Anyone who comes to the Hotel am Badersee for a conference, meeting or seminar is immediately impressed by the hotel's charming location on the Turquoise-Blue Badersee Lake, surrounded by forest and with views of the Zugspitze and the surrounding mountain ranges. For this reason, if the event concept allows, you should definitely integrate nature into the conference program — for example with a Walk & Talk.

What is a Walk & Talk about?

“If you move, you get something moving,” Robert Lerch, Swiss insurance and investment advisor, poet and aphorist, once said. Movement releases the mind and soul, and anyone who also does this outdoors promotes their health. During a “Walk & Talk”, group work is moved outside, during which the individual groups — max. 10 per group — take a walk or an easy hike and exchange ideas during the conversation. In doing so, you talk to the respective follower, whom you can exchange as you like by running at the front, sometimes in the middle or sometimes at the end. Through this exchange, you can discuss various aspects and develop new thought processes. The duration of a Walk & Talk can be as long as you like. 15 minutes are enough, 30-60 minutes promote interactive exchange with all participants and are also health-promoting.

The Benefits of Working Outdoors in a Group

Anyone who looks at a white conference wall day in and day out is not particularly inspired. Even looking out of the conference window — even with a nice view — only helps to a limited extent, but it doesn't create the effect that conference organizers want to achieve: a motivated and inspired team that enjoys actively participating in an event. Anyone who has ever travelled to such an enchanting region would like to take something away from it, even if time is short. A Walk & Talk is a good idea because the concept is easy and time-effective to integrate into an event and thus offers several advantages:

1. Movement clears your mind

One Study By Dr. Marily Oppezzo from Santa Clara University in California and her colleague Prof. Dr. Daniel L. Schwartz from Stanford University confirmed the creative power of a walk. “Even though fresh air has a positive effect on thinking, it is walking in particular that increases creative performance,” says Marily Oppezzo. And they're not alone. Numerous studies show that exercise in nature is not only beneficial to health, but also ensures that the mind can develop anew and thought processes get going during movement. Conference participants are encouraged accordingly and are receptive to new perspectives. “Walking improves the development of completely new yet useful ideas. This effect persists even when people are back at their desks,” the study says.

2. Nature provides new impressions

Nature offers a variety of stimuli and stimuli that have a positive effect on Walk & Talk participants: the scent of the plants, the rustling of leaves in the forest, the fantastic views, the sound of birds, the feeling of the forest floor under their feet. During a walk or a hike through the forest, all five sensory organs are used and this in turn ensures that conference participants feel invigorated.

3. Exercising outside is beneficial to health

Outdoor exercise is healthy, it's been proven. Walk & Talk also has health-promoting aspects: Stress is reduced, the soul calms down, heart and lung performance is improved, metabolism is stimulated and performance is increased. For anyone who sounds like a health-promoting fitness program, rest assured. Standing still, taking a deep breath, experiencing nature are just as much a part of a walk & talk as movement itself. Conference participants feel correspondingly relaxed and regenerated after a Walk & Talk.

4. Communication is easy

Walking side by side makes it easy to communicate with each other. You are relaxed and talk as if you were traveling with an acquaintance or friend. Direct eye contact is missing. During a Walk & Talk, it will therefore not be difficult for conference participants to exchange ideas with everyone and express their thoughts freely.

What do you need for a Walk & Talk?

Nothing special, except a pair of sturdy shoes, preferably sneakers. There are various hiking trails around the Hotel am Badersee, which are easy to walk at any time of the year. They are mainly nature trails and are all well signposted. The MICE team is happy to advise you on the planning and implementation of a Walk & Talk. A little tip: a walk & talk after a meal is invigorating and refreshing! And the tiredness that creeps in after a meal is gone in no time.

ARE THEY ALREADY EXCITED?

Contact our MICE department for further questions and ideas for event planning in our hotel. We are happy to assist you.

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