Years ago I was listening to a tape of Lewis Grizzard (a southern humorist for you younger folks) and he was talking about how many hotel banquet meals he had eaten over his career. Because so many of them were boneless chicken breasts, he wanted to know how Marriott grew chickens with boneless breasts and did they look funny trying to run around the chicken coop without those bones!
Goofy, I know, but the reality is many meeting planners miss the opportunity to make a positive impression on their attendees by paying attention to the food service during their event. If you’re spending money on food service, here are some tips to help you get the most bang for your bucks.
- At any event offering food and beverage service, be sure to allow enough time for guests to eat leisurely and to network or socialize with colleagues and friends.
- As a general rule allow 30-40 minutes for breakfast, 45-60 minutes for lunch and 20 minutes/course for dinner. For breaks, give yourself at least 15 minutes for up to 100 people, 30 minutes for up to 1,000 and 30-45 minutes for more than 1,000.
- In spite of Grizzard’s joke about boneless chicken breast, there’s certainly nothing wrong with using a chicken breast as your main dinner offering. However, make sure the preparation and presentation are not plain jane. Ask your host facility if they have a special way of preparing a boneless chicken breast. Chances are it’ll be excellent. I know it is at Ridgecrest!
- Consider offering a lunch buffet or deli bar for small group working sessions. You can offer more variety and the service is faster, giving the group more time to work.
- Always plan to serve a variety of food during a reception. The food should be healthy, appetizing and visually well presented.
- Most facilities allow one staff person for every two tables for a standard 3-4 course meal. You may want to consider requesting one server for the head table and/or VIP tables. Be sure to check with the facility to determine if there would be any additional labor charges for the additional servers.
Bon appetite!
by at 7:00 am
0 comments tagged as banquet planning, banquet tips, catering costs, catering tips, hotel catering, Ridgecrest Conference Center | Christian Event Planning, Christian Meeting Planning, Christian Retreat Planning, Christian meeting planners, Meeting Planners
0 comments tagged as banquet planning, banquet tips, catering costs, catering tips, hotel catering, Ridgecrest Conference Center | Christian Event Planning, Christian Meeting Planning, Christian Retreat Planning, Christian meeting planners, Meeting Planners
