MIALD Annual Meeting – The Wellness MOT Roundup
Wellness is an important part of effectively running a successful hotel, yet we’re all guilty of not placing as much importance on it for ourselves and our teams as we should.
This was one of the key takeaways from Master Innholders Aspiring Leaders Diploma committee meetings this year when asking for feedback from alumni, with many citing they were currently struggling to better incorporate wellness across their teams and hotels in general.
With that in mind, the idea to focus this year’s annual meeting solely on wellness began to form, leading to this year’s Wellness MOT. Taking place 18th September at Pennyhill Park Hotel – the day focused on providing a variety of informative talks and workshops from wellness experts across hospitality, to better equip MIALD alumni with the tools they need to better champion wellness in their hotel.
Over 40 hospitality professionals were in attendance on the day, with proceedings including a talk on operational wellness from Jon Reed, CEO of Paddy and Scott’s, Helen Griffin, Manor House HR Manager, and Mark Lewis, CEO of Hospitality Action. The three explored what can be done to safeguard your wellbeing, what commitments companies and staff can make to support teams and individuals, and how organisations like Hospitality Action can lend a hand to those currently struggling.
Following these enlightening sessions, attendees then listened to an inspirational keynote from Shane Cooke, Director of Jasper Wellbeing. Shane, a seasoned hospitality professional turned life coach, shared his raw and honest journey of overcoming challenges and emphasised that wellness is an ongoing journey for everyone.
Guests were also treated to a presentation from Dr Hilary Cooke PhD FIH MI, who conducted an outstanding workshop on implementing a wellness strategy in both team dynamics and individual work approaches, which was met with great enthusiasm, with many attendees eagerly taking notes.
Next up was the much-anticipated Mentality and Mindset Panel discussion. Moderated by Adam Hersey and featuring Damian Martin, Robert Ledward Smith SJS, and Sally Beck MI, the candid conversation focused on sharing their experiences of tackling their first years in senior leadership positions and discussed their ongoing methods and strategies.
Rounding out the informative day was James Gurney, MD of Hawkridge Distillers. James delivered a captivating gin masterclass and shared his unique perspective on operational wellness. His input, coming from outside the hospitality industry, was a refreshing addition.
A huge thank you to all our amazing speakers, as well as Exclusive and Pennyhill Park for their outstanding hospitality – we’re already looking forward to next year’s event!