Don't plan your catering at the last minute! Catering is one of the most important features of any corporate event. Even though it might not be a part of the agenda, it's a large part of what will make everyone feel comfortable, productive, and valued. Here are a few of the reasons why it's important to arrange your Sydney corporate catering in advance.

Why Should You Schedule Your Catering in Advance?

Foremost, your catering company is going to work very closely with your venue. Booking a venue and a caterer early on is important: you can't get a good venue, with the right available dates, last minute. The later you book, the more expensive the venue becomes, and the more difficult a caterer becomes to secure. The best venues are often booked months in advance. 

If you want to compare quotes and menus, the process can be even longer. 

Many caterers, such as Laissez-faire, have developed relationships with specific venues and can advise you on the best venue to have. If you work with a caterer first, you'll know which venues tend to work best for them, and which venues will work best for your type of event and size of event. Apart from providing catering for corporate events, catering companies can also suggest themes and decor. 

And you don't want to rush your planning. Securing a caterer early on gives you more time to think about what you want, in terms of food, menus, and drinks. Your event won't come off as disorganised and rushed, and you'll be able to keep your guests informed and prepared as to what they can expect. There are many elements of catering that take time, such as collecting RSVPs, and making sure that you're meeting everyone's dietary needs. You can't rush these things without the event itself feeling unprofessional. 

Getting your preliminary planning out of the way means that you can then focus on other, more complicated things. Once you have the venue and caterer in hand, you'll be able to better plan and budget for things like decor. 

How to Organise Your Corporate Event Planning

It's important to secure a caterer and a venue early. But it can be difficult to manage time, especially if you're arranging multiple events, or trying to arrange an event while you're doing other things. If you're still wondering what the theme is going to be for your corporate event, how many people are going to arrive, or what your budget is, a caterer and a venue may feel very far off. 

Here are some ways you can improve upon the organisation of your event planning.

• Create a checklist. A checklist makes it easy for you to manage even more complex events. Organise your checklist based on your priorities, and make sure to check things off as you accomplish them! You may even want to create a separate checklist each morning, of things you need to accomplish that day.
• Establish a budget early on. Your budget is going to influence nearly every aspect of your event, from the catering to the venue. Not only do you need to know the total budget, but also the budget per head — and that means getting in those RSVPs.
• Separate things into milestones and tasks. Huge milestones can be broken up into smaller tasks, to make them more manageable. You don't necessarily need to "book a venue" today, but you need to: research venues, call for quotes, and look up reviews. 
• Create deadlines and frequently check-in. Knowing when things need to be done by can improve upon your organisational system. Check your deadlines to make sure everything's being handled on time. If deadlines are missed, the entire event schedule can be set back. 
• Get things done as early as possible. If you're waiting on one thing, why not try to accomplish another? Getting things like catering and venues organised early on will take things off your plate, and let you focus on other things such as designs and menus. 
• Ask for input from your caterer, employees, and coworkers. You don't need to do everything alone. Your caterer can give you professional advice regarding your event, while employees and coworkers can tell you what they'd like to see.

For the most part, organising a company event is about taking it step-by-step. As long as you're well-organised and continually making progress, you should be able to create an event that's unforgettable. And once you find your caterer, everything else often falls into place. 

Are you planning a corporate event? It's never too early to book a caterer. We provide complete corporate event services, and can even connect you to some of the best venues in Sydney. Contact us today at (02) 9209 4810 or make an enquiry online.

Awards nights are an excellent way to show your employees the recognition they deserve. Employees thrive on being recognized for their contributions. Happy, satisfied employees are more productive. But an awards night has to be carefully designed if it's going to be meaningful and sincere. Here's what you need to know about planning your  company awards night.

Getting Started: the Corporate Event

We have an updated guide for business events, ranging from choosing a venue to creating the perfect theme. An awards night is just a type of corporate event, but one where awards and speeches are likely to be the focus of the night. Food needs to be designed and customized around the theme of the award night, rather than providing general, catered snacks. 

