Get Off the Teeter-totter and Integrate Wellbeing through Mindful Meetings

What comes to mind when you think of the word hospitality?  Friendliness, graciousness, kindness, warmth – those are all good and the thesaurus would agree.  But those of us in the hospitality industry have an added perspective about the commercial side of the equation.

Although we are in the business of making people feel welcome and relaxed, knowing that everything that they need is taken care of for them, there is a level of stress that is an interesting juxtaposition.  Not only for the meeting planner but also the myriad of departments and individuals who pull off a successful event.  That’s a lot of stress!



Being hospitable while you may be juggling fire balls of issues, that seem to be merging together into one big inferno, that would take a team of firefighters to put out, can take its toll.  Yet you need to remain calm, cool and collected while you are receiving texts from home about things that have fallen through the cracks, your partner is asking if you picked up the dry cleaning, your daughter can’t find her favorite shirt and your elderly parent just wants to make sure you have arrived at your designation safely. 



You keep seeking balance on that teeter-totter of work-life that is just out of reach. There is one powerful thing you can do to stop feeling like you are being pushed off your game.  And this very thing, is also what your attendees are desperately in need of as well but may not have the tools. The integration of work | life wellbeing through mindful meetings.

It begins with the desire to incorporate wellness initiatives into your meetings and events. Contrast is our biggest teacher as it shows us what is not working and shines the proverbial light on where to make adjustment for optimal change.  Many industries such as the medical and related health fields are jumping on board through Provider Wellness Campaigns and Meetings & Events need to be ready to lead the effort.  This industry, that has previously worn stress like a badge of honor, is now embracing the belief that the detrimental practices that reinforce the notion that stress is required to get the job done, will no longer be the mantra.  Rather, mindful awareness within a wellbeing initiative is the name of the game. 

You can miss the mark for incorporating wellness and a failed attempt at a positive initiative will leave you stalled.  However, understanding the optimal way to plan a wellness program or Mindful Meeting will lead to success. 

This tree image shows the ideal rollout of any wellness initiative.  Starting with the strength of mindfulness as the trunk is the key to success.  Mindfulness training through our Mindfulness Lounge™ offers elements of mind-body and spirit education, what I call the ‘trio-of-transformation’ and supports the rest of your educational program beautifully – the branches. Did you know that mindfulness practice helps you to retain information at a higher rate, assists in alleviating jet-lag symptoms and makes you feel more confident?

Forward thinkers like IMEX America who started implementing wellness related topics into their shows in 2014 and have retained my services for the last 5 years with showcasing our Mindfulness Lounge™ (Be Well Lounge), understands the value of evolving meetings and events programs. 



Industry leaders and way-show-ers of wellness initiatives that include the foundation of mindfulness such as MPI, IMEX and Experient Inc are on the leading edge of the mindfulness movement by providing attendee programs that support wellbeing.  Specialty event marketing agency, Event Marketing Authority recently launched Olympia Meetings™, known as “OM” (appropriate huh?) which blends the art of education with a practice of movement, thoughtful   F & B, functional room set-up and you guessed it…mindfulness.  And what I find most desirable about all of these companies is their personal and authentic desire to be the change. 

In a 2014 article written by Clara Moskowitz for Scientific American publication titled, “Fact or Fiction?: Energy Can Neither Be Created Nor Destroyed; Is energy always conserved, even in the case of the expanding universe?” She states,

 “The law of conservation of energy, also known as the first law of thermodynamics, states that the energy of a closed system must remain constant—it can neither increase nor decrease without interference from outside. The universe itself is a closed system, so the total amount of energy in existence has always been the same. The forms that energy takes, however, are constantly changing.”

With this in mind, all the energy being produced by the limiting habits, unhealthy practices and high levels of stress is magnetically producing and attracting more stress.  By making these mindfulness-based shifts within ourselves and our industry, will literally change the energy and dynamics of the meetings and events industry and thus our reality.

Self-care is no longer a bad word, it is scientifically proven that mindfulness and meditation practice literally change the brain and the supportive benefits have a ripple effect that is life-changing. It is time to be the educator and innovator that guides the industry and your clients to healthier events and meetings. It is time to soothe the cortisol and nourish yourself and your events mindfully.

*You can experience Lee’s Mindfulness LoungeTM at WEC in Toronto in June. In the meantime, check out her ON DEMAND webinar through MPI Academy, Get on Board for Mindful Meetings. This session is free of charge for active MPI members, and a great way to earn another CMP clock hour!

Article Written By Lee Papa, Mindfulness Speaker, Trainer, Author & Coach. Contact: (702) 376-7916 or lee@leepapa.com

Lee Papa is an internationally recognized and award-winning Mindfulness & Meditation Speaker and Trainer who resides in the incredible city of Las Vegas Nevada. She owned and operated a 6,000 square foot Wellness Center supporting tens of thousands prior to wellness being on the corporate radar. Lee brought Mindfulness Training to the meetings industry with her keynote: “How to Live & Lead Mindfully” and her signature MINDFULNESS LOUNGE™ that won her one of the prestigious spots on MeetingsTODAY Magazine's "22 Luminaries & Trendsetters List” for 2017. Lee’s messages include “Nourish Yourself Mindfully, Give from the Overflow.” and “Stress is Not a Badge of Honor.” Through these efforts Lee has reached tens of thousands and is on a mission to support Mindful Meetings and Provider Wellness globally.

You can find a sampling of Lee’s meditations on the world’s largest and FREE meditation APP InsightTimer.

Download her FREE booklet “The Roadmap to Living Mindfully, Understanding Self-Love, Self-Care & Self-Mastery.”

Article Edited By Darlene Kelly-Stewart, Stonehouse Sales & Marketing Services