Conferences and meetings take a serious amount of work to be successful. Floor plan layouts, agendas, and food are only a few components that work to make an event come to life. 2015 has brought about new trends that Event Coordinators are using globally, and with the help of research done by the International Association of Conference Centres, it is clear food is a hot topic.
Conference attendees’ palettes are changing. We’re seeing gluten-free, vegan, Paleo, and more developments in today’s health-conscious tastes. Catering to the audiences’ tastes creates a more successful event. Highlighted below, we have three of the ten trends that the IACC researched.
- “Local is Everything” – Attendees are focused on business principles such as serving fare that benefits the local economy. Aside from being healthy and stimulating a local market, many events are held in destinations that the attendees might not know. Learning while getting a taste for the culture of the destination makes for a happy audience.
- “In with Flavor, Out with Fats!” – Donuts and coffee won’t keep your audience’s attention. Providing ingredients and food that allows your audience to stay refreshed and attentive has become a focus, especially at longer multi-day events. Whole grains, tofu, leafy greens, and other unique ingredients keep your guests happy and feeling like they get an experience outside of the norm, while being able to focus better on the content itself.
- “Making and Breaking Bread Together” – “Nothing brings a team together more than food” (1).
Eating together, cooking together, and networking around food is not necessarily a new phenomenon, but it is finally being recognized as a trend in helping businesses progress. Food might seem like a small piece of the puzzle in organizing events and conferences, but it is, in fact, one of the most influential components when evaluating the happiness of your attendees.
Zerocater understands the value food brings to the world and we are excited to share other valuable research on the subject. As you plan your next meeting, training, or conferences, work to implement some of the trends of 2015. For more trends you can refer to the IACC research article here: IACC Reveals Top 10 Conference Food Trends for 2015
Citations: “IACC Reveals Top 10 Conference Food Trends for 2015. 3 Apr. 2015. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. http://www.iacconline.org/news/iacc-reveals-top-10-conference-food-trends-for-2015.”
About IACC
Founded in 1981, the International Association of Conference Centers is a not-for-profit association dedicated to promoting understanding and awareness of the conference center industry and to giving member properties the tools necessary to provide an exceptional IACC meeting experience. Active members meet a set of stringent Quality Standards and agree to a Code of Ethics. Currently, the association includes approximately 400 members in 21 countries in the Americas, Europe and Australasia, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, England, Scotland, Ukraine, The Netherlands, Germany, Hungary and the Philippines. For more information, visit the website at iacconline.org.
