for anything. Let's continue to make health and safety an integral part of our meetings & events playbook!