NEXT Events Hosts Wellbeing Webinar to Benefit Hospitality Cares

NEW YORK—NEXT Events, an emerging leader in design industry networking and thought leadership experiences, presents a virtual panel discussion titled “Evolving Hospitality and Emotional Wellbeing” in partnership with ICD Publications’ Hotel Business and InspireDesign. The webinar is scheduled on Wednesday, May 20th, from 2:00 PM-3:00 PM EDT via Zoom video conferencing. Proceeds will benefit Hospitality Cares, a nonprofit organization that benefits professionals in the hospitality industry who are experiencing financial fallout due to the impact of the global pandemic.

Connecting leaders in the wellness and hospitality industry, the “Evolving Hospitality and Emotional Wellbeing” webinar will address the emotional wellbeing of the hospitality industry as a result of the current crisis. This panel will go beyond the discussion of financial impact from COVID-19, by focusing on the wellbeing and mental health of industry members as well as offering support, guidance and wellness tips from a variety of distinguished experts. During a time of fragility, this webinar is intended to offer messages of hope and resilience as the hospitality industry emotionally recovers from the economic and psychological fallout caused by the global pandemic.

NEXT Events has brought together a panel of key thought leaders in the wellness and hospitality industries who specialize in emotional wellbeing. The panel will be moderated by Cheryl Heisterberg, SVP/partner of DAC Art Consulting, and Stephanie Ciongoli, design & contract sales specialist of Innovative Carpets. The panel of experts:

  • Carla Hammond, founder/CEO of Be Time Practice, a New York City-based brand that delivers a multisensory meditation experience to impact the wellness culture of spaces for corporate, retail and hospitality
  • Gregg Sentenn, psychiatrist with more than 20 years of experience, specializing in child, adolescent and adult psychiatry
  • Kathryn Pol, president of Hospitality Cares and project director at Benjamin West, a global leader in furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) and operating supplies and equipment (OS&E) purchasing for the hospitality industry
  • Ryan Soave, clinical director for Telehealth Services at All Points North Lodge—a comprehensive health, personal development and addiction/trauma treatment campus located just outside of Vail, CO

“Today’s world has bombarded us with an enormous amount of change, uncertainty, discomfort, and with that comes a palpable sense of anxiety and feeling of loss,” said Heisterberg. “Crisis comes and goes and what is left is the resilient nature of self, community and future hope. Therefore, a mindful pursuit of wellbeing starts with the self—perhaps the most necessary pursuit during this time. We are honored to sponsor this important conversation and will continue to make this topic a priority.”

Founded in September 2009 by Michael Schneider, president of NEXT Events, and the late Helen Marcus of Zenith Rugs, Hospitality Cares is a nonprofit organization that targets hospitality professionals who have experienced hardship through either a job loss or housing/medical condition. As a result of the current pandemic, Hospitality Cares has created a dedicated Coronavirus Fund to assist those who are experiencing financial hardships.

The format of the webinar will consist of a moderated panel discussion followed by a question-and-answer period. Online participants are invited to type their questions into the chat, monitored by an administrator who will then filter and direct the questions and comments to the moderator. To register for the webinar with a $25 suggested donation benefitting Hospitality Cares, visit NEXT Events at https://nexteventsusa.com/virtual/.