The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) has announced details of its new Wellness Council.

The council was created following a panel discussion at the 2024 Inspire Conference, which explored a range of wellness topics including anxiety, imposter syndrome and both healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Feedback from members highlighted a need for the association and the industry as a whole to promote wellbeing year-round.

The council aims to encourage TEA’s standing committees and divisional boards to ensure wellness is at the centre of their programmes and initiatives through meaningful content, inclusive logistics and increased awareness.

“It seemed crazy to us that such important topics as workplace culture, quiet quitting and burnout were only being formally discussed at a couple of 20- or 30-minute sessions per year,” said Clara Rice, Director of Global Marketing at Adirondack Studios and Wellness Council Chair.

"Creating the Wellness Council means that we can create a suite of coordinated initiatives around mental and physical wellbeing.”

The goals of the Wellness Council include a cultural shift towards destigmatisation of the term 'mental health' and a celebration of members investing in their mental health and wellbeing. It also aims to establish an inclusive TEA community vision in order to create a supportive community where “emotionally and physically thriving” is considered the highest personal priority and is talked about as naturally as designing an attraction.

There will also be a focus on producing TEA events designed to allow people to thrive; re-evaluating physical environments for wellness in event planning and offering content designed to energise members and inspire action.

“Regardless of where you are on your career path, centering physical, mental and emotional wellbeing is absolutely essential,“ said TEA president-elect Matt Barton.

“I am excited to see where this council’s journey takes the TEA and the industry at large.”