Our industry is one of precision, performance, and passion. We orchestrate meaningful encountersand bring people together across borders, sectors, and ideologies. Yet too often, in the pursuit of excellence, we neglect the most essential element of every meeting: the human being.
In EIC’s Futures Landscape Report, which was published earlier this year and addresses the issues most likely to shape the global business events industry, 69% of the study respondents ranked wellbeing as either very important or extremely important for the future of the events industry.
Wellbeing in events should not be reduced to a décor trend—a smoothie station, a quiet room, a five-minute meditation break. These elements may show intention, but they fall short of redefining the culture we operate in. The real conversation must begin with this uncomfortable truth: Many of us in the business events industry are running on empty.
Chronic travel, high emotional labour, decision fatigue, time zone juggling, and an always-on mentality have taken a toll. It’s not just attendees who feel this pressure. Behind the curtain, suppliers, and organisers navigate relentless timelines with invisible burdens.
The Maritz Design Studio, a leader in applying behavioural science to event design, reframes wellbeing not as a luxury or an amenity, but as a prerequisite for impact. One of its most powerful insights puts it plainly:
“Wellbeing isn’t a feature. It’s a precondition for meaningful engagement.”
This shift in thinking is fundamental. If our audiences are overstimulated, overwhelmed, or too tired to absorb content and build connections, our event objectives become harder to achieve.
Designing for wellbeing means more than adding new features—it requires subtraction and recalibration. What can we remove to make room for reflection? How can we re-balance the rhythm of the event so that people can truly engage—not just attend?
Some guiding principles include:
- Agendas with breathing space, allowing time for reflection, serendipitous connection, or even silence
- Thoughtful timing, respecting biological rhythms and avoiding very early starts or late evening programming
- Meal planning that nourishes, hydrates, and restores energy—not just fuels convenience
- Formats that avoid cognitive overload, replacing passive consumption with moments of dialogue, movement, and perspective
We must also rethink what kind of connections we are enabling. Wellbeing includes the ability to form meaningful interactions, not just transactional meetings or superficial networking. Formats that encourage peer dialogue, cross-sector conversations, and small-group sharing contribute to emotional wellbeing and professional enrichment alike.
And wellbeing is not confined to the venue. When we enable participants to walk, jog, or use public transport to attend sessions or explore a host city, we’re not just offering a wellness feature—we’re giving them a chance to experience the destination as locals do. These simple choices—walkable venues, urban parks, flexible schedules—allow delegates to connect with a city’s culture,rhythm, and people. Often, this is more enriching than hours on a shuttle or rigid guided tours.
The Iceberg Project by the Joint Meetings Industry Council reminds us that the legacy of a meeting is not just economic. It is also emotional, intellectual, and social.
“The true impact of events isn’t just what happens during them, but how people are changed by them.”
So, let’s ask: What would it mean if people left our events not only more informed, but more whole?
The future of business events lies not in doing more, but in doing better. Prioritising wellbeing is nolonger an optional gesture—it is a strategic, ethical, and deeply human act. Let us design for people, not just for performance. That may be the most lasting legacy we can offer.
Eduardo Chaillo is a natural connector of meeting and tourism professionals globally. Currently President of his own consultancy company: Global Meetings & Tourism Specialists, he is now also Global General Manager for Maritz Latin America.