Health Fair Connections Blog

Down. Set. Health Fair! Tips and Insight on Health Fair Themes

Posted on Saturday November 12 2016

What We've Seen...

Before HFC became a tech company for HR and benefits pros, our team planned and attended hundreds and hundreds of health/wellness fairs, nationwide - no exaggeration here.

We would come on site, set up the event, and assist the HR/benefits team throughout their health/wellness fair. We have seen big, small, no space, tons of space, white collar, blue collar, indoor, outdoor - you get my point.

And at a typical health/wellness fair, having 30-35% of the onsite employee population attend the event would be considered the average.

However, some health/wellness fairs would double (and even triple) the percentage of employees that attended.

And the one thing I can recall they all had in common - a health/wellness fair theme.

From experience, health/wellness fairs produced with a particular theme are more fun, entertaining, and can significantly spike employee interest and turnout.

Not to mention, you look awesome in front of your employees as the effort you made to give them a new experience will not go unnoticed.

I'll show you what I'm getting at here....

Yep, that's me with the Heisman pose at The Body Shop's corporate office (in the US) health/wellness fair a few years back.

Their health/wellness fair theme was obviously football related and all the employees wore their favorite team's jersey or t-shirt/sweatshirt (I apparently missed that memo, as I'm all suited up).

Getting your employees involved with the theme is an excellent way to ensure they not only feel the need to attend their health/wellness fair but want to attend.

OVER 85% of the entire office attended the event.

They were one of the companies I have personally seen go the extra mile and truly create a health/wellness fair employees were excited to attend.

It's Easier Than It Looks...

Now I know what you're thinking....that looks like a lot of work, Kyle.

And I'm not going to lie.

It is going to take some work and thinking outside the box.

And Ideally, you have at least one or two team members to help you out.

But having a themed, health/wellness fair can definitely (and quite quickly) be accomplished with some thought, preparation, sufficient time to plan and by stirring up your creative side.

Now, let's dive a little deeper into The Body Shop's event picture I posted above, so I can give you some reassure that having a health/wellness fair theme is going to be easier than you think (as long as you can get those creative juices flowing):

• Goal Post: The Body Shop HR team did not have to rent those yellow goal post from the local college - those are simple PVC pipes painted yellow
  
• The football field: That "football field" is actually old, artificial turf used and discarded by one of their local put-put golf courses. Didn't even cost them a dime! Add tape for the lines, and you have yourself a mini football field.
• The table "cloths": I put "cloths" in quotations because they obviously used colored, plastic table covers. The plastic covers not only save money but can look great when the color you choose ties into the theme.

I just wanted to put it into perspective that having a themed, health/wellness fair is not out of the realm of possibility.

And as mentioned, The Body Shop's health/wellness fair theme went above and beyond, so don't feel as if your health/wellness fair theme has to be that extravagant.

Start small if you're feeling overwhelmed.

However, I know if you put the effort and thought into your health/wellness fair theme, you'll see an increase in the number of employees that attend your event.

Just think, your health/wellness fair could be popping off like this...

Kick-Start Ideas

Know you know how you can use the topic of football for your health/wellness fair theme.

But don't worry non-football fans.

There are tons of themes out there you can tie into your health/wellness fair.

• Spring into Wellness
• Super Heroes / Super Health
• Fall into Wellness
• Catch the Wellness wave
  
• Rock’n’roll Health Fair
  
• Nationality Health Fair
• Halloween Theme
• Race to Wellness
• Thanksgiving Theme
• 4th of July Theme
• The Worlds' Fair for Wellness

So come 2018, think outside the box when you start planning your health/wellness fair, and you just might think of some great ideas for a health/wellness fair theme that could really shake things up.

Feel free to tweet and share this post to spark more ideas and continue the discussion.

Kyle Pickett

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