A review of the event findings can be read in C&IT (Conference & Incentive Travel) Magazine here, along with a testimonial below from the president of the ILEA UK Chapter and thoughts from co-founders Sarah Mayo and Nicky Morgan who supported the event.
Carlo Zoccali, President ILEA UK Chapter said:
“POINT3 Wellbeing recently supported our Wellbeing Huddle on 19 September at the Crystal, London as part of the #EventWell18 initiative week from 17 to 21 September. They hosted two roundtable discussions on wellbeing, covering the subjects of ‘Physical & Mental Health’ and ‘Work-life Balance’.
Sarah and Nicky facilitated two lively discussions and feedback post-event has been excellent. There’s clearly a passion for this type of content, and the appetite for raising awareness of the subject of mental health and overall wellbeing within the events industry has never been stronger.”
Sarah Mayo, co-founder POINT3 Wellbeing commented:
It was a privilege to be a part of ILEA’s #Eventwell18 event discussing wellbeing within events on Wednesday 19 September. Over the last 20 years, I have seen three sides of the industry – from client side to agency and now supplier. And it’s only in very recent years that a light has been shone on the high-pressured nature of the industry, backed up by CareerCast’s US survey which consistently ranks events as the fifth most stressful profession behind the emergency services and military. Having grown up in the industry, I’m thankful that the topic of wellbeing and how to manage the pressures of events are now being talked about, but there’s still much to do. It needs to be led from the top of an organisation, as well as on a personal level.
Physical and mental health
My huddle theme was physical and mental health, with a particular focus on movement and mindfulness – the foundational principles of POINT3 Wellbeing. We believe that mind and body fitness are the key to helping people stress less, and smile more. There was fantastic, lively discussion around the table from the three groups and many personal tips and tricks were shared.
Three things stood out for me from the three groups.
1/ Everyone is different!
It was wonderful to see the variety of ways that people build movement or exercise into their day, from the commute, to walking instead of taking the tube, to going to the gym at lunchtime. While I do think that the event attracted those that are more interested in the subject of wellbeing, it was encouraging to see that most people do prioritise physical exercise.
2/ Mindfulness and meditation practice is becoming more wide spread as a technique to calm, and de-stress.
While many around the tables still use physical exercise as a means to manage their mental health as well as physical health, there was a good number of people who use apps, and their own mindfulness practice to focus the mind, and be in the moment. And there was curiosity from those that don’t currently. I imagine a few apps will have been downloaded since.
3/ Routine and planning are key.
The personal tips that people shared were largely around finding a routine that works for you. Whether it’s exercising first thing in the morning, to a bed time routine that involves unwinding from the day away from screens. The beauty of having a plan is that when you deviate (which you will inevitably do) if it’s habitual you will slot back into the routine more quickly and easily.
A final thought
It is important that the subject of wellbeing is elevated beyond those that have already got a good handle on how to manage their personal wellbeing. I think this is still the minority within our industry and beyond. Yes, it’s important we take personal responsibility for our health and wellbeing, but we also need to be given permission to prioritise it, and this has to be led from the top and embedded within the culture of an organisation. The industry is a special one, so let’s look after ourselves, our peers and our people better, so it continues to attract and retain the best talent.
Nicky Morgan, co-founder POINT3 Wellbeing added:
Having spent 15 years in the events industry I know first hand the pressures that teams, and individuals within those teams, are under in the face of an immovable deadline, high client demands and an expectant audience whose experience (and lives) are literally in their hands. It was great therefore to see ILEA bringing members of the industry together to discuss the subject of wellness – an absolutely crucial subject to throw a spotlight on.
Work Life Balance
I led a group huddle on the topic of “work life balance”. In a quick straw poll only 19% of people believe it is possible to carve up their “work” and “life” as separate entities. The rest – myself included – view their life as one holistic thing – with work making up an element of it. Discussion around this revealed that the vast majority of those in attendance struggled to separate out their “work” from their “lives” – with the always-on nature of technology, the unsociable hours of the industry and the globalisation of business all playing their part in this.
However, this is not necessarily viewed as a negative – as the passion for the industry people have chosen to work within was palpable. What the session highlighted is the importance for individuals to raise awareness of their own wellbeing pillars – the crutches they need to support them during the high-pressure times.
Thriving not surviving
Common themes were sleep, (good) nutrition, exercise and social time with loved ones. With an understanding of our own wellbeing pillars, and importantly those of the people we are working closely with, where we might not be able to find that elusive “work life balance” we will be able to find balance by satisfying our own wellbeing needs. Self-awareness is key – and the difference between “surviving” and “thriving”.