Are You Comparing Apples to Oranges when it comes to “Health Fair Companies”?

Now that “WELLNESS’ is the word of the day, and virtually every company is installing a wellness program of some sort, hosting a health fair seems a logical part of that process. So brokers, HR Directors, Benefits Directors, and even company health nurses start “asking around” or going online to find companies who can host these events.

Haven’t You Wondered?

Before you innocently start contacting local providers of this service, I’m going to give you the inside scoop on how all these companies work, how they make their profit, and what their motivations are.

I know these things because I actually launched one of the first health fair companies in America in 1985. All of the local companies, with one exception, are the spawns of People Growers, breaking off after “learning the ropes” to create a competitive product that has mutated into the opposite of what I envisioned when I opened the doors of People Growers of America in San Diego, California.

What Went Wrong with Health Fair Companies?

The original business plan for People Growers divided the costs of a health fair equally between the host company and the exhibitors. In this model, PGA could play a certain “Robin Hood” role, giving away booth space to pivotal local resources, such as the fire department, police department, city services, and non-profit groups. We sell space to those that can afford it; medical specialists, local for-profit services, and groups offering excellent wellness products. We know that to make this formula work and give our host companies complete control over the vendors at their events, the minimum we can charge for an event is about $1500-$2500.

BUT our competitors decided to charge the host company little or nothing, or require them to sign long term contracts to ensure lower fees, which force the health fair company to sell literally every booth space to pretty much any product or service that would pay to make the profit they need.  The “health fair” has turned into a glorified swap meet, with as many as five chiropractors, three dental groups (easy booth sales) and a bunch of multi-levels aggressively trying to collect employee info for “follow-up”, (which translates into employees being bothered at home at work.)

People Growers is NOT a Health Fair Company!

People Growers is an important adjunct to your current wellness and safety program. We create custom designed, interactive, educational events for the purpose of supporting YOUR wellness initiatives, and lowering your health care costs over time. We want to make a quantitative difference in the quality of life of your workforce. We are not at all interested in selling make-up or $2000 water filters of questionable value.

Before you contract out for an event, carefully consider why you are hosting the event at all. If it’s “just for fun”, go cheap. If it’s to get real work done, then partner with a company who satisfies the sophisticated and comprehensive wellness and safety objectives of serious corporations, such as Boeing, Daimler Trucks, Hyster-Yale, Seattle Mariners, Oxy Oil, and Toyota, who trust and respect People Growers.  Be willing to invest a little more for the control, quality and peace of mind upon which we have built an impeccable reputation since 1984. We will listen to YOUR visions and goals for your wellness and safety initiatives, work closely with your broker and your insurance companies, and get the job done, bottom line.

If you would like more information, or to receive a quote for your next Wellness Event, please feel free to contact us.