Everyone recognises the feeling of dread walking into a conference or event. The big, windowless room, the corporate table, the notepads, the refreshments. When is it ever going to change?
One local business is ditching the executive chairs in favour of yoga mats and rethinking the traditional approach to hosting conferences.
The Zealong Tea Estate in Gordonton has a new and refreshing take on the classic conference.
All the amenities are still available of course, but with a large conference room that opens directly onto the stunning views of the Waikato-based tea farm, they’ve ditched the sense of entrapment and claustrophobia brought on by your typical conference centres.
Getting fresh air and sunlight is important, and there’s plenty of that to go around at Zealong. From the Tea House to the events room, the versatility of the Zealong Tea Estate means you can choose the setting that suits your event best.
Previous events hosted by Zealong included team building exercises and yoga, which was held on the Vista lawn.
General manager Sen Kong described the way they approached events at Zealong as refreshing.
“It was great to see people getting out there and having fun. It’s an opportunity to experience a new approach to creating ideas, which is rare.”
Other ways to beat the stress that comes with attending conferences include the serene art of tea making, which is taught to attendees in an arrival ceremony.
Kong says Zealong does this so employees take the time out of their day to brew tea, and stop and reflect on what’s going on around them.
“It’s important that we stop for a moment and take time to reflect on what’s happening around us in the workplace. It helps to destress the mind and focus on the important things.”
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