Sabre’s Wellness Challenge:
A Global Community in Motion
When Sabre Corporation launched their first-ever wellness challenge, the travel technology company wanted to do more than simply count employee steps. Instead, they set out to build a comprehensive program that would unite employees around the world, spark meaningful conversations, and create space for kindness and connection.
As a result, Sabre’s 6-week Worldwide Wellness challenge successfully brought together nearly 900 employees across 59 countries. For a company already rich in global reach, this became the perfect way to celebrate well-being as a shared value that transcends time zones and borders.
Proof of effort selfie
Workout 1, done and dusted!
A Worldwide Program: the Right Fit
Texas-based Sabre develops software, data, and distribution solutions to help airlines, hotels, travel agencies, and other suppliers improve reservations, pricing, fulfillment, and operations.
The timing for a wellness challenge couldn’t have been better. The program aligned with the organization’s Global Wellness Month, which generated momentum and visibility right from the start. The HES name Worldwide Wellness also felt tailor made. With a workforce closely tied to travel and international collaboration, the theme resonated instantly.
Before registration even opened, employee interest was running high. Internal teaser campaigns generated strong engagement on their intranet, drawing more eyes than almost any article or video before. That early buzz signaled what was to come: Employees were ready to dive into this wellness challenge.
“The fact that it had ‘world’ and ‘wellness’ in the title made it a really easy fit to launch Global Wellness Month,” notes Susie Fotheringham, Senior Manager of Global Total Rewards. “Sabre makes travel happen. It really felt like it was almost custom built for us.”
Related: Building Strong Partnerships to Strengthen Employee Wellness Programs
A Whole-Person Wellness Challenge
After working through some initial ideas, Sabre settled upon a format that balanced these simple but powerful goals for employees:
- Regular physical activity: Move daily, in any way that fits.
- Intentional acts of kindness: Look for opportunities to brighten someone’s day.
- Meaningful connections: Set aside time to connect authentically with a colleague, friend, or family member.
This combination offered something for everyone. Employees who thrived on competition could push for step counts and team averages. Others who might lean into the social side could share stories of small acts, like holding doors open, volunteering, and checking in on colleagues.
“It wasn’t just about a step challenge,” Susie confirms. “It was really about having meaningful connections. It was really great to have this initiative that wasn’t just all physical, that there were some mental elements to it as well.”
The Wellness Wall: A Global Gathering Place
Among Sabre’s biggest success stories was its Wellness Wall. This virtual community hub/message board lets wellness challenge participants share obstacles, achievements, tips, and encouragement to foster connection and engagement.
Rather than keeping communication confined to internal announcements, Sabre chose to let their Wellness Wall flourish. Employees forged unexpected connections between departments, across borders, and with people who might never have spoken to each other.
With 400+ posts, Sabre saw employees swap inspiring notes, share photos from walks in their hometowns, and reflect on small moments of kindness.
“It brought a lot of excitement to a lot of our team members. The wall was probably everyone’s favorite,” recalls Madison Langley, Total Rewards Analyst. “Everybody could connect with a community.”
Susie adds: “It was neat not only to see the numbers and the volume, but that people had taken themselves out of their comfort zone. Not only were they telling us their story, but they felt closer to their team because they were all sharing stories about what they did to stay motivated. It was really nice to provide that safe environment for people to feel comfortable sharing a part of themselves.”
Wellness Challenge Creativity Behind the Scenes
Sabre poured creativity into making its wellness challenge fun and visible. Their toolkit included resources, instructional videos, and animations so teams could onboard easily. They even produced weekly “breaking news” broadcasts, complete with playful newscasters (inspired by team members’ dogs) to share step totals, highlight acts of kindness, and celebrate progress.
These touches weren’t just entertaining; they reinforced that this challenge mattered, leadership was engaged, and the company was invested in making wellness a priority.
Susie underscores the goals: “We wanted to think big, but we also wanted to make sure that we savored each week and we were consistent in how we shared how other people were participating… that people not only joined but were active, and they felt that engagement throughout.”
Related: Culture vs. Programs: How to Achieve Well-Being at Work
Sabre’s Results Spoke for Themselves
The challenge achieved a 47% completion rate, indicating strong engagement across a large workforce. Teams built accountability through friendly competition, while individuals reported feeling more connected to their colleagues and were more motivated to move each day.
Participants also embraced the kindness and connection components, showing innovation in how they approached those aspects. Some used their volunteer hours as part of the challenge. Others shared small, everyday wins such as being patient at the grocery store or reaching out to an intern who needed guidance.
These stories reinforced the idea that wellness challenges aren’t solely physical; they’re also about how people treat one another and the connections they build at work.
Lessons Learned and Lasting Value
Sabre reflected on several lessons about Worldwide Wellness:
- Trust the process. Staying true to the challenge format — particularly with the Wellness Wall — paid off in a variety of positive ways.
- Meet people where they are. By providing flexible options and resources, the challenge appealed to both competitive and collaborative individuals.
- Plan ahead, but stay adaptable. Creative additions like videos and executive spotlights gave the program a jolt of personality to keep it fresh throughout.
- Don’t rely on incentives. Engagement came from the experience itself.
“What I told people was that we wanted to reward the people that did it for any other reason but wellness,” Susie emphasizes. “They weren’t motivated to check a box. Even without those incentives, really it was for the spirit of the game. You can still get that engagement.”
What an incredible journey this has been. I’m so grateful to have shared this experience not just with folks from our city, but with people from all corners of the globe. Your photos truly pushed us to go that extra mile, and your healthy recipes kept us fueled the right way. Most importantly, your messages kept us connected every step of the way.
I truly hope we can all cross paths again in a future activity and keep these healthy habits going strong. Whether it’s on the trails, in the streets, at the gym, on the beach, or by the pool, I’ll always cherish sharing these workouts with you all.
Let’s keep that momentum going.
Looking Ahead to the Next Wellness Challenge
As a Sabre leader noted, Worldwide Wellness set a new bar for how wellness challenges could be woven into a company’s culture. Employees ended the program not just healthier, but more connected, with many already asking when the next would begin.
For Sabre, the program was proof that a well-designed challenge can bring people together across continents, spark joy in small daily actions, and create a ripple of positivity that continues long after the program ends.
Want to talk about how a wellness challenge can benefit your organization? For more than 30 years, HES has been helping organizations of all shapes and sizes embrace healthier workplaces. Contact us today or call us at 800.326.2317 to discuss your goals.