LAS VEGAS — Caesars Entertainment held its inaugural Global Wellness Summit in Las Vegas June 4-7, bringing together more than 120 event professionals, media and staff to learn more about incorporating wellness in their personal and professional lives — as well as showcasing the plethora of activities available for group events.
The invite-only event emphasized Caesars’ focus on wellness at meetings and events, and it included offerings that are available on its wellness menu. The menu provides event organizers with the ability to add food and beverage, speakers and activations to their events that center on wellness. The company plans to adopt this initiative across its event venues in Atlantic City and Reno/Tahoe, solidifying its commitment to promoting wellness through events.
The Global Wellness Summit started with a scenic reception at Nobu Villa, in the Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace. Activations, including aura readings and selecting crystals based on current intentions and struggles, reflected the themes of self-reflection and empowerment for the first edition of the summit.
Wellness-Focused Education
The event welcomed a variety of wellness speakers to discuss techniques and benefits of prioritizing wellness — both physical and mental — in the way people live, work and have fun.
Body & Brain Director of Corporate Wellness Dami Kim shared a variety of ways for people to better connect their body and mind to promote more creativity and health. With strategies like breathing mindfully, positioning your body properly and “keeping your head cool and belly warm,” Kim said professionals can put themselves in a better position to manage and relive stress, while activating the brain to think clearly and creatively.
Kristine Iverson, PHR, Founder and Owner of Coordinated Response on Wellness (CROW) Practice, wellness speaker and author, talked about ways to stay calm during chaos. Relating CROW Practice, a live-events wellness company, to event organizers, Iverson emphasized that it is important to evaluate stressors and negative self-talk to form healthy thinking habits.
Iverson said that any time career surveys are done, live events will be fifth or sixth in terms of stress. She went on to explain that by shifting a downward spiral into an upward spiral by identifying a silver lining in everything, professionals can change their overwhelmed or frustrated energy to a positive chain reaction.
Author, speaker and former monk Pandit Dasa discussed strategies for creating more mindful and positive workplaces to reduce quiet quitting and keep employees happy. He emphasized the keys to mindful communication — knowing what you’re going to say, how you’re going to say it, the impact it will have and how it will impact relationships — to best interact with employees and colleagues and the importance of being a mindful leader.
“If we’re asking others to do something, they want to see us doing it too,” Dasa said. “It sets a powerful precedent when we do the things we’re asking others to do. Otherwise, it breaks trust when we’re telling everyone else to do something and we’re not doing it ourselves. Can we be more accessible, can we be more down to earth, and can we be more sacrificing for our teams to build that trust?”
Dasa also shared that recognition is imperative to keeping employees engaged and willing to do their best.
“One very important component of mindful leadership and having a healthy workplace culture, is having a culture of appreciation,” Dasa said. “Whether you’re in a leadership role or not, appreciation isn’t attached to a title, it’s our human duty. There are different ways to appreciate, and two important components of appreciation are [it] should be specific… knowing how that person wants to be appreciated, and it should be timely.”
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Nolan Nichols, Founder of A Million Dreams, spoke about the positive impacts of infusing more wonder and celebration in your daily life to have a more positive mindset. By planning moments for wellness in a daily schedule, posturing yourself for wellness to find you and pacing yourself, Nichols said that you can incrementally change yourself and your life.
“Pace yourself and know your race. It’s important to know that consistency beats intensity,” Nichols said. “We live in a culture where we do something for seven hours and then we might not do it for another seven days. Let’s start small, let’s get some early wins, let’s get some momentum and build it into your day, and let that momentum carry you forward. Just think if you could get just 1% better every day. At first it doesn’t look like you’re making much progress, but then you really start hitting exponential results if you just get 1% better every day.”
Sepideh Eivazi, Founder of Dawn of the Earth, taught the group about Emotional Freedom Technique tapping, which involves tapping on pressure points while using positive affirmations to calm the mind, relive tension and open your mind up for a positive change in thinking. She also conducted a session on Somatic Breathing, during which attendees used breathing techniques to flush out stress and trauma from the mind and body.
Nature Excursions
The Global Wellness Summit also offered attendees plenty of opportunities to connect with nature, learn more about the range of the region’s biodiversity and relax in scenic settings.
At Mount Charleston, located about an hour’s drive from the Las Vegas Strip, attendees enjoyed a session of Yin Yoga with Christine Frazzitta, Founder of Zeeta Body. In the low-intensity form of yoga, the group took in its forest-like surroundings while relaxing the mind to prepare for a day filled with hiking and learning.
Attendees then took to the trails for a hike on the mountain, learning about the mountain’s unique climate, plants and animals from experienced guides and rangers. In sharp contrast to the Strip, where temperatures in June were reaching record highs for the time of year, Mount Charleston offered an escape from the heat while still allowing people to “bathe in nature.”
Another off-site excursion designed for groups took place on the calm waters of the Colorado River with Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures, which offers guided raft tours right at the bottom of the Hoover Dam.
Attendees soaked in the morning sun as they learned about the dam’s construction, and the wildlife and history of the river. As the day warmed up, the tour offered stops along the river at small islands for refreshing dips in the cool water.
The event concluded with a sound bath meditation at the Garden of the Gods Pool at Caesars Palace, capping off the wellness-focused event on a unifying and powerful note.
