Registration for Brock’s highly anticipated Employee Wellness Day opens next week.

When the clock strikes noon on Wednesday, May 23, hundreds of the University’s employees will visit the Wellness Day website in hopes of securing a spot in their favourite workshop at the June 14 event.

Last year, 578 employees registered for the annual conference, with many workshops reaching capacity within an hour. Registration closes June 6 at 4:30 p.m.

Although traditionally held on campus, the majority of workshops will take place off campus this year. The new format allows for the addition of workshops that would normally be difficult or impossible to host at Brock, such as chocolate decorating and a tour of Chocolate F/X in Virgil, retail therapy at The Outlet Collection at Niagara in Niagara-on-the-Lake and escape room games at The Crux Escape Rooms in St. Catharines.

“It’s going to be exciting for employees to venture off campus this year,” said Kathryn Walker, Manager, Health Management and Wellness. “Participating in a workshop at a venue designed for that activity offers employees a more authentic experience.”

All workshops will be half-day sessions with courtesy shuttles transporting employees to and from off-campus locations.

As in year’s past, the day will feature an opening plenary. In her 25-minute keynote, Roxanne Derhodge will speak about how small acts of kindness can make a great impact.

The popular penny sale will also be back, although the hours have changed. The fundraiser will take place in Thistle Hallway outside of the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre the day before Wellness Day on June 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., as well as the morning of Wellness Day from 8 to 10 a.m.

Additional changes to this year’s format include a complimentary hot breakfast on campus instead of lunch, and the elimination of closing remarks. The annual bike raffle and the Health, Safety and Wellness Champion Award presentation will take place at the opening plenary in the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. Employees can also expect to print out their itineraries in advance of the conference as there will not be a registration table this year.

The new format was introduced to aid Human Resources staff — who dedicate time each year to managing Wellness Day — with the launch of Project Mosaic, which takes place two weeks later. There are also several community events taking place on campus that week, limiting available space to host lunch and workshops.

Employees can visit Human Resources’ SharePoint site for up-to-date information on Wellness Day.