Food and Catering Industry Articles Five Steps to Event Planning Success Planning an event and don’t know where to start? Let’s take a moment to look at the steps that will guide you toward success. Logistics. These are the questions for which you may already have an answer, and are the foundation for event planning. Where are you holding your event? Just as in real estate, location can be key. It is essential that the prime location be determined. Your home might be the perfect place for a child’s birthday party, but an elegant dining hall on the marina might be too formal for a simple company retreat. The perfect location is one that enhances the theme and essence of your event. Decide how formal or casual you want it, and begin price comparisons on reserving spots around town that fit within your event’s scope. Does this location require an advanced reservation, and if so, how far in advance? After you find a few ideal spots, make sure to get the details regarding the rules for advanced reservation including how much time they need for notice, any deposits that may need to be placed, and how soon you must get an attendance estimate for your expected party. Which begs the question, do you know how many people could be in attendance? Are only the people invited allowed to come? Or is this an event where your attendees might bring guests? If you can, ask for a quick estimate early from your group to see if they will be available, and approximately how many people they might bring as well. It is often better to allow for larger accommodations than expect a small gathering and not be able to provide enough food, space, and/or entertainment for them all. Assuming you already have a set date for your event, the question of when to hold it is not a problem, but perhaps you have a time frame in which to work. Great! Check online government and local event web sites to see when to expect sports games, parades, traffic upsets, and festivals going on in the area that might detract from—or possibly enhance—your own plans. It might also be key, if the time frame is in the near future, to see how the weather might affect your plans. After all, a company or family picnic on a day with an 80% chance of rain might cause some upset. When you know the date and time, set a personal time table for accomplishing each portion of the planning and make any deadlines facing you. Content. We know the what, where and when of the event, now we must explore what will unfold once our guests arrive. One of the greatest ways in which humans have come together to create community is through food. By the metaphorical break of bread, we have knit families together, changed nations, and promoted cultural exchange. So in thinking of the theme or any goals you have for your event, consider what food would mesh well with your intentions. If it is formal, a continental breakfast, gourmet lunch, or elegant dinner would be best. For a corporate casual setting, one might want boxed lunches or hot buffet. An informal environment might promote potluck or warm comfort food. For most of these, there are a number of restaurants, food delivery services, and catering companies available to assist you with your needs. Finding one is as simple as going online and doing simple word searches for your area; it is good to look for reviews from current and former customers on local community web sites that share information about such services. The next part of content includes what else do you want to provide for your guests? Whatever you choose, it should suit your theme and pair well with the food provided. For a productive meeting, transitioning from lunch to the topic at hand can be smoothed with a simple question about how everyone enjoyed their meal and a reminder about why everyone has gathered. For a social event, determining the right entertainment can be key. If there is to be dancing, or the setting is formal, keep the food elegant but not messy—spaghetti is difficult to dish out without splashing a little marinara on someone’s satin gown—steak or chicken do well with salad and fingerling potatoes. Finger foods pair well with a standing social just as potato salad and barbeque are commonly enjoyed at a company picnic. The theme or topic may very well determine the entertainment and the dining experience. Halloween parties frequently include both games and food that are horrific or disgusting—or just meant to get people laughing—while a non-profit event to save the oceans would do well to not serve seafood. Whatever you choose, take a moment to think about how food, topic and location fit together based on what you wish your attendees to do while together. The Finer Details. Putting the final touches on the event are what make it great. From preparing and sending invitations to deciding who will be handling the clean up at the end can range from quick and easy to a far longer process. For invitations, make certain to include the logistics, theme, and expectations for the event. Keep it simple, but make certain to include any important points such as “potluck” or “black tie event” in the notes after the date, time, and location. For informal or company events, an email may be a swift and appropriate way to inform your attendees, but formal events demand a note or card sent to each person or group. The end of the event may bring you great joy for all that you have accomplished, but someone still has to clean up. If the location you have chosen provides janitorial services or you hired a formal catering service, you should be set. However, it may be up to you or a handful of helpers to tidy up when all is said and done. Informal gatherings like potlucks and picnics should always be a time when every guest does their share. With company meetings or casual catering, it may not always be so clear. To make things easier on yourself, consider purchasing a disposable tablecloth to toss excess food waste from the meal into the garbage, or provide recycling and trash bins for your guests in places that subtly suggest they can conveniently toss as they go. While ultimately there are a number of details to consider when planning an event, do not let those details drag you down. The best events are ones in which the planner is still excited and engaged in the event itself, and not worn out or anxious. Just keep these steps in mind: 1. Determine the time and location for your event 2. Set a time table 3. Choose your content and remember your theme or topic 4. Send invitations (at least three weeks before formal gatherings) 5. Prepare for clean up Once complete, remember to congratulate yourself on a job well done. Casual Catering for the Corporate Environment What is casual catering? When your company needs lunch delivered for a meeting or your crew is working late on a hot project and can’t get to a restaurant for take out, casual catering is the perfect solution. There are thousands of restaurants and delivery services eager to provide your team with great food when you need it. A good casual catering service should provide the following: 1) Excellent customer service 2) On-time delivery 3) Food at the right temperature (hot food is hot, cold food is cold) Whether you’re ordering from a boxed lunch service, a casual catering delivery service, or directly from a restaurant, it is important to know both the quality of the food and the company’s service reputation. To determine this, look online at local online community web sites dedicated to restaurant or service reviews and see how they stand up against competitors and what former customers have to say about meals they have experienced. Once you find one or more services that sound good to you, give them a call or check out their web site to see if the pricing and menus work well for your event. After giving a restaurant or delivery service a try, it helps both other consumers and the company if you return to those community web sites later and give honest feedback about your experience. About the Author: Written by: Raven Demers Raven Demers is a proud employee of RestaurantsToGo, a restaurant food delivery and catering service in Seattle. Visit us to find out more about Seattle box lunch food delivery and catering.