Factors to Consider When Planning an Awards Night

Your awards night is about making your team feel special. To that end, you need the perfect venue, menu, amenities, and more. Here are a few of the major factors you should consider:

• Location. Laissez-faire Catering has access to some of the best venues in Sydney. Employees generally don't want to attend an awards night in their office; they already spend all the time there. A modern, contemporary dining location or a large conference hall will be better, depending on the size of the event. 
• Menu. That's our expertise at Laissez-faire. You can check out our menus online, including the canape, shared, and plated menus. We can tailor the menu to your event. An awards show may have plated menus in addition to snacks and appetizers.
• Invitations. Organizing your awards night is important. Email reminders, physical flyers, and posts on the company intranet will make sure that no one is left out. RSVPs are important, either from employees directly or department heads, so you know exactly who is coming. This may also need to include any dietary restrictions.
• Guest capacity. Your venue is going to be strongly influenced by the amount of guests you have. We work with Sydney venues that range from 50 to 500; there's a perfect venue for events of any size. 
• AV equipment. For an awards show, this is particularly important. AV equipment is usually available from the venue, but if you need any specialty gear you will usually need to rent it and install it before the event.
• Lighting, decoration, and tablescapes. An event is all about the glamour. Kicking up the decor a notch will really make it a memorable event, and the decor itself can be themed to match the menu.
• Fun additions. No one wants to listen to speeches all night. Consider adding some fun additions to your awards night such as a photo booth, cameras at the entrance, red carpets, themed cocktails and themed canapes (such as in business colors), and more. Guests can be encouraged to share their pictures under a special hashtag, or can be included in a photo book printed later.

And, of course, awards events need to properly feature the awards. Make sure awards are designed, printed, and etched in advance, and that the individuals potentially receiving awards are given prior notice to prepare.

When a company awards night is done right, it can become something that employees look forward to every single year. An awards night gives you a chance to tell your employees that they're really expected and appreciated. For more information about creating this important night, contact the experts at Laissez-faire.

Are you in charge of planning your corporate celebrations? Or are you looking for new ways to bring your company's employees together? A corporate celebration is really an excuse to help your employees connect on both a professional and personal level, extending your company culture and making it clear that you value them. Here are a few of the top corporate celebration ideas, in addition to what makes them special -- and what venues may be the best option. 

Product Launch

Launch parties are used to build both internal and external hype for a new product. Usually a product launch involves a fairly detailed presentation, which may require a large stage and audio/visual equipment. Following the product launch, guests may eat, relax, and discuss the product that is to come. Product launches are usually planned well in advance and often have members of the press in attendance.

As the eyes of both clients and customers are upon the organization, a product launch is generally a more formal event. Consequently, it's usually held at a formal venue. Product launches should be held in a large area, such as an official conference room, ballroom, or event center. Ideally, many people will be at a product launch, including those who have been instrumental in the product's creation. The Prince Henry Centre, The National Art School, and the University of Sydney may all be good choices.

Milestone Celebration

A milestone celebration is an excellent way for an organization to celebrate its accomplishments, while also generating excitement and buzz moving forward. Milestone celebrations are frequently used as a way to anchor the organization, looking back at what has been completed so far while also covering what still needs to be completed moving forward.

A milestone celebration can be as formal or informal as desired. A small milestone celebration might be celebrated in the company's old cafeteria, while other milestone celebrations may be held in restaurants, museums, or other event spaces. Depending on the number of individuals involved, a milestone celebration can be an intimate gathering or a large, company-wide event. The Venue, La Porte Space, Bangarra, and the Freedom Hub could all be good options. 

End of Year Celebration

An end of the year celebration is really meant to celebrate the hard work that employees offered the company over the year, while also rewarding them with great food and a relaxing time. Food is of the utmost importance, as many of the employees will appreciate foods (and potential bonuses or profit-sharing) more than anything else. An end of the year celebration often involves an assortment of canapes, a meal, and -- of course -- champagne.

Many end of year celebrations are brought to the office, if the office has a large enough event space. If it does not, however, an event space, ballroom, or other large event center may be ideal. End of year celebrations are often done with the entire company in mind, which makes a particularly large space important. Other considerations with an end of year celebration include how drinks will be provided and what entertainment will be available, as guests are likely to stay practically all night. Sone good venues include The National Art School, Roundhouse, or the White Bay Cruise Terminal.

Corporate Awards Night

If you want to motivate your employees, consider a corporate awards night. A corporate awards night serves the dual purpose of showing employees that they have been recognized and showing other employees which values your company wants to emphasize. By giving employees awards of recognition, you can boost their morale and make sure they serve as an example to others.

Corporate awards nights can and should be rather formal, as the formality of the awards ceremony only adds to the feeling of recognition and inspiration. A corporate awards night can be held at a large venue, such as the Urban Winery, The University of Sydney, or the National Art School. It's important that employees have a stage on which they can give a small speech and be recognized. 

