You may have noticed something
new lately about in-person events:

They make you feel a whole
lot better.

And that’s no accident. Meeting professionals andparticipants alike are finding that gathering face-to-facebrings mental health and wellness benefits they had all but
forgotten about during 2020 and 2021.
“There’s something special about being in person,” says
meeting scientist Joe Allen, a professor of industrial andorganizational psychology at University of Utah Health,the director of the Center for Meeting Effectiveness in Salt
Lake City and the author of the books Suddenly Virtual and
Suddenly Hybrid. “Humans and humanity will not continue toexist if we don’t have interpersonal interactions. It’s as simple
as that.”Why is getting together so good for our mental health andwellbeing? The reason, Allen says, is a phenomenon known as
contagion, in which our moods rub off on others in the room.
If one person at a meeting is full of energy and enthusiasm,
for instance, that vibe can spread to the larger group.
Attendees experience more psychological stimulation when
they are in the same room than when they join from different
physical locations, Allen says.
Positive contagion can bring about a state that leads
to higher performance, which, in turn, often makes us feelbetter. Research on distributed teams shows that when teammembers come together occasionally, even for short periodsof time, they perform better than teams that don’t, Allen
notes. “You’re feeding off each other,” he says.
Meeting new people benefits our wellbeing, too. People’s
networks shrunk by 16 percent, on average, during the
pandemic, according to recent research by Marissa King andBalázs Kovács, professors of organizational behavior at the

Yale School of Management. They found that maintaining
connection to the “outer rings” of our social circles is criticalto wellbeing (as well as innovation, creativity andproblem solving).
There are also physiological perks from coming together.
Research on mice, conducted at Imperial College, showsthat when they are isolated, dopamine neurons send out
signals that encourage them to seek out healthy interaction.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects mood andemotion. In humans, it contributes to feeling alert, focused,motivated and happy. Joining a conference has moodboosting properties.
The positive effects of a well-run meeting can extend
beyond the actual event. When workers feel great at
meetings, it affects their overall job satisfaction, according
to research published on APA PsychNet, with researchersconcluding that “meeting satisfaction is a distinct facet ofjob satisfaction.” That is particularly true when workers are
expected to spend a lot of time in meetings, the study found.
The good news is that many companies and organizations
are prioritizing team members’ mental health and wellbeing
to combat the Great Resignation, quiet quitting and otherpost-pandemic trends. Among Gen Z alone, 42 percent say
they have a diagnosed mental health condition, such as
anxiety or depression, according to an analysis by Harmony
Healthcare IT.
Among U.S. employers, 88 percent have started
implementing measures to address the mental health of theirworkforce, according to a survey conducted by Willis Towers
Watson. Sixty-seven percent plan to make mental health andMental Health and Meetings | 3

Meeting satisfaction is a distinct
facet of job satisfaction.

emotional wellbeing programs one of their top three priorities
for the next three years. And, the survey found, the numberof employers who plan to offer mental health days could
triple from 9 percent to 30 percent in the next two years.
Against this backdrop, many leaders now feel it isimperative to bring their people together in person orin hybrid meetings. However, after three years of semihibernation, many people are rusty at business socializing—and find that, even as they look forward to reconnecting,it can be unexpectedly stressful to jump back in. “It’s not
something we expected to be so difficult after hiding in our
houses,” Allen says.
That’s where meeting organizers and strategists come in.
By prioritizing attendees’ wellness and mental health, many
are finding they can play an important role in easing thetransition back to in-person work. Some are concentrating
on moving up the pyramid in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs,
according to Nancy Snowden, former lead manager,
educational experiences for MPI.

The hierarchy, a concept pioneered by psychologist
Abraham Maslow, stresses that every human being hascommon needs, such as food and shelter. These reside at thebase of the pyramid. Once we have these things covered, we
can move up the pyramid to loftier needs that make life more
pleasurable and fulfilling, such as belonging and love, esteem,
cognitive stimulation, aesthetic pleasure, self-actualization
and at the very top, transcendence.
“As professionals, we are pretty good at meeting people’s
physical needs, such as food and shelter,” says Snowden.
However, in today’s business environment that may not beenough. “During the pandemic, we saw that people had agreater need for psychological safety: ‘Do I feel safe in myown head, given the current circumstances in the world?’”
says Snowden. “We had to level up on that need.”
As a result, meeting organizers and planners are
shifting their attention to desires such as belonging. “Theseare esoteric, high-level truths that all human beings are
predisposed to work toward,” says Snowden. “Wellness isa catalyst for that. How do events, in the way we design
them, allow people to feel psychologically safe and also help
participants find community and belonging? How do we help
create a greater sense of intelligence and self-esteem?”
This goes beyond a commoditized approach to wellness,based on buying things like aromatherapy oils. Meeting
professionals are gravitating to an integrative approach,where wellness and mental health are baked into every
aspect of a gathering, according to Snowden. “What we
don’t want in an event space is to continue to churn out

