For a conference focused on no-added-sugar drinks, choose products with a suitable current label rather than assuming every sports drink fits the brief. Ready-to-drink zero-sugar bottles simplify individual service; tablets and sachets suit a venue that can provide water, containers and clear mixing instructions. Keep water available alongside flavoured options, and check the ingredients of the exact products you order.
If delegates want a flavoured alternative to sugary drinks, make the product’s current label easy to see and offer water alongside it. NHS guidance includes sugar-free and no-added-sugar drinks among swaps for sugary drinks.
Sealed bottles need no mixing. Tablets and sachets need water, suitable cups or bottles, and instructions that staff or delegates can follow during a short break.
Activity and serving conditions matter more than sports-drink branding. Check whether a flavoured electrolyte option is useful for the event, without treating it as necessary for every delegate; NHS guidance recommends water for replacing fluids lost through activity.
Set the drink specification first, then choose a format the venue can serve consistently during breaks.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar claim | Read the current pack claim, sugars per 100ml and ingredients. Check for glucose, fructose or glucose syrup rather than relying on the word “sport”. | I want a flavoured option that fits a no-added-sugar-focused drinks brief, not a standard sports drink selected by mistake. |
| Serving format | Compare sealed bottles with the water and mixing required for tablets or sachets. HIGH5 directs one ZERO tablet to be mixed with 750ml water; Tesco’s Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free listing directs one sachet into 500ml. | Breaks are short, so I need to know whether attendees can pick up a drink immediately or whether someone must prepare it. |
| Water and activity | Provide access to water and consider the event’s activity level. NHS guidance identifies water as the way to replace fluids lost through activity; a sports-drink label alone does not establish a need for it. | For an ordinary indoor conference, I would offer water prominently and make a flavoured drink an optional choice. |
| Ingredients and information | Check the received pack for sweeteners, ingredients and allergen information. Make those details accessible where drinks are served. | Attendees should be able to check what is in a drink before choosing it, especially if it has been mixed or served away from its original pack. |
Electrolytes do not rule out added sugars. Coca-Cola Great Britain lists glucose and fructose in Powerade product information, while Tesco lists glucose syrup in standard Lucozade Sport Raspberry.
Specify the claim you need, then check the current pack’s sugars per 100ml and full ingredient list before ordering.
HIGH5 ZERO tablets and Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free sachets need different amounts of water. If preparation is left unclear, serving can slow down and drinks may be mixed inconsistently.
Agree who will provide water, cups or bottles, mixing instructions and a place to dispose of used packaging.
Allow for the staff time and serving equipment needed to prepare drinks during breaks.
A seated indoor conference is not the same setting as a sustained exercise session. NHS guidance recommends water for replacing fluids lost through activity.
Offer water alongside any flavoured option and assess sports-drink choices against the event’s actual activities.
Product ingredients can change, and a zero-sugar description does not tell attendees which sweeteners or other ingredients are present.
Check the packs received for the event and keep their ingredient and allergen information accessible at the serving point.
These examples distinguish specific product lines; a brand name on its own does not establish that every drink fits the catering brief.
Tesco lists a Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar Raspberry & Passion Fruit 4 x 500ml multipack as a ready-to-drink zero-sugar option.
HIGH5 ZERO is a sugar-free tablet range mixed with water rather than served as a bottled drink.
Tesco lists Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free Mango Pineapple as a single-serve electrolyte powder.
Gatorade UK describes Hydration Booster as low in sugar, rather than sugar-free.
Coca-Cola Great Britain describes Powerade as a carbohydrate-containing isotonic sports drink.
This single-serve stick option is relevant where a conference can provide water and space to mix drinks; it is not a ready-to-drink bottle.
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Portioned sticks can be prepared at a break point with water and suitable cups or bottles. The listing specifies one 7g stick mixed with 200–500ml water and names sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Check the current pack’s nutrition, ingredient and allergen information before serving; the listing advises against use by children and pregnant women.
Do not rely on the terms interchangeably. Check the current claim, sugars per 100ml and ingredient list on the exact product and pack you intend to serve.
Not simply because it is a conference. Offer water as a straightforward option; NHS guidance recommends water for replacing fluids lost through activity. A zero-sugar sports drink can be an optional flavoured choice rather than the default for every delegate.
Choose sealed bottles when delegates need a drink without preparation. Tablets and sachets need a reliable mixing setup: HIGH5 directs one ZERO tablet to 750ml water, while Tesco’s Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free listing directs one sachet to 500ml.
Keep current ingredient and allergen information accessible for the drinks being served, including those mixed away from their packs. The Food Standards Agency’s catering guidance covers allergen information for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink.
Yes. Tesco’s HIGH5 ZERO tablet listing includes sucralose and sorbitols. Check each drink’s current ingredient list if attendees need to identify or avoid particular sweeteners.