Researchers are increasingly discovering the negative effects of sitting too much and the positive results of getting outside. By taking a quick walk in nature, one can improve mental health and be more energized for education. Convention center designers and event attendees are noticing this research, too.
“Over the last few years, we’ve been hearing more and more from these people that conventioneers don’t want to be locked in,” Todd Voth, a senior principal at architecture firm Populous, recently told The New York Times. “I really think people that go to conventions are sick and tired of being stuck in a building all day.”
The Times article, “Fresh Air for Conventions,” addresses the increased interest in outdoor spaces attached to convention centers and some of the ways they’re being used.
For example, in an upcoming FM article, IAVM member James Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, writes about the new lawn space at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC).
“With expansion, we have plans to not just grow in size, but to grow smart, thinking about the future of the meetings industry by designing innovative events spaces,” Rooney wrote. “In fact, at the BCEC we recently launched ‘The Lawn on D,’ a first-of-its-kind experimental green event space. Open to the public and available for private events, the 2.7-acre green space not only serves as an important community initiative, but also as a engaging space where meeting planners can get creative and wow their attendees.”
Several IAVM members are quoted in the Times article: Thom Connors, regional vice president and general manager of the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan; Michael Sawaya, executive director of the convention and sports facilities department in San Antonio, Texas; Tim Muldoon, general manager at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Ken Stockdell, vice president at architecture firm HKS; and Charles H. Johnson, president of C.H. Johnson Consulting.
It’s a great article, and I recommend you read it, because outdoor spaces is a positive trend, both for one’s mental health as well as the wallet.
“There’s pressure for finding new revenue sources for these buildings,” Stockdell said. “That’s attractive to the convention center on the operational side of things because food and beverage is the No. 1 income generator after space rental.”
If you’re interested in more topics about convention centers, please plan to attend the 2014 International Convention Center Conference, October 2-4, in Vancouver, British Columbia, where attendees will learn the latest in revenue trends, industry forecasts, and best practices.
(Image: The Lawn on D Facebook page)
