The conferencing and events industry in South Africa is estimated to be worth more than R71 billion a year and is central to how leaders across trade and industry plan for the future. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief, when in-person meetings returned after Covid-19.
Gathering again in physical spaces reopened the door to richer dialogue and deeper thinking, the kind that only happens when people are away from their desks and fully present. There is so much value in that environment. This is where game-changing ideas gain traction, where teams find common ground and where those important ‘what if’ conversations begin.
At the same time, corporate South Africa has become far more intentional about healthier living. Programmes such as Discovery Vitality, Momentum Multiply and Dis-Chem Health show a significant willingness from major organisations to reward better, healthier choices, based on the science.
Many businesses have gone a step further and introduced their own internal incentives. Across industries, people are taking genuine interest in these tools, comparing scores, tracking their activity and sharing how these programmes have helped them reset habits.
This reflects the broader shift in how society thinks about wellbeing and long-term health and many of our A-type corporate executives have been wonderful early adopters of this approach.
A widening disconnect
With all this energy around healthier living, it is striking how little of it shows up in the conferencing space though. There is a noticeable contradiction. So often, you hear a speaker advocate natural light, frequent movement and body breaks, while delegates sit in a dark room for hours and end the day with a heavy, boozy dinner.
Companies that encourage healthier, cleaner eating often offer trays of pastries and sugary snacks at strategy sessions. Delegates then push through the familiar afternoon crash that follows a big lunch, with comfort food like donuts and danishes. It has become part of the routine but it does not need to be.
Industry has a clear chance to rethink its approach. There is so much available that people already enjoy. Leaders talk openly about the benefits of cold plunging and sauna sessions. Lunchtime padel games have become a talking point in boardrooms.
Meditation is gaining traction as a daily practice. These are no longer fringe ideas. They are part of modern working life, yet very few events make space for any of them. Introducing even small elements can shift the energy in the room and lift the quality of engagement tremendously.
Time for a new approach
A strategy session, conference or corporate retreat should reflect the culture a business is working to build. It should feel aligned with the values that guide day to day decisions in that company. Simple changes can make a real difference.
Serving healthier food, booking venues with natural light, offering short movement breaks, creating moments for guided meditation or including a fun fitness activity are all easy wins. None require dramatic budgets. What they do offer is improved clarity, more creative thinking and better alignment among participants.
Leadership has always involved setting the tone. This is the moment for corporate South Africa to act on what it promotes. If companies truly believe in the benefits of healthier living, then their events, strategy sessions and corporate workshops should reinforce that mindset, rather than contradict it.
It’s time for companies to shift their thinking and start asking the right questions in this regard. How should leaders shape their gatherings so that they support sharper thinking? What can the industry learn from the wider shift in lifestyle habits that we are seeing in the upwardly mobile workforce?
Just imagine the benefits of the change that will occur when the spaces where strategy is shaped genuinely supported the wellbeing of the people in the room. I’m going to quote Simon Sinek here: “When you start with WHY, the HOW and WHAT become clear”, and to me, it’s pretty obvious what we need to do.
The real question is “when” and, in my mind, the answer to that should be “now”.
Helen Nicholson is founder of The Networking Company & The Edge High Performance and Resilience Centre.
