Health and Wellness Participation – Identify your audience
• Employees only, whole family, retirees?
• Community involvement? Theme?

Health and Wellness Time Line
• Establish a date and time Allow 4-6 months of planning time

Health and Wellness Planning
• Identify health-related screenings, tests, other activities you’ll offer Identify educational literature and other learning opportunities Health and Wellness will provide Include any “fun” activities, or food/beverage needs for the fair

Health and Wellness Location & Logistics
• Look at location big enough to accommodate the largest volume of workers at “peak time” periods
• Determine how booths/stations will be set up

Health and Wellness Vendors
• Target relevant health/safety-related community and corporate vendors to provide services, educational materials, incentives and giveaways

Health and Wellness Marketing
• Determine marketing tools to be used to inform employees/members (posters, mailings, e-mail)
• Determine any incentives or giveaways that will be included in the fair or used to promote participation in the fair

Health and Wellness Scheduling
• Coordinate timing and events with staff and/or volunteers

Health and Wellness Personnel
• Schedule appropriate experts Physician or similar health care personnel to provide patient consultation for review of blood draw lab results
• Nurse(s) to administer vaccinations
• Administrative/all-purpose individual to facilitate paper work, finger sticks and to provide general assistance
• Pharmacist or pharmacist assistant if appropriate Dietitian for nutritional counseling suggested personnel designated for health fairs

Footnotes

1 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation via Reuters Health E-Line.
2 Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, (9/11/03)
3 www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/press/archive/lower_cost.htm
4 “Is Stress Nibbling Away at Your Bottom Line?” By Stephen Alper, Nov. 15, 2002.
5 Health Promotion in the Workplace, Michael P. O’Donnell, page 415.
6 http://www.bmpcoe.org/bestpractices/internal/dayto/dayto_6.html

A Health and Wellness Fair is a excellent way to shake your employees out of the doldrums and into better awareness of their health and wellness. A Health and Wellness Fair brings your organization together to discuss Employee Wellness Programs, examine Health Insurance and “cafeteria” plans, explore health savings accounts, publicize Employer Wellness Program Programs and share success stories and challenges.

Some common Health and Wellness Fair desired outcomes include:

better awareness of the health services and resources available to workers, both from their organization and from local, state, regional and national health services;
increased motivation for improving health behavior
increased participation in Employee Wellness Programs, commuter and carshare programs and health savings accounts
better awareness of person health status through Health Testings, Health and Wellness Fair activities, displays, handouts, and demonstrations, and
better information on what workers are seeking from their organization’s health management initiatives, and which workers are interested in participating.

Planning a Health and Wellness Fair

Planning a Health and Wellness Fair is a lot like starting an Employer Wellness Program on a smaller scale. Just like an Employee Wellness Program, your Health and Wellness Fair will need publicity, logistical planning, programming, targeted goals, in-house marketing and of course, executive approval. Festive touches like free food, kid-friendly activities, live music, art displays, talent shows and other community-minded fun will help cement the appeal of your Health and Wellness Fair and ensure that the Health and Wellness Fair becomes a welcomed, annual event.

You can find some Health and Wellness Fair planning tips at the Family and Consumer Sciences site of Texas A&M University. These Health and Wellness Fair tips are aimed more at community and non-profit organizers, but you can discover many useful Health and Wellness Fair ideas at the site.

Health and Wellness Fairs and Employer Wellness Program Recruitment

Many Employer Wellness Program planners find that Health and Wellness Fairs are the primary reason why workers sign up for walking Employee Wellness Programs, health savings accounts and other pro-Employee Wellness Programs.

Don’t forget – not only do workers value these programs highly, but the increased energy and decreased sick leave associated with Employee Wellness Programs also saves your company money. The Employer Wellness Program Statistics are clear – healthier companies work harder and pay less in Health Insurance premiums.