Post-Conference Celebration

After a conference, a less formal celebration may be desired to encourage employees to relax. A conference can be an extremely taxing event, and it's important that employees know that their contributions were valued and that the company does want them to have a solid work-life balance.

Post-conference celebrations will often be at a smaller and more intimate location, such as the Coogee Surf Club, The Venue, or the Studio Hub. Primarily, you will want to facilitate inter-employee interactions, so they can easily talk and unwind. 

Are You Ready to Start Planning?

Plan your next corporate event - contact the expert chefs at Laissez-faire  today. Through Laissez-faire, you can get expert opinions regarding your menu and your venue -- the two things that make your corporate events special and memorable.

With a thriving culinary scene and fantastic seasonal produce, Sydney City is rapidly becoming one of the best places in the world to organise a catered event. Whether planning a simple corporate lunch or an extensive corporate conference, the basics of organising corporate catering will remain the same.

How to Organise Catering for a Corporate Meeting in Sydney

• Begin with a thorough schedule. When will the meeting occur? When will you send out invites and receive a final headcount? Having a schedule will help you manage the project more precisely.
• Brainstorm ideas for the catering. Apart from a lunch or dinner, you will also want to consider corporate drinks and snacks. Is there a type of cuisine you want to feature?
• Lock down the details. You'll need to know basic information such as how long the meeting is intended to be, what time it is going to be, and what the general plans will be.
• Contact a caterer. If you don't have a specific venue in mind, you may want to contact a caterer first -- as they may have some ideas regarding the right location. Otherwise, contacting a venue and a caterer should be done as early as possible.

Finding a Venue and Caterer in Sydney

Often, a caterer should be chosen early in the process of organising a corporate event. Caterers will be able to work with you to make suggestions regarding the types of food seasonally available and the ones that are best-suited to your event.

Before you contact a venue and a caterer, you should know:

• How many employees will be attending?
• How large is the budget for this corporate event?
• Is there a venue that's already desired?
• Are you interested in a specific type of food?

Apart from this, your caterer can discuss your needs with you to better determine the right food and drinks for your corporate event. Caterers are able to suggest everything from venues to floor plan, and many caterers will be booked well in advance.

Tips for Organising Corporate Catering in Sydney City

• Consider looking at your caterer's menu in advance, taking notes on the things that you find interesting or appealing. Your caterer can then learn your tastes and preferences, which will aid them in developing your menu.
• Make sure to pin down the amount of employees early on, as a headcount will dramatically change the amount of food you need -- and consequently the food you can fit into your budget.
• Don't forget about the drinks. Drinks are often as important as the food itself, as they complement the food. A corporate caterer can give you more information on the drinks available.
• Consider a good variety of food. When it comes to corporate events, many people have varying dietary restrictions as well as different tastes. Having a large variety of foods is a good way to make sure everyone is taken care of.
• Choose your venue carefully. If your caterer has a preferred venue to work with, this is usually the best choice -- caterers know which areas will suit them in terms of preparation and service.

Are you currently planning a corporate event in Sydney City? Before you continue your organisation, contact the catering experts at Laissez-Faire. The dedicated chefs at Laissez-Faire can help you explore your options and simplify your planning.

If you are the assigned event planner in your office, we’ve got some tips to help make conferences and corporate meetings a bit less boring.

Suggest a breakfast meeting or lunch meeting to your boss. If you haven’t tried this before, you might find that getting the office together for some food and coffee during the meeting will lift spirits and make the day go faster.

Catering for Corporate Breakfast Meetings

Morning meetings tend to be more efficient for decision making. The mind and body are fresh so any issues can be handled without too much drag. It’s also easier to schedule time for a meeting in the morning rather than later in the day or after work. Also, most breakfast meetings are done within an hour or two, thus it will not hinder any other schedules during the day.

To ensure everyone stays focused but doesn’t get burnt out, organise a breakfast menu that attendees will look forward to. A breakfast meeting menu may include:

• Eggs benedict with smoked salmon
• Crispy bacon and egg rolls with lettuce, tomato and chilli jam
• Poppy seed bagels with cream cheese
• Honey glazed ham and cheddar buttery croissant
• Corn fritters with crispy bacon
• Omelette of smoked fish, cheddar cheese, chives, Spanish onion, rocket leaves and sourdough toast
• Roasted filled mushroom on wood fired bread, topped with asparagus, poached egg, hollandaise sauce and a confit of heirloom tomatoes
• Plus fresh juices, tea and coffee.

