How does ICC Sydney define creativity in F&B for business events?

We don’t see creativity as just what’s on the plate. It is about designing menus that support the purpose of the event. Every menu is crafted around the client’s objectives so food plays a meaningful role in the overall experience, sparking conversation and leaving a lasting impression. Being ICC Sydney, we also take pride in showcasing the best of New South Wales and Australian seasonal produce, while respectfully weaving in native and indigenous ingredients to add depth.

Can you give us an example of that approach in action?

Late last year, we hosted a charity appreciation event for some stakeholders. We invited Frank from Catfish, the supplier who provides our fish, and he ran an oyster shucking session on the spot, talking through where the oysters come from and which condiments work best with each variety. It was the storytelling around the food that made it memorable.

Where does F&B sit strategically in your delegate experience design?

It plays a central role. People don’t come to a convention centre for the food, but food needs to set the tone and help achieve the client’s objectives. Grazing food stations can play a key role, and I don’t know why, but people love talking to a chef. We also try to achieve a high-quality restaurant experience even when we talk about volume.

And while we champion Australian menus and produce, we have more than 60 nationalities working in our kitchen, which really helps when we have an international event, to design menus that remind them of home.

Can you share an example where creative catering actually shifted the energy or outcomes of an event?

We had a 900-delegate international event and reimagined the welcome reception to be a “taste of country”. Instead of a standard cocktail format, we introduced interactive stations featuring native ingredients such as Australian seafood, kangaroo, and wattleberry.

It transformed the event from a normal transitional networking event to an immersive cultural experience.

Have you seen a shift in what planners are asking for?

Definitely, especially over the last five years. In the corporate and association space in particular, planners are increasingly requesting themed foods or experiential points of difference. Traditional buffets are being replaced or elevated to chef-led live experiences. We’re seeing progressive dining concepts across multiple spaces, indigenous ingredient tastings, and a real appetite for shareable, immersive moments. People want something different. A standard event just isn’t cutting it anymore.

What F&B trends are you watching most closely for 2026?

Five stand out. Indigenous and regenerative sourcing is at the top of the list, with strong demand for authentic First Nations ingredient integration and ethical supplier partnerships. Our First Nations legacy stream is probably the one stream that gets activated at every single event.

Wellness-led menus are also growing, focused on sustaining energy across multi-day events with lower-sugar options and non-alcoholic beverage offerings.

Then there’s climate-conscious dining: we’ve introduced carbon-labelled menus through our Planet First programme.

Immersive culinary stations continue to grow, and fluid networking formats, where large-scale events are shifting toward themed grazing zones, almost like night markets, that give delegates a reason to move around and connect.

Technology doesn’t always get much attention in F&B. What role does it play behind the scenes?

Back-of-house technology is huge for us. We recently invested in a water cutter primarily used in the pastry section, so we can cut and shape what we like. We use smart ovens where you can cook steak at 54 degrees in 2 hours, and all of them are perfectly cooked at the same time.

We also use Winnow, an AI waste management system – essentially a camera that scans what’s being discarded, identifies the ingredients, and calculates the value. It helps us track what’s popular and fine-tune our food stations accordingly.

We’ve had eWater installed since we opened, which uses an electrical charge process to create a chemical-free sanitiser used across all our food preparation and equipment. It even eliminated COVID within the venue during the pandemic.

Finally, how do you measure success?

Our client experience satisfaction is sitting at close to 100 per cent, and our delegate experience score was 98 per cent last financial year. But the most revealing feedback often comes from following up personally. The conversation you get from a direct call is always so much richer than the written response alone.