With meetings and events returning after the pandemic, planners have a lot of choices when it comes to choosing the right location to hold their gathering. Venues are looking for any edge or differentiator to stand out from the competition.
To give themselves another edge, Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe | Houston has collaborated with wellness real estate and technology company Delos to bring wellness to the forefront of business meetings and private functions through the adoption of the Delos Wellness Certificate for Meetings and Events.
Backed by science-based research, the program is designed to provide meeting planners with the knowledge and resources needed to create healthier, more productive environments. Participants learn how to design, plan and implement wellness solutions to create safer, healthier experiences for meeting and event attendees.
“It definitely gives us a competitive advantage, shifting the focus from the traditional ‘discounting initiatives’ to adding value via collaboration with our clients is a significant shift and sets us apart from our competitors,” said Tom Faust, VP, sales and marketing, Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe | Houston. “After what the industry has experienced in the last two-and-a-half-years, wellness—both physical and mental—is top of mind for businesses that host group meetings and events. As one of the first resorts in the U.S. to ensure our entire team received the Delos Wellness Certificate for Meetings and Events, we believe it positions us as a thought leader in this space and communicates to our clients that they can host a meeting at our resort with confidence and peace of mind and that we can assist in the delivery of a heightened experience. As we move into the future, we believe wellness will continue to be a significant component that meeting planners will expect; it is becoming a requirement instead of a trend.”
The program leads meeting and event professionals through a series of videos on topics including air, water, light, nourishment, movement, comfort and mindfulness in a sequence that relates to key concepts in the wellness meeting space. The format ensures comprehension at each step through invitations to apply what they’ve just learned along with required knowledge checks, according to Delos.
Although the certification is new, Faust said meeting planners have been receptive to it. “Clients are very positive and really appreciate this collaboration and they also appreciate the innovation of this offering,” he said. “It’s a little too soon to realize an increase in bookings, but there is no doubt that we will see an increase soon.”
To commemorate the resort’s meetings and events specialists earning the Delos Wellness Certificate for Meeting and Events, they have developed a new meetings offer called Breathe Easy. “It is a departure from previous, discounting offers, in that it focuses on adding value based on our team’s knowledge acquired through the Delos program,” he said. “Through the certificate program, we are now able to partner with clients and help them design, plan and implement wellness solutions to create healthier experiences for meetings and events to improve the well-being, learning and performance of our clients’ attendees.”
The Breathe Easy offers include:
- Meeting attendees can refocus and re-center with a complimentary 15-minute yoga and breathing exercise class during an afternoon general session.
- Groups can enjoy a healthy and refreshing addition to any snack break or meal period by including an infused water station.
- Complimentary Fitness classes in the resort’s Fins Up Fitness Center for their meeting attendees.
- When groups book an event refresher, all company-paid spa services at St. Somewhere Spa are 20% off.
- As a bonus, groups receive 20% off any of the resort’s non-food and beverage-based team building events.
“We think the Delos Wellness Certificate for Meetings and Events gives meeting planners and attendees peace of mind so they can focus on being productive and the business at hand,” said Faust. “The Delos Wellness Certificate for Meetings and Events allows our clients to concentrate on their business objectives related to their meeting in the first place.”