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Meeting professionals have an
opportunity to set the tone
when they first select a locale.

freestanding commodities people can partake in or not,”Snowden says. “That doesn’t help create transformational
spaces.”In this new environment, a few nods to wellness—likestretching before every session, putting salads on the lunchmenu or adding a meditation room to a trade show floor—aren’t enough, even if adding them allows the meetingorganizers to say that they’ve prioritized wellness. “That’s likethinking having a Peloton in my house means I’m more fit,”
Snowden says. “When I see that, it means the event design
was created around what attendees said people need. It’saround what helps people best check that box.”
An integrative approach to wellness may be so subtle
that attendees barely notice it. For instance, many organizers
are now prioritizing attendees’ financial wellness, in an
atmosphere where higher costs and inflation may determine
who can afford to attend a meeting or event and the stress,or lack thereof, that comes with attending it, Snowden says.
“We usually think financial wellness relates to the cost ofan event overall,” Snowden adds. However, there are otherconsiderations. “Are you providing scholarships? Are you
providing benefactor opportunities? Are there opportunities
for potential attendees to cost-save in terms of rooms
and travel costs? Is there a tiered pricing structure, so it isincrementally more expensive, versus being one price? You
can make a demonstrable difference in how someone is able
to choose to participate. Creating an event that impacts theirability to be financially well impacts their financial wellness.
We all know the stress of, ‘How am I going to pay for this?’”Breaking Breadand Enhancing
Wellness
No matter where a meeting takes place, a focus onwellness and mental health should touch every aspect of thegathering. A good place to start is food and beverage.
What attendees eat can have a big effect on their moods
and mental health, elevating how they feel if the choices
support their health or leave them feeling depressed or
anxious. Meeting professionals have an opportunity to set
the tone when they first select a locale. Cities like Virginia
Beach—which has a legendary culinary scene and many small,privately-owned restaurants serving fresh, local fare—canmake this easier.
Start by seeking out local dining guides like the one at
visitvirginiabeach.com, which showcase popular culinary
landmarks. In Virginia Beach, these include Bay Local Eatery,which sources its seafood from the Chesapeake Bay’ Bro’s
Fish Tacos, and Becca Restaurant & Garden at the Cavalier,known for mouth-watering dishes made from the catches ofthe day.
Although it sometimes costs a bit more to eat healthy, it
can have powerful results. There are many studies showing
the effect on food and mental health. One 2020 study

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When you have a greater senseof psychological choice, it
improves wellness from within.

published in TheBMJ, found that healthy eating patterns,
such as those embodied in the Mediterranean diet, areassociated with better mental health than a typical Western
diet—and that what people eat can affect their glycemic
levels, immune activation and gut microbes, all of which
impact mood. The flip side of this is that high-fat and highsugar diets and alcohol intake reduce a process known as
neurogenesis that helps prevent depression, according toanother study. And yet another study shows that eating ahealthy, anti-inflammatory diet can help prevent depression.
Plant-based eating can help attendees feel greatthroughout a meeting, whether they prefer theMediterranean diet, Paleo eating, vegan dining or anotherway of nourishing themselves. One idea Snowden has
seen catching on: Instead of having attendees “opt in” tovegetarian meals, some meeting organizers are asking them
if they want to opt in to meat. “How do you create norms
around what you value?” Snowden asks.
Sourcing locally and responsibly can also contribute tobetter moods among attendees, reducing some worries they
have about potentially contributing to the climate crisis.
“Engaging with products that are environmentally consciousand sustainably sourced contributes to the bigger wellness
picture,” Snowden says.
Meeting organizers and venues don’t have to do thedetective work to evaluate food choices on their own.
Virginia Beach Convention Center’s catering service, forinstance, participates in Sensible Seafood, a program thatallows organizers to incorporate sustainable seafood into thedining experience. It offers information on how the seafood
is fished or farmed, and whether it is well-managed andabundant at the moment.
The way a meal is served can also enhance the experience
for attendees, from a mental health and wellness perspective.
Offering options that take into account the fact that
attendance will include people who are introverts, extraverts
and neurodiverse is a good place to begin.
“Instead of saying you have an hour and a half for lunch,what if you said ‘You’ve got three hours?’” Snowden asks.
“‘You can take your food, eat in your room and recharge. Or
you can choose to sit at a table where other people wantto have a conversation—or sit at a table where there is no
talking, where people just want the presence of others.’” The
result is less stress and a greater sense of belonging. “Whenyou have a greater sense of psychological choice, it improves
wellness from within,” Snowden says.

