Food for thought… Event food matters

Conferences, workshops, seminars, and events bring people together, encouraging learning and stimulating debate. As a seasoned event-attendee, I’ve learned how important food is for these activities; how important good food is, for… thought.

Having had a bad experience recently with unmarked cardboard boxes of heavy pre-packaged sandwiches, and zero choice, I’ve contemplated conference food more than most people recently.  Ironically, at an event where leading academics and clinicians met to discuss the future of health care - I found myself ravenous for fresh healthy food.

Event organizers beware - giving delegates something good to eat is not an expensive perk, but a must have. It’s ‘table stakes’ if you want to lift the mood and get your delegates thinking their best, most innovative thoughts. With that, here are my 10 Food for Thought Requests.

Food for Thought Requests  (Event organizers take note!)

1. Fuel or brains and our bodies - at any event, conference, congress, workshop, or symposium, people need good quality, fresh food, full of nutrients to keep their bodies going for long days and their minds refreshed.

2. Make it fresh! Not packaged or wilted. Offer a choice, and allow attendees to choose what they want. Make sure it is refreshed, and hasn’t been sitting out for long.

3. Make it inclusive! Don’t demonize dietary choices by making people choose from “vegan or other”, or making gluten free hard to find. Expect that we’re all different and don’t make us tell you our preferences first.

4. Make it a gift! Eating is pleasure, and being served good, healthy, tasty, gorgeous food can feel like a gift. Receiving food served with care makes people feel part of something special.

5. Make it sustainable! So as not to create unnecessary waste. No one wants to feel guilt or shame for leaving unwanted food or creating a pile of unnecessary packaging.

6. Make it optional! No one likes being told what to eat, so offer a choice for everyone.

7. Make it available! Make food available when people need it, not just at meal times. It can be very stressful for people if they miss limited eating times so make something available always.

8. Make it comfortable! Never, ever make people eat standing up; that’s the worst way to eat.

9. Make it social! Encourage people to connect with each other as they eat by providing comfortable seating.

10. Make it slow! Give people the time to eat to nourish their bodies and minds - eating shouldn’t be rushed.

And one more - Make it real! While pizzas were ok in the web2.0 era of hackathons of eager developers staying up all night, it’s 2025 and we’re so over it. Proper food please.