How Blending Work-Life Balance at Meetings Entices Growth

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By Jessica Thornbrough

Achieving work-life balance is not as easy these days. With more people working from home, it is hard to draw the line in the sand of when it is time to be “in” the office verses shutting it down to make time for family, friends, community participation, self-care, and other personal activities. From a business perspective, it is becoming increasingly important to factor this balance into organizational planning when seeking to draw members to association meetings.

Work-life balance reduces the stress an employee may experience. When an employee spends most of their days on work-related activities and feel as if they are neglecting other important components of their lives, stress, and unhappiness result. This same feeling can translate to career-driven activities, including conferences and events.

While people extremely value the education, networking and growth benefits tied to association meetings, people are craving meetings at locations that “do it all,” blending business with leisure. Choosing the “right” meeting venue can stimulate growth, participation and, ultimately, revenue.

It is proven that people are drawn to locations where they can blend serious learning with serious fun. The ideal environment offers spacious indoor meeting accommodations paired with areas that lend themselves to blow off steam, unwind and have those down moments to themselves to recharge, spend time reconnecting with fellow association members and even spending time with their families.

It is essential when vetting venues to not only look at the meeting space capabilities, but to also look at the amenities to tie in the life balance needs members are craving. Does the venue have areas for attendees to unwind at a spa or poolside? Does the venue have easy-to-access after-hours areas for members to congregate on their own and connect? Is there space for fun recreational activities?

The fun does not only have to take place after hours. It more than likely has been awhile since association members have been together. Meetings provide the perfect setting to encourage creative collaboration. Taking away the stress of a work environment is key. It removes the barriers often associated with being in an office, or isolated alone working from home, and enables them to share knowledge freely, to learn from one another, and to look at things in a new way.

Team building activities are an excellent way to bring members together with dedicated time for conversations to occur in a relaxed setting. Finding a venue that hosts creative games, creativity exercises, and brainstorming helps members shift perspectives, try new things, and become more open-minded. They are a great way to jumpstart the creative process while also having fun and building better connections.

Finding safe, stress-free environments with the ability to combine areas that encourage valuable productivity with the healthy balance of access to leisure and fun is a winning combination. The more an organization focuses on its members well-being, the more everyone in the ecosystem benefits.

Everyone wants to know they are a valued member. Hosting events that bring members together beyond tangible career requirements showcases an organization’s commitment to a member-centric culture that goes beyond the bottom line. Ultimately, when a member is making the decision to attend a meeting or not it comes down to the value of the event. When the content and venue location resonate with members, attendance numbers and revenues begin to soar.

Jessica Thornbrough is the senior sales manager for Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe | Houston.

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