Finding the perfect meeting space for your team and your mental health
Prioritizing your mental health and the emotional health of your attendees can be tough, especially when you’re a meeting planner on the go. Offering choices for mental recovery during an intensive, high-energy event is the most effective way to empower guests. That could be in the form of a quiet room, an early morning trail hike or yoga. Giving everyone agency to choose their preferred style of down time is integral to helping sustain the overall happiness of the attendees’ experience.
Bobby Jones, founder & CEO of Purple, Rock, Scissors (PRPL), who helms a strategic creative agency of over 60 content creators, engineers, strategists and managers, knows all too well how important it is to design a positive, team-building experience.
“Work environments that support mental health are not only a fundamental right, but are most likely to improve team satisfaction, retention and work performance,” said Jones. We asked him for his secrets for sourcing and designing a program that nurtures the whole attendee.
A Superhuman Experience
When Jones was on the search for a location to host a Summit Weekend for his PRPL team, the offerings of Lake Nona Wave Hotel were hard to pass up. The newly debuted Lake Nona Wave Hotel in Orlando, Florida, features 234 guest rooms and 17,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
“The location and accommodations were a big draw for us. There were peaceful areas and spaces to do yoga, meditate or just take scenic walks for those that wanted to slow down and take a mental break.”
Read More: Lake Nona Wave Hotel Wants to Turn Your Group into Superhumans
Lake Nona is also the location of Limitless Minds, a coaching method co-founded by Superbowl star Russell Wilson that gives attendees the opportunity to explore competitive thinking and mental conditioning–a must-have in the high-octane world of meetings.
“We strive for attendees to leave feeling superhuman and [we] are seeing an evolution of corporate meetings that now prioritize health and wellness,” said James Tattersall, director of sales and marketing at Lake Nona Wave Hotel.
The 130,000-square-foot Lake Nona Performance Club (LNPC) features the first-ever Chopra Mind-Body Zone and Spa in collaboration with well-being ambassador Dr. Deepak Chopra. Activities offered include aerial yoga, ayurvedic massage, rock climbing, group cycling and barre classes.
The robust menu of offerings from LNPC includes body analyses with a take-home fitness plan, cognitive strength hand training and expert-led workshops on breathwork to combat stress, sleep optimization and longevity.
Re-connecting In Person
Jones noted that Zoom fatigue played a major factor in what he sought for team relaxation. “We wanted to make sure that whatever we planned would offer time to reconnect with each other while at the same time, finding ways to disconnect and relax.”
Read More: How to Zoom Your Events Like a Pro
The feedback Jones received from his team following the event was positive and affirming. “We had new teams that were so excited to meet everyone in person for the first time and others who hadn’t been to Orlando or the office in a while and were eager to reconnect,” said Jones. “The amount of fun and bonding time is something that everyone is still talking about.”
