Organising a corporate event is a complicated matter. It's not just something that you're doing for leisure: you need to take it seriously, impress the company, and make sure that everyone has an excellent time.
The Different Types of Corporate Events
First: you need to determine what type of corporate event you're going to be running. There are many types of corporate events, and all of them are managed differently:
- Product launches. These are product-focused and geared to generate buzz. Not only will employees be there, but likely members of the press and other third-parties as well. Your corporate catering is going to need to empress.
- EOFY events. These are celebrations and moments to reflect, as the fiscal year closes. Employees are going to be expecting the company's best, because this is designed to celebrate their performance.
- Christmas events. During the holidays, employees and their families may also be around. Consider whether alcohol will be served, and whether meals will need to be child-friendly.
- Milestone celebrations. These celebrations are often smaller or on a department-by-department basis, but they nevertheless need to be bold and celebratory.
- Award nights. A great way to provide employees with some praise for a job well done, award nights need to be handled with care. They have to be impressive, and show the employees that the company really does appreciate them.
- Conferences. Conferences can be large or small, and often they need multiple menus because of the amount of time that they go through. Plan ahead for multiple meals, and think about both food and beverages.
As you can see, each of these will need to be organised in a different way. Apart from the head count, the type of corporate event is going to be the single most important thing you need to know.
How to Organise Your Event
First, get an accurate head count by asking your superiors who is required to come, or having people who aren't required to come RSVP well in advance. If more people come than that, you can't be held accountable for it! But do buffer the numbers that you get, so that getting more people or fewer people won't lead to a disaster.
After you have a head count, it's time to settle on a theme. That doesn't need to be anything complicated. While a theme could be something like "Bahama beaches," it can also be something as simple as the colours "raspberry and teal." The goal of a theme is just to tie everything together, and the effect can be either bold or subdued.
Once your theme is set, you need to
create a menu. To do this, collect dietary information first. Your RSVP cards are an excellent way to do this. Create a menu that relates to the length of time that people are going to be there, what times they are going to be there (such as lunch time, or dinner time), and the general theme.
To accommodate dietary restrictions and picky eaters, consider creating a diverse menu that can be picked up piece by piece. A selection of desserts and appetisers can make it easier for people to pick and choose the things that they really want to eat.
And, of course, you need to find a venue.
When Should You Begin Planning
You should always begin to plan as soon as possible. The best venues are going to be booked out for a long time. Laissez-faire has a number of favourite venues: Australian National Maritime Museum, Urban Winery Sydney, State Library NSW, and Harbour 220. All of these are fantastic picks for a corporate catering event.
Now that you know everything there is to know about catering for corporate events, it may be time to contact a professional. Call us today at Laissez-faire to find out more information.