Making a point on wellbeing in M&E

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Making a point on wellbeing in M&E

Sarah Mayo, (pictured top) co-founder of newly launched POINT3 Wellbeing (a UK company that supports people and businesses with health and wellbeing programmes) speaks to CMW and sheds some light on health and wellbeing within the international business events sector.

Stress management and positive mental health are increasingly on the agenda of companies that recognise the urgent need to combat the epidemic sweeping large OECD countries such as the US and UK, and their role and influence in helping to improve the health of individuals, business and the economy. The events industry itself is consistently ranked in Career Cast’s annual US jobs rated report as the fifth most stressful job behind Firefighters, Police Officers, Enlisted Military Personnel and Airline Pilots. Strict and regular deadlines were cited as a pressing concern for those who work in the events space.

Reports such as the “The Thriving at Work” report, commissioned by the UK government in 2017 and Mind the Workplace – MHA Workplace Health Survey 2017* conducted in the US demonstrate the role of companies to better support the wellbeing of their employees. The UK report estimates the cost of poor mental health to the economy as a whole at between £74bn and £99bn per year. It also highlights that every year an estimated 300,000 workers are leaving their jobs on account of a mental health related issue. In the US workplace mental health problems result in as much as US$500bn of lost productivity annually*.

POINT3 Wellbeing has been set up by Sarah Mayo, Nicky Morgan and Siôn Stansfield, who first met while working at TRO, an events and experiential marketing agency. All passionate about health and wellbeing, they have harnessed this passion along with their collective experience of over 45 years working in events to help the industry and event organisers manage their wellbeing better. The trio have skills gained from board level positions, event management, employee engagement, talent management, client services, marketing, clinical hypnotherapy, fitness instruction and nutrition, which gives them a unique perspective to advise and assist people and companies with their health and wellbeing.

The company is focused on consulting, educating and energising people and business about the combined importance and benefits of movement and mindfulness to wellbeing. There is a wealth of research showing the benefits of both on overall wellbeing with compelling statistics around reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, creativity, focus, and improved relationships at work and at home – demonstrating the value of incorporating wellbeing programmes into the overall people strategy of businesses. The Mind the Workplace report indicates that US corporations that have responded to high turnover rates with employee engagement strategies have shown an increase in productivity (21%) and profitability (22%). Employee engagement practices have also shown to significantly reduce absenteeism (37%) and turnover rates (25%-65%).

Through a mixture of talks, workshops and classes – hosted in the workplace and at corporate events – audiences leave with ideas and insight to inspire them to move more and be more mindful. A recent conference held at The Grove in Hertfordshire, saw delegates taking part in a breakout seminar where they gained tips and tricks to manage their wellbeing, and learned about the benefits of both movement and mindfulness on personal health, as well as being a source of creativity at work.

The signature class HIIT+CHILL, recently delivered at a wellbeing conference at West Thames College, begins with a high intensity interval-training workout and finishes with a relaxing mindfulness session – combining movement and mindfulness into one powerful class for both the mind and body. The next “retreat-style” event is taking place on the 4 and 5 August in Richmond-Upon-Thames, London, and is open to the public to sign-up and attend. All the details can be found here.

Sarah Mayo concludes: “Movement and mindfulness are the foundational principles of POINT3 Wellbeing. Regular practice in both can have a dramatic impact on people’s health and happiness. POINT3 Wellbeing combines the two into one, so it is more sustainable for people who are juggling many commitments. Through our work with the events industry we aim to educate and energise event organisers so they not only reap the rewards of being healthier and happier, their employers also benefit through improved productivity and creativity.”

 For more information, click here

Find out more about POINT3 Wellbeing’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Training in the workplace here.

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