Just outside of downtown Austin in the gorgeous Texas Hill Country are two group-friendly properties brimming with health and wellness programming: Miraval Austin, which debuted in February 2019, and Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, slated to reopen in May 2019 after a $150 million renovation. 

Along with roughly 22 other participants at the annual Senior Planners Industry Network (SPIN) event, held at The Don CeSar in St. Petersburg, I opted not to take a morning educational session indoors. Instead, I stepped outside my comfort zone for a new wellness program: “Go Outside to Go Inside: Higher Performance Through the Magic of Insight.”

From plant-based and hyper-local to gut-friendly and booze-free, culinary wellness is here to stay, and it’s having a huge impact on attendee expectations at events. In the coming year, planners should prepare for healthy, innovative food and drink to be exceedingly popular at gatherings, according to Christine Couvelier, global culinary trendologist, chef, educator and speaker.

As much as we might prepare and plan ahead for the holiday season, the stress that usually comes with the time that should be joyful often takes us by surprise, especially if you’re a busy meeting planner with seasonal events to oversee plus family life to balance. Three wellness experts—Holly Duckworth, Deb Gee and Nova Browning Rutherford—shared tips on ways to decompress, destress and re-emerge with newfound positivity.

Deb Gee of Lululemon shared her daily ritual winter tips for winter wellness with Meetings Today Director of Strategic Content Lori Tenny. 

As any planner knows, coming up with unique decor, food, drink and overall ambience to fit the objective of a gathering is always a challenge, but a welcome one if you do it mindfully and with intention, according to Deb Gee, experience designer with Lululemon. Weaving the season into events is a great place to start. Gee shares her winter toolkit to help out with event planning around the holidays whether for business or personal gatherings.

The flu and cold season wreaks havoc on the workforce each year. Beyond the office environment, the flu and cold season also greatly affects those who travel for business or the meeting and event planners and attendees who travel to and network at meetings and events. Fortunately, there are measures that can be taken to protect meeting and event planners and attendees from catching and spreading germs and illnesses. According to the CDC, the simple act of handwashing can prevent 20 percent of respiratory infections such as the common cold and the flu.

Starting her career at 19 as a budding marketing and promotions executive, Nova Browning Rutherford spent much of the next six years on autopilot. She worked in the hip hop music business in Toronto and Hollywood with artists such as Kanye West and other top names. Under the pressure of it all, combined with personal incidents that led to depression and anxiety, she hit a wall. Today, she is a top personal development coach and mindfulness and wellness expert with plenty of advice for busy professionals. 

As staying fit on the road continues to be a top priority for business travelers, including busy meeting professionals planning events or attending industry conferences, the recent Mollie Tibbetts tragedy is a reminder that we must continue to keep our guard up while running and exercising.

Civana, set in the desert town of Carefree, Arizona, is the first sustainable wellness resort in Greater Phoenix/Scottsdale, while 1440 Multiversity is set amid the majestic redwoods of Scotts Valley, California, in Santa Cruz County.