Meeting planners need to take care of their own health and well-being first, if they want to be able to create healthy meetings. That was the underlying premise of Meet Well 2019—the industry’s only meeting focused on integrating wellness into events, a collaboration between Prevue and the Incentive Research Foundation—held last week at Park MGM in Las Vegas.
From healthy F&B to a Silent Savasana yoga break to Dr. Heidi Hanna’s keynote on tactics for alleviating stress, Meet Well 2019 had a dual mission: inspiring attendees to focus on their own personal wellness and sharing tactics for creating healthy meetings.
Hanna, executive director of the American Institute of Stress and a frequent lecturer at Canyon Ranch Resort and Spa, kicked off the event encouraging attendees to take time for self-care and shedding light on why stress is neurochemically addictive and how to alleviate it. Her talk was mirrored by Angela Gaffney, author of Feel Good, Look Good for Life, who emphasized taught the group how to recognize unhealthy ingredients and allergens when planning F&B. Melissa Van Dyke, president of the Incentive Research Foundation, shared just-released results from a survey of hundreds of meeting planners about how they integrate wellness into their meetings and their lives.
The host hotel, Park MGM, created a healthy and balanced menu and labeled foods as vegetarian, vegan, etc. The event was punctuated by two self-care sessions—Silent Savasana yoga and a deep breathing meditation to end the day.
The group took a break the second evening and enjoyed a progressive dinner at three of the Park MGM Restaurants: Best Friend, which served up a variety of Korean finger food; the elegant Nomad Restaurant, known for its roasted chicken with foie gras; and Primrose, where they splurged on banana splits and champagne.
Thank you to our sponsors: AIC Hotel Group; AM Resorts; Caesars Entertainment; Canyon Ranch; Club Med; Hotel Xcaret Mexico; Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau; Pink Jeep Tours; Seabourn; Visit St. Pete/Clearwater; and Windstar Cruises and host hotel, Park MGM, as well as our conference partners: Diane Katzman Design, Essential Health & Wellness, Power Event Group and SpeakInc.
Find information on Prevue’s 2019 Visionary Summits here.
