COVID-19 Perspective
Venue operators should look out for changes in attendee behaviour in the early days and weeks after the serious threat of infection recedes. The forming of groups in the social spaces outside of meeting rooms is likely to be less popular in the short-term.
Human-Nature Connection
In addition to spaces that allow for movement throughout the day, spaces with a more home-like, colourful and natural touch also help boost morale and productivity during meetings. Julian Kettleborough of The Studio Venue in the UK says that clients “tend to be more ‘creative’ with the spaces they need. Generally, there is an enthusiasm for more colourful spaces and clients are making it their preference not to use brand environments.” Stine Kold of Rungstedgaard Hotel in Denmark adds that “atmosphere and comfort means more today even for pure business meetings.” This falls in line with prior research from Steelcase Event Experiences which found that all humans innately crave human-nature connection, even during business meetings and that elements like fresh air, lush greenery, use of nature-inspired materials and natural lighting go a long way to re-charging event participants, increasing productivity and improving overall wellbeing. Mariela McIlwraith, of Events Industry Council adds that biophilic design concepts have a clear connection with attendee wellbeing when incorporated into venues. The biophilia hypothesis proposes that most humans have an innate love of nature — we long for it and without connecting with it, our health could suffer. So, biophilic design is an applied solution to appease this desire for nature by integrating natural elements and processes into the built environment.
Stine Kold of Rungstedgaard Hotel in Denmark
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