Building Wellness
into the Agenda
How you break up the day at a meeting can also
contribute to attendees wellness.
Trying to cram multiple sessions into every single hour
may seem like it is creating value but it can be overwhelming

Mental Health and Meetings | 6

Incorporating nature into yourdesign helps promote nature.

and create stress. “Be thoughtful and mindful,” Snowden
advises. “Vary your session formats and content.” For
instance, instead of opting only for seminars, consider
providing opportunities for participant-driven discussion.
Even very short breaks between meetings can reduce brain
stress, according to research by Microsoft.
Not all of the breaks need to take place inside theconvention hall or hotel. At MPI’s WEC San Francisco event,participant-driven discussions and campfires were a hit,
contributing to the social wellness of the event, Snowden
notes. “What a refreshing change of pace from being talked
to for an hour. There is a satisfaction from being able to shareand learn from others.”
The same holds true for physical activity breaks. It’s
not just about adding events like a fun run or yoga class. A
wellness-supporting meeting or event will keep attendees’
physical wellbeing top of mind at every juncture. “It may
mean that some of your educational sessions use uniqueseating that allows people to expel kinesthetic energy,”
Snowden says.

Incorporating
Naturenature,” Snowden says.
Locations like Virginia Beach, with stunning shorelines
and a popular national park, can make it easier for meeting
planners and organizers to incorporate nature for lasting
effect. Popular draws at the convention center include
sunrise or sunset walks along the beach and oceanfront yoga.
The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge has a beachfront,
freshwater marsh, dunes, shrub-scrub and upland forest.
There’s a science to why activities like this are so
enjoyable. Research shows that being around water andgreen space supports our mental health. One intriguing
study found that people who spent more time around “bluespaces,” such as beaches and lakefronts, in childhood had
better wellbeing several decades later. “Our findings suggestthat building familiarity and confidence in and around blue
spaces during childhood may stimulate an inherent joy ofnature and encourage people to seek out recreational natureexperiences, with beneficial consequences for adult mental
health,” lead study author Valeria Vitale, a doctoral candidate
at Sapienza University of Rome, said in a statement.
Another study found that walking along a canal or river
can boost people’s mental health, with the blend of blue andgreen spaces lowering anxiety and stress. The study
included 300 people, among them 87 who were livingwith mental illness.
Selecting a meeting location that includes access to

Weaving nature into meeting design can also enhanceattendees’ mental health—while advancing your sustainability
goals. “Incorporating nature into your design helps promote

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Paying greater attention todetails such as sound can play arole in enhancing an indoor event’s
wellness-boosting potential.

both blue and green spaces simultaneously adds to thebenefits. “Canals and rivers contain not only water but also
an abundance of trees and plants, which means their capacity
to improve mental wellbeing is likely to be due to the multiple
benefits associated with both green and blue spaces,” says
Andrea Mechelli, professor of early intervention in mental
health at King’s College London, in a statement.
“Canals and rivers also provide homes to a range of
wildlife, and we know from other research that there is apositive association between encountering wildlife andmental wellbeing,” she said. “Taken collectively, these findings
provide an evidence base for what we thought about water
and wellbeing and support the proposal that visits to canals
and rivers could become part of social prescribing schemes,
playing a role in supporting mental health.”

Enhancing
Indoor Spaces
Even if you opt to hold a meeting in a setting that is fullof natural attractions, there will likely be some times youneed to gather indoors, whether it is for general sessions,breakouts or meals. Many meeting organizers find that in thesometimes over-stimulating environment of a conference,
convention or trade show, creating quiet rooms or safe
spaces can give attendees a much-needed place to recharge.
The Virginia Convention Center offers all of these, where

