Food plays an important role in the overall experience of an event, and that goes for business meetings too. Whether it’s internal and one day, or a multi-day meeting like an annual sales meeting, you want the experience to be positive. Negative or bland food can create a negative connotation with your company or brand.
Start With the Basic Questions
When planning a corporate event, the last thing you want to be worried about is the food and the caterer you’re using. The basic questions you need to ask yourself are the type of function, how many guests, whether it’s adults or children, where the event is being held, who your guests are, what you’d like to serve, and your budget. These identify the main points for the first phone call to know where you need to be with building the proposal.
Look Over the Entire Catering Menu
Multi-Day Corporate Catering
When you get that catering menu, look at it all the way through. It’s really easy to skip to specific sections, like lunch or dinner, but coming up with a creative menu means adding things that may not be expected. This can come in handy when you get towards the end of a multi-day meeting and have already used everything for lunch options.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Swaps
Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you see something offered for breaks or lunch that would be great for dinner, or vice versa. Catering staff are often more than willing to accommodate a request like moving mini tacos from dinner to lunch, or a hummus plate from break to lunch. You can mix and match, and it doesn’t hurt to ask if the caterer can do it.
Consider Restricted Eaters
Try to consider restricted eaters, since more diets and allergies are showing up now than before. Getting in line at a predetermined meal only to have to find catering staff and ask what’s dairy-free can make the experience awkward and make someone not eat with everybody else.
It’s hard to accommodate everyone, but the venue or caterer can likely make a special meal for one or two people with something specific if that’s sent through registration.
Know Your Guests and Their Preferences
Everyone has different taste preferences, so it’s important to know your audience. All of this plays into what kind of food selections are needed and how much food should be on location for the special event.
Special request items should be thought through before it’s too late, including dietary needs, vegetarian or vegan guests, religious-based food restrictions, or other food allergies, all of which a caterer should be capable of accommodating.
Determine How Much Food You’ll Need
Determining how much food is needed depends on factors like whether hors d’oeuvres are being served and how long the event runs. A two-hour reception means going heavier on hors d’oeuvres and lighter on the entree, or sending people home with leftovers.
Factor In the Event Location
The location of the event, indoors or outdoors, affects access to what’s needed to properly hold and store food. Outdoors, temperature, wind, and rain matter, along with sanitation concerns like running water, water on location, and ice on location. A caterer who has already worked at a given location has a built-in advantage for what’s needed to carry the event out properly.
Decide Between Delivery and Pickup
Figuring out how the handling of food will best suit an event matters, especially if guests are arriving in advance of serving time. Delivery is often recommended in that case so hosts don’t have to leave to go pick up food, though picking up can also save money, with everything prepped, packed, and ready to go at pickup. Servers on location ensure food is managed and replenished, walking around to make sure guests enjoy their meal and can get anything additional they want.
Plan Ahead for Food Safety and Quality
Chafing dishes with good Sterno should last at least two hours, with proper pans and water baths to keep food hot without burning it, and proper insulated containers to keep cold food cold. Cambros can help maintain proper heat levels for hot food and keep cold foods cold during delivery, since improperly handled food spoiling is the last thing anyone wants after investing money in catering.
Add Fun Experiences at Dessert
Beyond a chocolate fountain, chocolate tastings or pairings can be a fun way to get people talking and interacting without needing alcohol involved, including chocolate bars from different regions of the world, or a guessing game about what the chocolate bar is. Gourmet ice cream tastings, possibly from a local ice cream shop, work well too, letting people pick their own flavor.
