Meetings and Events Initiative

Meetings and events already influence stress, energy, cognitive load, nourishment, connection, and recovery. Whether intentional or not, the industry is shaping human wellbeing at scale.

This initiative gives GWI a credible platform to shift the conversation from aspirational wellness language to practical, evidence-based implementation. The framing is deliberately business relevant: wellness is not a perk. It is a performance multiplier and a design choice that directly affects attendee outcomes, engagement, learning retention, belonging, and human sustainability. When wellbeing improves, the effectiveness of meetings and events improves with it. (Will create a LinkedIn once we are ready to post, or should we do that now?)

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Key Questions and Answers

1. What is the Meeting and Events Initiative?

The Meeting and Events Initiative is a Global Wellness Institute effort focused on helping the meetings and events industry apply wellness as an evidence-based performance multiplier. Its aim is to turn wellness into practical, measurable strategies that improve attendee experience, belonging, and business outcomes.

2. How can we help organizations translate the same proven impact seen in corporate wellness—where 90% of companies report positive ROI—into meetings and events through intentional, wellness‑driven design that strengthens productivity, engagement, and overall business outcomes?

Organizations can translate the proven impact of corporate wellness into meetings and events by intentionally designing experiences that support attendee well‑being, which in turn strengthens the very business outcomes events are meant to drive. With 90% of companies reporting positive ROI from wellness initiatives, the evidence is clear: when people feel healthier, more energized, and more supported, they engage more deeply, collaborate more effectively, and retain information at higher levels. By embedding wellness into event design—through thoughtful pacing, restorative moments, nourishing environments, and movement or mindfulness options—organizations can elevate productivity, reduce disengagement, and ultimately increase the return on their event investment and ultimately higher Net Promoter Scores.

3. Who is this initiative designed to serve?

The initiative is designed to serve the broader meetings and events ecosystem, including corporate planners, association planner, tradeshow organizers, event marketers, agency planners, Executives, DMCs, hoteliers, international event leaders, and anyone who brings people together.

4. What will guide the initiative’s work?

The initiative’s work will be guided by a best practices framework built around the 4 M’s: Mindfulness, Movement, Meals, and Meaning. This structure creates a simple, practical way to approach wellness in meetings and events.

5. What will the initiative produce?

Its first-year deliverable will be a best practices playbook that helps industry professionals apply the framework in real-world settings. The goal is to create a resource that is practical, credible, and useful across event types and markets.

Initiative Leadership

Initiative Chair

David T. Stevens, PMED, WITT-AP, Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness Coach, Co-founder, Olympian Meeting, United States

David T. Stevens, PMED, WITT-AP is a Harvard-certified Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness Coach and Co-founder of Olympian Meeting. With more than 20 years of experience in meetings, events, and experiential design, he works at the intersection of wellness, performance, and event strategy. David serves on the WITT Standards Advisory Council and is President of the PCMA Northern California Chapter, where his leadership reflects a strong commitment to advancing standards, education, and industry progress. His work focuses on helping organizations apply evidence-based wellness practices to create meetings and events that better support wellbeing, belonging, and measurable outcomes. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Initiative Vice-Chair

Reina Herschdorfer, CED, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Caesars Entertainment’s, United States

Reina Herschdorfer, CED is Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Caesars Entertainment’s Meetings & Events division, where she oversees marketing and communications strategy across more than 50 destinations in the United States. With over 20 years of international experience in hospitality, sales, and brand marketing, she brings deep expertise in meetings and events, strategic communications, and large-scale industry engagement. Reina serves as board member and Co-Chair for Hotel Sales and Marketing Association International Las Vegas (HSMAI) and led the launch of Wellness for Meetings & Events for Caesars Entertainment, helping establish wellness as a strategic consideration in attendee experience and program design. A Certified Event Designer and respected industry leader, she brings a global perspective and a strong record of innovation to the Meeting and Events Initiative. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Objectives

The objective of the Meeting and Events Initiative is to help the global meetings and events industry apply wellness as an evidence-based performance multiplier by turning it into practical, measurable event design strategies. Through a framework grounded in Mindfulness, Movement, Meals, and Meaning, the initiative aims to give planners, event marketers, hotels, DMCs, Tradeshows and agency partners a clear path to create events that improve attendee wellbeing, strengthen belonging, support public health, and drive better business outcomes.