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 | With the variety of services offered in today’s catering
marketplace, planning a special event for your company can be quite
challenging. Choosing the right partner or meeting planner for your event is the key to
successful planning. Consider the obvious facts as a starting place.
Audience makeup, gender, age, group size, location, time of day, and
the occasion are all important details. Next, realize the scope &
objective for the event to give immediate direction as to what budget
considerations are necessary. We at DeAngelo’s Catering & Events
are committed to our client’s event success and offer these simple
planning solutions for today’s corporate event planner: |
Consider your Budget
Commit to your Goals & Objectives
Determined your Desired Impact for the Event
Understand the Investment as well as the
Net
End Result
Realize the variations & Combinations of Event
Components
Choose a service style that suits the
Guests Best
Interest
Hire a professional caterer or
event planner
Choose the most important components first
Begin to screen, interview & hire your
"Project Partners"
Allow plenty of time for the planning process
Ensure the event success by Insisting on
Professionals
Prepare to enjoy and be a guest at your own party!
| Knowing the variety and level of corporate event catering and event planning that is
necessary is critical to planning a successful event. Grocery stores
are a great resource for the do it your self planner. Many firms offer
Self Service Catering where food can be delivered & set up for
your guests to enjoy. Catering staff can be very useful for the right
application, and more than likely you will experience the higher price
point that comes with Full Service Catering. Restaurants and Hotels
can be very beneficial for planners that require space to hold their
special events. Holding an event on company property can be a useful
tool in helping reduce overall costs during challenging economic
times. Affordable corporate event catering services are readily available from many companies.
Determining what level of support you will require is crucial to budgeting correctly. Consider the ease and convenience of
"one stop shopping". Use your in house resources wisely and
realize when outsourcing will be more cost effective. For events being
planned in another city, the internet will be a great tool for the
planner. Remember when shopping for corporate event catering pricing, most caterers
will charge by the guest. Accuracy in guest counts is an important
detail. Be sure to inquire about costs when children are involved as
there could be savings involved from the portioning perspective. When
the event is being used as a medium to communicate a message to a
specific audience, spending a little more will work to your advantage
as a planner. The old adage "first impressions are lasting
impressions" still holds true in event planning. Showing your
guests that the food has been ordered with thought and expertise will
be appreciated by the attendees. Planning the style of food that works best for the
event can be an important detail as well. Butler passed Hord’ouerves
should be one or two bites and leave nothing behind. Sticks, bones,
pic’s, & shells are not part of the passing program. Plated
meals may be more cost effective at the hotel level but costs may vary
with off premise caterers. Buffet service offers guests quantity
choices. Prepackaged meals and box lunches offer the planner the
option of offering working meetings. Serving an alcoholic beverage
comes with the liability associated with doing so; know the company
policy on this component. When ordering food for large groups,
consider vegetarians, special diet need, ethnic & religious
beliefs. Many caterers are happy to accommodate. In our service,
DeAngelo’s Catering & Events has prepared vegan, macrobiotic,
gluten & sugar free meals. More often than one would think
caterers are being asked by clients to provide menus that include the
above.
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| When hiring food service providers ask questions that will ensure
your success as the planner. DeAngelo’s Catering & Events offers
these simple tips when interviewing food service project partners. |
Ask for proof of insurance.
Be assured that the caterer is licensed by the local
health department
Check with your corporate legal department for special
provisions that may be needed.
Know the distance to the event from the provider’s
establishment.
Ask about over the road food safety and transportation
logistics.
Has the vendor offered samples of the proposed menu
selections?
Inspect the facilities for cleanliness.
Choose menu items that are not susceptible to food borne
illness.
Make sure the company can handle the volume requested.
Look for companies that offer references and client
lists.
How many years of experience does your special even catering
and or corporate event catering company
offer?
Ask for menu recommendations that fit within your
budget.
| When working on large scale events with a committee, remember to
keep the groups best interest in focus. Debriefing annual events will
give history and useful information to the planner as well offering
suggestions for improvement. The advantages as well as the results of
planning special events for your company can be a very rewarding
experience. |
Steve DeAngelo is president and owner of DeAngelo’s
Catering & Events, a twenty one year old company. To learn more about
the services DeAngelo’s provides visit their website at www.cateringbydeangelos.com
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