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Hidden Benefits Fair makes a move to 4-H building

Posted on | November 18, 2009 | 2,139 views |

By Adam King

In its 15th year, the Hidden Benefits Fair on Dec. 2 will be appearing in a new location that aims to make it easier for the thousands of faculty and staff who plan to attend.

Up until last year, the Hidden Benefits Fair, which welcomes university and outside vendors, was held at the French Field House. The University Staff Advisory Committee, which sponsors the fair, wanted to make it even more centrally located, especially for those employees who didn’t have easy walking or bus route access.

Moving it to the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Building puts the event right on a CABS route, and the Jerome Schottenstein Center parking lot, which is directly across the street, will be available. No parking permits will be needed in the lot during the 11 a.m.-2 p.m. fair.

CABS busing will be available via Campus Loop North and North Express that both stop at the agriculture campus, a block and a half walk to the 4-H center. The Med Center Express, which runs every 15 minutes, will be adding a special stop from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in front of the 4-H building on Dec. 2 only.

But there was another reason the move made sense to USAC.

“Our committee members are big fans of the sustainability impact of the beautiful facility,” said Hallie Fargnolli, co-chair of USAC’s Outreach Committee and one of the main organizers of the event. The 4-H building is currently the only certified “green” building on campus.

The Hidden Benefits Fair was created to show faculty and staff the many benefits available to them as Ohio State employees. OSU units and organizations are able to highlight goods and services that sometimes fly under the radar at such a large university, and outside vendors often provide substantial OSU-only discounts or specials, and the fair is one way they let employees know about their offers.

“For these reasons it is important for faculty and staff to attend, and supervisors are encouraged to promote employee participation,” Fargnolli said. “While the fair is aimed at tapping in to discount programs and services, there also will be a focus on wellness and health coaching opportunities.”

The new location will provide a separate room for extra privacy for those who are planning to take a biometric screening through Your Plan for Health, the vendor layout will have some purpose and a new area for food samples will be in place. And the fair will no longer be a hindrance for OSU athletes who need to use the field house for training.

For more information about the Hidden Benefits Fair and the vendors that will be attending, visit usac.osu.edu.

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