Health and wellness events have been trending for a while, but what are they?

Basically, wellness events are fun ways to emphasise well-being. They’re like big health fairs. Although they are more fun than hanging out in a hospital.

Well, the good ones are.

Importantly, wellness events specialise in breaking down tricky health concepts using fun activities and interactive teaching.

But how the heck do you go about planning something as general as a wellness event?

We’ve got the tips and guidance you need to move forward on your wellness concept. Pull out a yoga mat, imagine the sound of the ocean, and let’s get that blueprint ready.

Who goes to wellness events?

Who is your target audience? Maybe you’re putting on an event for a local college campus. Or maybe a company has hired you to plan a wellness event for its employees. Sometimes, yoga instructors or Zumba leaders just want to attract people to their regular sessions.

Whatever the audience, you’ll need to have a strong grasp on that group. Then you can begin looking into goals for your wellness event.

Tip: We like this guide to seeking and reaching your ideal audience.

Set your goals for the event

Before you get excited, we don’t mean #squadgoals.

You can have more than one focal point for your event. Consider some of these popular options among wellness events:

• Fitness
• Meditation and well-being exercises
• Women’s wellness
• Stress management
• Life coaching
• Medical care and health screening
• Ditching bad habits (e.g. smoking cessation)
• First aid

Tip: See if you can tailor your wellness event to support your participants’ personal goals.

Budgeting for wellness events

Usually, budgeting is the least exciting part of planning. But don’t skip over it! Your budget will give you a very clear idea of realistic options and limitations.

Tip: Sneak a peek at this guide to event budgeting.

Locations for wellness events

Once you’ve got your angle, you can start planning the location. Where’s it all going down? Here are a few potential venues best suited for a wellness event:

Resorts

Probably the best choice. Resorts are relaxing, welcoming, and fun. It’s not a wellness event if your participants are cramped and irritable! Not for them, anyway.

Hotels

Really nice hotels can be comparable to resorts. (Forget about dive motels though.) Even if you don’t host the event at a hotel, you might need lodging. If it’s a big event, it can easily attract non-locals.

Event centres

An obvious choice since these are specifically designed to host events, wellness or otherwise.

Fitness centres

Obviously applicable to physical fitness events. The big sell is that they already have plenty of equipment to use.

Campgrounds

Open space, nature, and lots of potential participants already at the location. What’s not to like?

Tip: Check out this list of venues ideal for wellness events. Need help finding your perfect venue? Have a look at this concise guide.

It’s a date!

Once you know your location, it’s time to pick a date. If there are upcoming events in your city that focus on physical activity or health (blood drives, open-enrolment sports tournaments, marathons, and so on), this may be the prime time to plan your event. Capitalise on public interest!

Aside from picking the date, make sure you check and reserve the venue. Venues and lodging reservations should never be last-minute.

Tip: Make selecting a date easy with this list of ideas for picking the right time.

Outline your activities

What will people be doing at your wellness event? For the answer to this, you’ll want to target your audience. Give them options they’ll be drawn to. Think about some of these booths and activities for your wellness event:

• Health screenings
• Yoga classes
• Healthy meals
• Wellness seminars
• Team-building exercises and game sessions

Fixed or open?

As you plan activities, remember that people have diverse interests. Some may be down for a seminar. Others want to get in there and hustle around the gym. Don’t make all the activities fixed or “mandatory.”

Tip: We like this guide to including activities in a wellness event. It’s aimed at companies, but any event can draw inspiration from it.

Get equipped

Equipment is often an important part of these shindigs. Depending on the event, equipment needs can vary quite a bit. Don’t plan a wellness event without looking at a few of these options:

Gym equipment

If you hold your wellness event at a fitness centre, there will already be plenty of equipment. Otherwise, consider whether guests should bring their own. In the case of yoga, BYOYM: “Bring your own yoga mat.” We just coined that. (Patent pending.)

Buffet tables and supplies

Wellness events often include healthy food. That means salad bars, plates, silverware, and so on.

Fun stuff

Wellness events often include cool activities that encourage a little exertion. Climbing walls, obstacle courses, and the like. Some of these could be:

• Water gear: If you go for the swimming angle, you can include pool equipment. Diving toys and life vests for instance. (For those who need them) Or even kayaks or canoes for races across a lake.
• Sports equipment: Things like basketballs, footballs, and so on. We are big fans of dodgeball ourselves. Come on! It’s the best part of any gym class growing up.
• Silly sports games like giant pink volleyball can take the edge off. You know, if you want to keep it friendly. Or how about inflatable bubbles? Bubble football. If nothing else, there are always sumo suits.

Tickets

Selling tickets in advance? Great. This allows you to plan and budget to the fullest: You’ll know more about how many and who will be coming.

There’s no shortage of sites that let you sell tickets. Just make sure that the platform you choose supports wellness events.

Tip: This guide has some great tips for ticket timing (when exactly do you make tickets available?).

Logistics

We have a few tips for managing logistics as you gear up for the wellness event. Keep your bases covered.

• Make sure your space can handle everything you’ve planned. Nobody wants to do yoga in a storage closet.
• Do your research on certain booths or activities. If some are more popular, arrange to give these ample space. This helps to avoid clogged areas.
• Similarly, you should balance activity timing. Let’s say bubble soccer happens at the same time as health screenings. In that case, even your screeners will find their way into a plastic bubble.
• There might be some online stuff to do during the event. For example, registering for a wellness website (for small prizes). If that’s the case, make sure there is Wi-Fi access.

Be well

This should help get your wellness event off the ground. Any extra suggestions for wellness event planning? Let us know in the comments below!