Feeling good

Associations worldwide are including wellness aspects in the way they work and engage with their members, including at events. As a result, convention centres are changing their service offer to comply with these requirements. This involves changing the food offering, making sure that there are spaces within the venue allowing participants to “withdraw” from the event and the creative use of space for different types of activities, such as morning yoga sessions. 

According to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the prevalence of food allergy is increasing in both Western and developing countries.

In Western countries, up to 10 percent of people have a diagnosed food allergy, especially among young children. The rising number and variety of food allergies make it increasingly challenging for convention centres – especially since over half of adults with a food allergy have experienced a severe reaction in the past year. There’s no room for error.

But it’s not just about allergies. More and more delegates want healthy food that matches their values and lifestyle.

In an informal discussion on the challenges associations face when organizing events, Nadège Mullier, Executive Director at INAA, the global association of accountants and auditors, saw food preferences as one of the top three. “We need to spend a substantial amount of time collecting food preferences and making sure that the food on site complies with these preferences, on top of making sure the menus are varied and preferably have a local touch”, explains Nadège.

Some convention centres however see the overall trend towards more wellness at events as an opportunity to differentiate themselves and take it a couple of steps further. The Pae Christchurch Convention Center in New Zealand is a good example.

“Over the past three years, Te Pae Christchurch has made wellness a core part of its events,” says Gillian Officer, Director of Business Development. “We work closely with local wellness professionals, such as yoga instructor Sarah O’Connell, and advise clients on speakers who can incorporate wellness into their programmes, such as New Zealand-based presenter and speaker Lauren Parsons. We also organise morning runs and yoga sessions in the park. We have even developed fully plant-based menus…. although we are finding that our Australasia organizers are not quite ready for this yet. Furthermore, we are exploring the possibility of creating a quiet room for neurodiverse guests.”

The example of Te Pae Christchurch shows how convention centres can boost delegate satis­faction and attendance by embracing wellness and aligning with what attendees value.

Sven Bossu | CEO of the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC)

Comments? Send an e-mail to conferencematters@zynchrone.com.