Click the image below to download  our breakfast menu:

if you are having trouble downloading our menus, please turn  your ad block extensions off

Take note that not all corporate meetings can happen in the morning. Meetings that are meant to solidify business or working relations or are meant to close deals are best held during lunch time.

Catering for Corporate Lunch Meetings

You might want to consider a lunch meeting for more focused training meetings, company announcements and discussing new business deals.

Below are some lunch catering ideas for your next meeting:

• Sandwich selection with different bread varieties like rye, Turkish roll, white, oatmeal, baguettes
• Seasonal fruit platters
• Juices, organic coffee, hand selected teas and water
• Poached chicken Thai salad, roasted peanuts, vermicelli noodles and nam jim dressing
• Italian grilled sausages and cherry tomatoes
• Pasta salad with fresh ricotta and oregano
• Baby smoked salmon and green shallot frittata with sour cream
• Pumpkin and ricotta mini quiche
• Sesame beef and lemongrass skewers with chili dipping sauce.

Click the image below to download  our working lunch menu:

Hiring a catering service that will take care of the food is one item you can take off your own plate when planning a corporate meeting.

Serve up some great food so staff can focus on building solid working relationships and getting work done.

The end of the financial year is just around the corner and almost every boss and their employees know that it can be a crazy time. It can be really exhausting when everyone focuses on meetings about the annual budget, clearing the company’s tax details, going through performance reviews and preparing for next year’s budget.

Just like any normal person would do, everyone should take a break after accomplishing all the end of financial year tasks. Stop for a second, sit back and take a deep breath and plan a party to celebrate the year that has been. In fact, there are many reasons for you to have a party; it can be winning new clients, beating your annual budget, closing some big deals or adding new and valuable personnel to the team.

If you’re the office manager, office assistant or the event manager assigned to organise the party, you have to make sure you plan a fun event. Focus on building team spirit and congratulating employees for doing a good job. You have to rise above a notoriously boring and unimaginative company party.

Form a group to help you organise the party. You have to provide your “party team” some time away from their normal office tasks and provide all the resources they need in order to plan a top level event. If possible, include people from different departments that already have experience planning company events in the past.

Think about the goal of the party. Yes, the party is about celebrating the end of the financial year, but there should also be a purpose like recognising a team or an individual or celebrating a company milestone. Whatever the goal is, keep it fun!

#1 Working On The Details

Once your goal is established and you have a few people to help you plan the event, you can get started. Start working on the specific details of the event and the areas that needs to be covered. List all of the things that will need to be organised: budget, venue, catering, audio visual and entertainment.

#2 Budget

Receiving and distributing the budget will get things rolling. Set the budget as a starting point of brainstorming ideas for venues, catering, entertainment, awards, decorations and gifts/prizes.

#3 The Venue

Choose a venue that is centrally located and can be easily accessed by everyone. It can be within the company premises (like a large conference or theatre room). If holding the event at the office or in the same building isn’t possible, choose an outside venue in the Sydney CBD or near your office so that everyone can get to the venue easily after work. Also, make sure that the venue is near a public transport so that everyone can go to the venue and get a ride home easily.

The venue you choose will depend on your budget, the number of people attending and the culture of your company. It can be a restaurant, a hotel ballroom, beach, a park, a bar or an entertainment complex. Make sure to ask your other colleagues if they know a great place that you can get for your party.

 

Events at the new Endeavour Pavilion #eventlife #cater #anmmuseum #laissez_faire_catering #whiteunbrella #functionality #catering

A post shared by Laissez-faire Catering (@laissez_faire_catering) on Feb 21, 2018 at 3:19pm PST

This is a great opportunity to treat the staff to an exclusive night out to a venue they wouldn’t otherwise be able to see. If you’ve got the budget for it, go all out.

#4 Food and Drinks

 

Breakfast? A perfect donut wall for some sweet clients #donuts #donutwall #events #catering #food #laissez_faire_catering #sydneyevents #events #eventspace #eventstyle #eventplanner #evebtdesign #eventadvisers

A post shared by Laissez-faire Catering (@laissez_faire_catering) on Dec 18, 2017 at 12:45pm PST

Arranging for the food and drinks is one of the most complex parts of the party process. Again, the budget will play a big part in the food and drink choices. The company culture, number of attendees and theme of the event will also affect your decisions about the catering.

The great thing is you’ve got lots of options. Think gourmet food, buffet catering or casual fare like burgers, BBQ, pizza, gourmet donuts, beer or wine. Alternative dishes should be available for people with special dietary requirements. No one should go hungry or thirsty!

