Health fairs, wellness fairs, health and wellness fairs — they go by these names and more. Call them what you will, for the terminology is hardly important.

What is of importance is that these events provide a showcase for the wellness services and resources available to a given group of employees or constituents. From information on how to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way to better managing blood pressure or diabetes to better understanding age-specific nutritional and fitness needs, health fairs can be at the very least educational and directive, and at best can be a catalyst that helps get someone on a pathway to better health and well-being.

Thinking about joining a gym or taking up yoga, but just don’t know where to go or where to even start looking? A health fair might feature vendors for such offerings, and those vendors may even offer free trial memberships or some other sampling of their services. Haven’t had your blood pressure checked in a while, or your blood sugar checked ever? Health fairs frequently feature vendors who can provide on-the-spot checks for such important biometric matters, and you may learn something you need to know about your health.

These events also provide info about the nuances of your health care benefits. It is common for a person to be unfamiliar with the complete scope of services and resources available to them through their health plan, but a chance encounter with a vendor at a health fair can be an “ah-ha” moment in which they become aware of a valuable resource or resources available to them, often at no cost.