Events venues are designed for productivity. Especially for those hosting corporate events, the right environment is key to aiding creativity, mood and productivity levels for delegates – and maybe we should take a leaf out of their books when it comes to our homes.
If you’ve ever worked freelance or from home, you’ll be well aware that it can be difficult to strike a work-life balance when you live where you work. If you have a home office it’s a bit easier – but it’s also all too easy to just ‘quickly’ whip something up, send off an email or ‘check on something’ when the office is the room next door.
Even for those of us who work a 9-5 (or if you’re in events, 24/7 – am I right?) away from our homes, we could all benefit from living in an environment that is mood-boosting and beneficial to our wellbeing. At eve we’ve been thinking about how we can take what we see at successful venues and put a bit of that magic into our homes.
Natural daylight and clean, fresh décor
One of the most important yet overlooked elements of how events can impact wellness – especially at daytime events – is the effects of artificial light.
We all know the impact of living our lives on screens, but it’s actually a lot more than that. It’s the groggy feeling of having sat on a brightly-lit train at night, when you’re on the way home from work, attempting to wind down, but you can’t, not really, because your brain is still stimulated by the light, essentially being forced to think it’s daytime. It’s much the same at events: if your venue is pumped full of artificial light it has the same effect as that train, and guests begin to feel unproductive and lethargic.
A bright, airy and fresh environment is important for both focus and mood, so whether it’s your next event or your home, you don’t want it to be dingy.
Distinct areas for work and play
You may notice that the most successful events have specific areas for different activities: breakout space, networking areas, seminar rooms. This is an important element of an enjoyable home life – especially if it’s where you work, too.
Separate your ‘active’, work space from your rest space – don’t work from your bed or your sofa, as tempting as it is (we know). Even if you’re doing things that aren’t strictly related to work, if they’re things that aren’t restful, get them out of that chill out space. Taxes or finances, shopping lists, planning: no thank you, those are jobs for the table.
Designated wellness space
More and more events are including wellness lounges as part of their setup, to give guests an opportunity to unwind for a moment or two. Events can be full-on and overwhelming – especially if you’re taking in lots of information at a conference.
This is a separate room away from the main event which is designed purely to give guests a break: healthy snacks, water, a seat, charging points – it can consist of whatever you like, but the idea is that it gives guests a break away from all the drama of the magnificent event you’ve planned (and pulled off, obvs).
As humans, our day-to-day lives can be like we’re permanently at an event in this way: busy, taking in information, learning, working, growing, juggling, and it’s important that we give ourselves a break in the same way we’ve seen at these events. Consider creating a space in your home dedicated to taking a bit of time out – maybe it’s a phone-free room, a meditation spot, a yoga room, simply a place to sit quietly – whatever makes you feel good.
Take the healthy catering home
Historically there’s been a bit of a general feeling of coming away from an event feeling groggy and rubbish because of a poor, on-the-go or unhealthy diet and an overload of information. The good news for all of us is that this is no longer the case, and with increases in vegan and vegetarian options and growing awareness of the health impacts of diet and fitness, catering options are becoming far more friendly.
Event planners are thinking carefully about their catering options and ensuring that venues can provide healthy meals that meet the varying needs of their guests – and it’s important to think about this in our day-to-day lives, too.
Making a conscious effort to eat well feels really difficult and sometimes you just want the burger – we totally know that. But avoiding eating on-the-go with pre-prepared snacks and choosing colourful, healthy and different foods can really help to put some energy in your diet – and you!
Find out more about creating events that support the wellness of your delegates by getting in touch with the team at eve