How to Cultivate a State of Play at Events

Visit California demonstrated the power of the ultimate playground

Play isn’t just for kids anymore. In fact, according to the National Institute for Play (NIFP) based in Carmel Valley, California, feeling playful is seriously important for a healthy life. Incorporating play in an event also makes business sense. “Play is an antidote to stress and a foundation for wellness,” according to NIFP researchers, who have partnered with Visit California to share their findings. Playful experiences improve brains, help people stay open to new approaches, work better with others and build emotional resilience that wards off stress.

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At Outlook Forum 2024 at Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa in Greater Palm Springs this week, Visit California made a compelling case to the more than 800 destination professionals attending that sourcing a destination known for being fun is an easy way to put people in a more creative state of mind. In addition to bringing Positive Psychology of Play speaker Jeff Harry to help attendees reach a non-judgmental play state, event organizers offered a rainbow of options for playing and networking. From pickleball and golf to painting and tasting, attendees explored their definition of enjoyment. It turns out empowering people with agency is key to turning on the playfulness faucet. “No matter what your definition of play is, if it’s drinking Temecula wine on the patio, bowling or pulling the perfect espresso shot, we make it possible for you to experience that.”

When people choose their activity by following their personal passion, they naturally enjoy it more. “The characteristics of play have to do with motivation and mental attitude, not with the behavior itself,” explained Peter Gray, the author of Free to Learn.

Find Your Play Personality

The definition of play is not universal according to NIFP researchers. “As we mature, we develop a style or mode in which we are most comfortable being playful,” said Dr. Stuart Brown, NIFP founder. He identified eight primary play personalities and Visit California shared the Play Style Test to help people determine their preferred path to a state of mind experienced with absorbed in an activity that suspends time. As a bonus, the results come with suggestions for where in the state you might want to visit or bring a group to capitalize on those tendencies.

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The pursuit of play is a lifelong endeavor. “When you were first born and your parent held you and you looked into each other’s eyes, it’s one of the only times your brainwaves matched identically with another human being. You feel seen and heard and loved and appreciated,” explained play expert and speaker Jeff Harry. He classified the rest of our lives as a search for that level of attunement in friendships, work and even travel.

That search for harmony or a flow state where we are the most productive is often reached through play, Harry said. Innovation comes from being so caught up in the challenge and adventure of a task that you are not afraid to risk and fail and that is when real creativity happens, he added.

Harry shared that everyone has their own play values. Examples are collaboration, creativity or movement. “Once you rediscover your play values, you can call on them to help you heal the world by bringing joy,” he said.

Outlook Forum organizers took those findings to heart when designing the agenda. “Everyone’s definition of fun may be different so finding a place with an abundance of opportunities to enjoy indoor and outdoor activities, beautiful weather and an attitude of embracing life allows everyone to find something that works for them,” said Angie Pappas, Visit California associate vice president of external affairs. “Play is in our DNA in California. We are the Ultimate Playground,” she added.

The Joy of Getting Business Done

In addition to the health and creative benefits of sourcing locations known as fun places to go, bottom-line metrics can be improved as well. As the bleisure trend becomes the new normal, hosting in places people want to go and take their families can increase attendance numbers. Pappas pointed to a return to full staffing levels at many DMOs post-Covid as one of the reasons for the annual event’s largest crowd ever. Many were first-timers and everyone wanted to network. “We are not rebuilding anymore,” Pappas said. “We have recovered and are growing from here.”

Pappas also pointed to the “novelty effect,” scientific research that has shown that information presented in new experiences and surroundings is remembered more vividly than the same information in the office. That sense of discovery is also one of the reasons travel is considered playful. “Play is productive because it helps you get back to business with a fresh mindset,” she said.

Read More: 6 Truths to Guide Experience Design

A Marriott, PCMA, CEMA study in 2023 identified the Power of Play as one of the six “truths” in their “Guiding Principles in Experience Design” study. “The process of playing with something, breaking it apart and putting it back together creates opportunities for ideation and collaboration,” the report concluded. It suggested testing developments in AI as new avenues for facilitating connection. “Play-first spaces” help audiences better understand new ideas and synthesize learnings.

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