Destination Southeast Sparks Conversations on Mental Health, Event Strategy

Look around the room at any conference and it is likely there will be some attendees who are struggling with their mental health in silence. After all, the issue affects one in five adults in America, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Yet, somehow the topic still is considered taboo.

At Northstar's Destination Southeast event, held Aug. 9-11 at the Omni Fort Lauderdale, Eli Gorin of the ATS Group delivered a keynote session on "How to Survive and Thrive in a World of Mental Health Misunderstanding." Gorin opened up about his own experience dealing with major depressive disorder and anxiety, and urged event planners to talk about these issues and consider ways to accommodate any attendees, suppliers or staff members who might be need support.

"There's a good chance that someone in this room has experienced or lived with some sort of mental health issue,” said Gorin. “There’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to mental health. This is not something that you choose. It is something that is brought upon us. Just like I did not choose to be bald — it came to me.”

With just a few small changes to the agenda, planners can ensure that their events are a safe space for anyone who is facing a mental health issue. Gorin advised planners to destress the attendee experience. This includes overcommunicating in the weeks leading up to the event, so attendees know exactly what to expect on-site. 

Planners also should consider paring back the agenda and ensuring there are ample breaks throughout the day. To help attendees rest and reset during these breaks, it’s a good idea to add decompression zones. These can be low-light, quiet areas with comfortable seating, or spaces where adoptable puppies are brought in for animal-assisted therapy. Such spaces are especially important for supporting anyone who is neurodivergent or struggling with their mental health, but they also can be used and appreciated by any attendee.

The art of anticipating and solving event emergencies

In another keynote session, VIBE Agency CEO Valerie Bihet shared "Lessons in Creative Problem Solving for Events." She delved into some of the issues she’s encountered during her nearly three decades in the meetings industry — and how she resolved them all, including doublebooking venues, A/V challenges and a fire incident.

In this industry, it’s inevitable that something will go awry. The key to be successful, according to Bihet, is that "you are allowed one mistake per day but never the same mistake twice."

She also stressed the importance of acting quickly and leading with a solution-oriented mindset. "The best mistake is the one that nobody knows happened," said Bihet, who strongly believes that planners should have at least three trusted contacts in each of their host cities whom they can turn to when something goes wrong.

But perhaps the most important lesson of all is to learn from your mistakes and to share them with others. Bihet said she keeps a spreadsheet of all the pitfalls she's encountered over the years, which she shares with her team and uses to help train new hires. 

"You need to teach the people working with you and make sure that your experience will serve them," she said. "They can either learn the slow, hard way, or you can help them learn faster by teaching them and sharing your experiences."

Following are highlights from Destination Southeast, taken by Matt Klinger of Mad Pix Pro.

The sponsors who helped make this event possible included A2 Events, Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau, Chattanooga Tourism Co., Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Explore Asheville, Kalahari Resorts, Legends Global (including: Florence Center, Fort Lauderdale Convention Center and Knoxville Convention Center), Louisville Tourism, LPC Worldwide, Madison Avenue Inc., Maui Jim Sunglasses and Zeal Optics, PC Nametag, Pier Sixty-Six Resort, Pinnacle Live, PRA,Seiko Watch of America, StayNTouch, Visit Jacksonville, and Visit South Walton.