How to Improve Wellness in Meetings and Incentive Travel

In a recent survey conducted by the IRF, the majority of meeting planners (64%) said their meetings are only “somewhat healthy.” The IRF 2019 Wellness in Meetings and Incentive Travel Study reveals the disconnect between companies’ stated goals of wellness as a critical focus and the implementation of health practices in meetings and incentive travel. The study offers insights from meeting planners who have successfully integrated wellness into their meetings and incentive travel programs.

“Meetings and incentive travel need to be designed to be healthier, and most health and wellness practices have a low impact on the budget,” said IRF President Melissa Van Dyke. “The IRF 2019 Wellness in Meetings and Incentive Travel Study identifies health and wellness practices that are implemented with greater frequency and that have the most significant impact.”

The IRF conducted the study in December 2018 and January 2019, and received 329 completed surveys from experienced meeting planners. Respondents included external meeting planners, such as agencies and third-parties (56%) and internal meeting planners (44%).

The IRF 2019 Wellness in Meetings and Incentive Travel Study provides a detailed look at practices meeting planners are using to design and implement effective health and wellness programs. Key findings include:

• Only 24% of meeting planners rated their meetings “mostly” healthy – and 5% reported “very healthy”
• Of 26 wellness practices presented in the survey, the only standard practices are smoke-free facilities and water / reduced-calorie drinks.
• Emerging healthy practices include: serving fish, chicken, or lean meats; healthy snacks (nuts, fruit); gluten-free options; free access to a fitness facility; and encouraging movement throughout the program
• Healthy food and beverage (33%) and group exercise (25%) were ranked by meeting planners as the most impactful wellness practices
• The majority of planners (56%) said the stress of meeting planning has had a negative impact on their personal life – and they offered wellness strategies to manage this stress

To view or download a copy of the full study, please visit: http://theirf.org/research/the-irf-2019-wellness-in-meetings-and-incentive-travel-study/2624/