Sheffield has won the bid to host the annual Nutrition Society Conference which will see 400 delegates gather in the city across four days, 12 - 15 July 2022.

Marketing Sheffield’s Conference Team identified the opportunity to bid for the event and was delighted when a team of expert academics from across both the University of Sheffield (UoS) and Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) agreed to collaborate with them. 

The specialist team driving the conference includes Dr Jenny Paxman from Sheffield Hallam University, who heads up The Food and Nutrition Group with support from Lucie Nield, alongside colleagues from the University of Sheffield including Dr Bernard Corfe, Dr Liz Williams from The Human Nutrition Unit and Dr Sam Caton from The Institute for Sustainable Food.

Having worked hard throughout the uncertainty of lockdown over the last few months, the team are delighted the work on the bid has paid off and they have now secured the hosting of the conference in Sheffield in 2022. 

The Nutrition Society is dedicated to advancing the scientific study of nutrition and its application to the maintenance of human and animal health, so the fit with Sheffield’s reputation as The Outdoor City was strong.

The team intend to weave this into the delegate experience, by including 3K and 5K runs on the city’s run routes and a bespoke yoga session as part of the programme. A local food showcase will also draw on the high quality independent and artisan producers across the city.

The team in Sheffield are hoping to use their local expertise around the theme of food and nutrition as the pathway to a sustainable future looking at areas such as building ethical food systems, eroding nutritional inequalities and sustaining an ageing population.

Jenny Paxman, Principal Lecturer in Nutrition at Sheffield Hallam University said “I am thrilled that the 2022 Nutrition Society Summer Meeting will be hosted here in Sheffield. The planning team from Sheffield Hallam University, University of Sheffield and Marketing Sheffield have put together an exciting scientific programme and delegates will have the opportunity to experience some of the fabulous venues Sheffield has to offer.

“The programme will explore the sustainability of our food future with wide-ranging relevance across the field of nutrition. The planning team are greatly looking forward to working with the Society’s Science Committee over the coming year to deliver a timely, relevant and enjoyable four day conference.”

A representative from the Nutrition Society Scientific Committee said: “The scientific programme developed by Jen Paxman and her cross-city team addresses critical and timely issues in nutrition, such as how can we align our health and sustainability agendas to promote optimal nutrition. The Society's conference team looks forward to collaborating with both Sheffield Universities and the city in building and promoting a lively programme for 2022.”

Emma France, Marketing Manager for Business Tourism at Marketing Sheffield said: “We are thrilled to see conferences starting to confirm and plan for the future after such uncertainty for the events industry across the UK. It continues to be very tough out there for the hospitality industry, but we have worked hard with our venues to get them ready to welcome large events- including welcoming one of DCMS’s first pilot events- and Sheffield is committed to making every visitor feel at home in the city whilst they are with us. The bid team showed such enthusiasm throughout this time so I’m delighted we’ll be able to showcase the wealth of expertise around food and nutrition that exists in Sheffield.”

The Conference, which will run in a hybrid format with a mixture of both face-to-face and live streaming opportunities, will take place at Sheffield Hallam University with an opening reception in the Sheffield Winter Garden and the Millennium Gallery, while a gala dinner will take place at the prestigious Cutlers’ Hall. 

For more information on the Nutrition Society visit www.nutritionsociety.org and for further information on hosting conference and events in Sheffield visit: www.welcometosheffield.co.uk/conference.