attendees can reboot or nursing moms can feed or pump.
“These are quiet places to sit,” Noona says.
Regardless of which venue you select, universal designprinciples provide guidance on how to make the most ofindoor spaces to support the mental health and wellbeing ofattendees and ensure they can fully access content. These
principles were created at the Center for Universal Design
at North Carolina State University and published for the
first time in 1997 to ensure that products and environments
are accessible, understandable and available to be used togreatest extent possible by all people, regardless of age, size,
ability or disability.
Universal Design Principles are based on several key ideas
including equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitiveuse, perceptible information (meaning people with disabilities
can perceive it), tolerance for error (referring to hazardminimization), low physical effort and providing appropriate
size and space for approach and use.
Many organizations find that when they use theseprinciples, they improve the overall experience and wellbeingof everyone who visits a space. The Cornell Division of
Human Resources has published an Accessible Meeting andEvent Checklist to help planners ensure that all attendees get
the most out of programs. It includes well-being enhancing
ideas covering every aspect of a meeting, such as how
presentations are made, with tips like ensuring that speakers,
including those asking questions, always use microphones, so
it is easier to hear what they are saying, and clearly labelingfood options.
Paying greater attention to details such as sound can

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Regenerative Events
For ideas on how to incorporate nature into meeting
design, Snowden recommends a 2020 report by exhibitions
leader IMEX Group called “The Regenerative Revolution: A
New Paradigm for Event Management.” It calls on meeting
professionals to embrace a “circular economy,” where reusing,refurbishing and resharing resources helps to reduce waste,
pollution and carbon emissions.
The report recommends following an experimental
framework called Hannuwa, with four key principles.
1. Design out waste and pollution. For instance, instead ofusing single-use PVC and wood to build an exhibition,
opt for a modular system that incorporates recycledmaterials and non-toxic adhesives.
2. Keep products and materials in use by designing them fordurability, reuse, repair, manufacturing and recycling. A key
part of this is using “bio-based” materials. Simple steps
can encourage reuse. One example: Remove the event’s
name or date from signage and booths so that they canbe collected, cleaned and put back into service more easily.

3. Design for inclusiveness and diversity. Based on theprinciple that ecosystems that embrace diversity, equality
and inclusion perform better, this concept enhances
the wellbeing of everyone involved. “It also requires amindset where organizers consider how they can use
their events and people to catalyze social impact andimprove local communities,” the authors state.
4. Regenerate natural systems. Key steps include using
renewable energy and enabling energy efficiency. For
instance, biological waste, such as food, from an event
can be composted or converted to energy. A regenerative
approach that lowers carbon emissions and embraces
local supply chains can contribute to the wellbeing ofanother key stakeholder in meetings—local vendors.
Ultimately, the authors asked organizers to consider how
the event itself provides “ecosystem services” back to thecommunity and “thereby offers enhanced value.”play a role in enhancing an indoor event’s wellness-boosting
potential. It may be as simple as opening a window. Research
has found that seeing and hearing birds makes people feelhappier and boosts their mental wellbeing.
Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of attendees
at meetings can seem like a big undertaking, but the goodnews is that every effort counts. Choosing a destination that
supports this goal can make the meeting planner’s job
exponentially easier.
“At the foundation, you have to look at what aspects ofwellness are crucial, important and necessary to creating anexperience that achieves your goals and objectives—and ask,
‘How can I weave in these aspects into the meeting design?’”
Snowden says. “All of those steps can, at a basic level, havean effect on wellness.”

Mental Health and Meetings | 9

Our whole intention is tosupport people’s wellness.

Destination
Case Study:
Virginia Beach
Located along the shoreline where the Atlantic Ocean andChesapeake Bay converge, Virginia Beach has thrown out thewelcome mat to meeting organizers focused on attendees’
wellness and mental health.
Visitors who come into town for conferences and events
enjoy the powerful seaside energy at the Virginia Beach
Convention Center, located just six blocks from the beach.
The LEED-Gold, nautical-themed facility provides a constantreminder to attendees of the proximity of the ocean’ssoothing waves. A glass tower, reminiscent of a lighthouse,holds a cafe, executive boardroom, VIP lounge andobservation deck. Meeting rooms resemble the interior ofa cruise ship, and the ground-floor carpet looks like a beach
towel. Natural light floods the space, to the point that often,
it’s not necessary to turn on the electric lights.
Outside of the conventional center is the city’s famous
three-mile boardwalk, lined with hotels and attractions,such as four oceanfront stages and the Atlantic Wild Fowl
Museum. The walk has plenty of room for joggers, walkers,
bikers and rollerbladers and many Instagram-ready sites, suchas King Neptune, a 37-foot-tall bronze statue at the entry to
Neptune Festival Park.
“We just posted a blog on ‘Vitamin Sea and Creativity