Alcohol is a big part of any party, but consider limiting the alcohol especially if the event will be during office hours. If the party is after 5pm, then you can serve the beverages of your choosing. But consider limiting the beverage package to a small selection of beer, wine and some sparkling drinks with non-alcoholic options like water, sodas and juices to keep thing simple. This will keep everything under control without taking the fun out of things.

 

RUM & FIGS #laissez_faire_catering #catering #cater #cocktail #cocktails #fig #rum #pink #drinks

A post shared by Laissez-faire Catering (@laissez_faire_catering) on Mar 10, 2018 at 10:23pm PST

Set a meeting with your chosen caterer. It can be over the phone or a face to face meeting. A face to face meeting is better because you get to talk to the caterer and understand how they work rather than blindly putting your faith in them. A proposal will be created with the menus and the cost for your initial consultation if it applies.

Catering styles could be any of the following:

• Buffets and food stations - This can be a few gourmet platters or an elegant sit down dinner. It can also be food stations at one of your chosen venues.
• Cocktail party – High quality canapes and gourmet finger food that will have all the guests raving. A premium selection of wine can also be served to show everyone that they are appreciated.
• BBQs and picnic style party – This is one of the most fun styles because everyone can be as casual as possible. The caterer will be on cooking duty with your favorite BBQs fares to be served with ice cold beers, soda and wine.

 

Olive oil poached salmon at tonight’s venue launch #laissez_faire_catering #events #catering #roundhouse #launch #launchparty

A post shared by Laissez-faire Catering (@laissez_faire_catering) on Mar 6, 2018 at 1:54am PST

#5 Audio-Visual System

If you’re doing the party within the office premises, you can hire third party AV equipment. The better option is choosing a venue that already has this equipment and can set it up according to your needs and your vision for the event. Design your own lighting scheme and choose the ambient music.

#6 Entertainment

You can hire a DJ or a live band if your budget permits. Music helps any situation and will let staff relax and enjoy the event. Ask around the office for the best local live bands and check their availability. If it gets too tricky to organise a band just go for a DJ or even better, start an office playlist with input from everyone.

When planning an end of financial year party, it’s best to prepare early so that all the details can be ironed out before the event and everything will go according to plan. Let’s party! 

Want Laissez-faire Catering to take care of your EOFY event? Give us a call and start getting organised today.

The Venue in Alexandria - Perfect for Corporate and Private Events

The Venue Alexandria is Sydney’s newest and most unique premium warehouse event space.

 

What a spectacular evening shared by Stivi and Svet at the new high end warehouse The Venue. Tonight's wedding was for 430 guest however the space can hold up to 1000 guest. An attractive space for gala dinners, product launches, cocktails and conferences . #catering #events #laissez_faire_catering #cater #thevenue #alexandria #venuesourcing #partner #love #wedding #weekendvibes #work #new

A post shared by Laissez-faire Catering (@laissez_faire_catering) on Apr 22, 2017 at 2:06pm PDT

Located conveniently between Sydney’s International Airport and the CBD, they offer clients a large, flexible warehouse space with 5-Star amenities catering to a wide variety of events including gala dinners, product launches, fashion parades, conferences, corporate functions, social events and weddings.

A Venue with Rich History

Originally the site of Hannanprint, The Venue space was part of a joint publishing venture between Australian Consolidated Press and Fairfax Suburban Publications Pty Ltd.

In 1986 Hannanprint Sydney relocated to Alexandria and was named the largest one site printing facility in the Southern hemisphere. 

A Transformative Space

The Venue Alexandria offers so much in terms of venue space and possibility.  

As an exclusive, well-placed venue in Sydney, The Venue Alexandria has been very popular with our customers recently. Check out the Laissez-faire  Instagram account for some candid shots in The Venue.

With a floor space of  1,900m2 and a ceiling height of 7.7m, there is space for every guest (up to 1000) no matter what kind of event you are planning.

The large entrance doors to The Venue prepares guests for the wide open space within. This is the perfect entrance for a red (or any colour) carpet to make guests feel special and your catering staff handing out cocktails as they enter.

Once the guests enter the space, they are greeted with an expansive warehouse space decorated to the nines.

Decor for a summer cocktail event...

... Or a Greek themed getaway... 

... Or a sophisticated corporate layout...

... And don't forget, The Venue is the perfect space for a wedding.

Check out more images of The Venue Alexandria here.

Consider The Venue Alexandria for your next gala dinner, product launch, fashion parade, conference, corporate function, social event or wedding.

Contact us to make an enquiry about holding your event at this venue.