Nikkei Trendy Magazine Article on “Right Brain Meetings in the US”
July, 2008
Professional Japanese translation by Mika Sato-Foley of Sakura Translation Inc., Chicago, IL.

Eating sweets and playing Wii during meetings. More and more hotels provide “Stimulate right-brain rooms”

In America, anything related to “right brain” is very popular.  Recently, there have been many bestselling books published touting the benefits of right brain thinking so it is inevitable that this popularity would spread into the hotel business.

Catalyst Ranch, which is located in the center of Chicago, provides sweets, games, and clay in their meeting rooms to stimulate right brain thinking.   “Stimulating five senses brings creativity and innovative ideas.  To do so, it is important to make with participant’s vitality to the meeting by using some fun” said Bobbie Soeder, operating staff.

Their clients include some of the largest companies in the world such as Google, Yahoo, and Boeing.  Recently, their one day course which collaborates with The Chicago Art Institute has become very popular.  In this course, participants enjoy the art to cultivate sensitivity at The Chicago Art Institute in the morning.  In the afternoon, they learn communication and team work in a meeting room at the Catalyst Ranch.

The Curtis Hotel in Denver has updated 15 meeting rooms to “play ground” as the hotel’s 30 million dollars renovation.  They are designed to allow participants to relive their childhood memories and encourage freewheeling thinking, the hotel sets up Wii and Twister games and serves classic candy and chocolate during the meeting breaks.

“W hotel”, located throughout US, has introduced unique services to promote flexible ideas and conduct meaningful meetings.  The hotel starts with the “Sensory set up” which prepares sweets and games in the meeting rooms and makes specialists available to facilitate various programs to provide a change of pace.  For example, “Spa Break” provides Yoga for the office and workout with 70’s music.  “Recess” has the service to recharge participant’s energies by using an oxygen bar.  “Wish Workshop” offers interesting courses such as learning about cheese or knitting. 

The common ground of these programs and services is to have a meeting with relaxed mood by using the element of fun.  If this technique proves to be effective in a business setting, it might be accepted even in Japan where hard work is considered a high virtue.