Posted on May 16, 2024
Blog
Conferences
Event Management
Delivering better event experiences with food, beverages, and personalisation
During April 2024, Cliftons CEO Vanessa Green had the opportunity to participate at conferences in the United States and Europe, observing some significant trends in event planning and execution. These trends, particularly around food and beverage options, sustainability, and premiumisation, are insights we hope event planners can use to stay ahead.
In addition, Vanessa also was exposed to some broader business trends that we will share in part two.
Connect me: The drivers for in-person events
As part of her travels, Vanessa attended events in the United States and Europe, with strong attendance in both geographies. "It was great to see how busy everywhere was. There was a real buzz in the streets, airports and conference floors, with everyone talking about longer-term planning and best practices," says Vanessa.
We're seeing this reflected at Cliftons, with our recent milestone of hosting 500,000 events throughout our history. Vanessa says, "We're seeing that attendees are craving human connection and authentic local experiences when attending in-person events, and that's something I observed both in the United States and Europe."
Make it lighter: Health Choices Driving food and beverage options
Food and beverage was a big focus of Vanessa's trip, with her first stop attending Vinitaly, the world's largest wine show and beverage fair. As part of this, Vanessa was on a judging panel to find the best wines of 2024, which was a fantastic opportunity to discover new wines to bring back to our venues and be on top of the latest trends. Vanessa also attended Opera Wine, which showcases the year's top 100 Italian wines. Vanessa then travelled to the United States to attend the IACC conference, which included the global final of the Copper Skillet competition.
A key trend Vanessa noted in the wine space is the growing consumer preference for lower alcohol wines (and non-alcoholic options), vegan, low sulphate, organic, sustainable and natural wines. There have been considerable improvements in the quality of these wines over the past few years, and we'll be reviewing our venue wine choices with these trends in mind.
In both the United States and Europe, Vanessa noticed growing preferences for whole foods, focusing on waste reduction, sustainability and health. Event attendees are showing preferences for smaller and lighter meals, with a broader variety of healthy options. For example, at IACC, guests were noticeably preferring a range of snack options, like a self-serve selection of nuts and fruit, over the traditional bowl of mints and pastries for morning and afternoon tea. Providing guests with choice and the ability to personalise based on preference and dietary requirements will continue to be an emphasis for the Cliftons food and beverage teams.
"Discussions at IACC also centred around offering smaller portions with greater variety, which is helping with food waste, and offering all-day grazing so people can eat at times that suit them. That personalisation and choice also extends to health and dietary options, with the trend moving towards incorporating this seamlessly on the regular dining menu, rather than just a few plates singled out with a sticker to nominate the dietary requirement," notes Vanessa.
Keep it sustainable: Local, fresh and seasonal food with less waste
Another observation Vanessa made was the emphasis on sustainability, especially regarding food. "Especially in Italy, I noticed a real focus on sustainable food practices, with a lot of discussions on building menus around local, seasonal produce," says Vanessa.
Reducing food waste was also paramount at IACC and the global final of the Copper Skillet competition, where Cliftons was represented by our Melbourne head chef, Daniel Townsend. Judging criteria included minimising waste and using seasonal produce to maximise sustainability. As part of this competition, Daniel created a dish of pan-seared swordfish with a kelp beurre blanc, confit of witlof, asparagus and crispy Jerusalem artichokes, choosing the kelp specifically because of its sustainability as well as the depth of flavour it adds.
Make it quality: The desire for premiumisation and personalisation
In today's busy world, we all know the power of 'quality time' regarding our personal and business relationships. For event delegates, giving up their time to attend your event is something we can no longer take for granted, so the onus is on organisers to make sure events tick the 'quality time' box and create a premium experience that rewards their attendance.
With so many options for remote attendance, driving in-person participation is helped by creating an upscale, quality and personalised experience. Vanessa also saw this at AIME in Melbourne earlier this year, when customised promotional items were incredibly popular.
At Cliftons, we are committed to helping you stay ahead of the ever-evolving event trends.
Our team is equipped with the latest industry knowledge and insights, and we're ready to assist you in planning your next event to ensure it is a remarkable experience for your delegates. We'll work with you to understand your goals and deliver an event that drives value.
Remember to stay tuned for part two on some of the broader business trends Vanessa noted, including the latest AI developments, workforce planning, and more.
About Cliftons
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In the spirit of reconciliation Cliftons Event Solutions acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
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