for Your Meetings,’” says Sally Noona, CMP, director of
convention sales and marketing for the Virginia Beach
Convention & Visitors Bureau. “As a kid, if you’ve ever goneon vacation, everyone loves to leave their door open atnight, so they can hear the sound of the waves against theshoreline. It puts you into that sense of calm. It does improveyour mental state and offers you a chance to be moreengaged and in tune with nature and what you wish to learn.
Everyone who comes here says, ‘I look at that water and let
go of all of my angst while taking a deep breath.”
Virginia Beach is also home to the late Edgar Cayce, achiropractor and psychic who passed away in 1945. Someconsider Cayce the father of holistic medicine, and histeachings on health and psychic readings are still
studied today.
The Edgar Cayce A.R.E. (Association for Research andEnlightenment) facility is a health and wellness mecca
founded in 1931. “Our whole intention is to support people’swellness, with mental health being a key component,” says
Corinne Cayce, youth and family programming outreachcoordinator and Cayce’s great-granddaughter.
Edgar Cayce A.R.E. houses a health center and spa, which
offers massages, reflexology, energy work and colonics.
Visitors can get a “Cayce Assessment” by a doctor withholistic recommendations. Nestled inside is GRAZE Kitchen& Catering, where visitors can dine on a healthy lunch, artfully
prepared by Chef Shelley Kilby and team. Kilby is known
for healthy, Southern-style food, made from fresh, locallysourced ingredients. The A.R.E. Library houses what is said

Mental Health and Meetings | 10

to be the second largest collection of books on metaphysics
in the world, with 80,000 volumes that span topics such asparapsychology, comparative religious studies, holistic healthand ancient civilizations, along with foreign-language editionsof Edgar Cayce books.
“Three-quarters of the readings are health-related,” Cayce
notes. “So, if you’re having migraines or anxiety, anything
related to stress, the librarians can help you research that.
There are tons of other books related to metaphysics.”
Edgar Cayce A.R.E. works with the city to teach groups
about mindfulness and stress relief in the workplace, andsometimes hosts tours, according to Loretto Dalmazzo,
outreach coordinator. “We provide resources for personal

growth and spiritual development.”
The center backs up to First Landing State Park, with 20
miles of trails and 1.5 miles of shoreline. There, visitors canobserve natural habitats including bald cypress swamps,
lagoons and maritime forests, along with rare birds andwildlife. Another popular opportunity for meetings is theVirginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, designed toinspire conservation of the marine environment.
A.R.E. isn’t the only wellness facility in Virginia Beach. The
city boasts dozens of spas and wellness establishes wherevisitors can decompress and refresh.

About Elaine Pofeldt

Elaine Pofeldt is an independent journalist and speaker who specializes in entrepreneurship and careers. She is author of
the books Tiny Business, Big Money and The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business. As a senior editor at Fortune Small Businessmagazine, she was twice nominated for the National Magazine Award for her feature stories. Her work has appeared in
FORTUNE, Money, CNBC Inc., Forbes, Crain’s New York Business and many other business publications and she is a contributor
to the Economist Intelligence Unit. Elaine also helps clients with projects such as blogging, ghost writing, white papers, reports,
ebooks, custom content, academic editing and proposal writing and editing.

About Meeting Professionals International
When we meet face-to-face, it empowers us to stand shoulder-to-shoulder. That’s why MPI strives to lead the world in
education, networking and innovative solutions that advance not only the meeting and event industry, but the careersof the professionals in it. Through MPI’s global network of local chapters, we activate, educate, support and connect theconnectors—people who are passionate about bringing people together. MPI serves the entirety of the meeting and event
industry, regardless of need, audience or specialization. MPI delivers leadership and education that are not only credible—
they’re actionable. We empower our community to visualize and execute one-of-a-kind experiences that inspire people toevolve their outlooks, reexamine their preconceptions and take positive action. Because when we meet, we think in ways
previously unthought. Because when we meet, we break through barriers that kept us apart. When we meet, we change theworld.® For more information, visit MPI.org.

About Virginia Beach CVB
Virginia Beach may be all about soft sands and ocean waves, but planning your meeting here puts you right on solid ground.
You’ll enjoy not only the full support of our team of meeting professionals—devoted to the details that make your event a
success — but an entire network of hotels, restaurants, venues, attractions and services ready to pitch in. From big events at
the LEED® Gold Certified Virginia Beach Convention Center to roundtable sessions with an ocean view, your style of meetingis at the top of our agenda. Bring your meeting to life in Virginia Beach. For more information, visit Virginia Beach.

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