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How Event Catering Will Change in 2020

Date Posted: 16/12/2019 9:44:43 AM
Posted By: Laissez-faire Catering

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2020 is approaching. What corporate events are you planning moving into the new year? Event catering changes from time to time, bouncing between trend to trend. If you want your catering for corporate events to be fresh, unique, and exciting, you need to take a look at the new and emerging trends, and find the trends that are going to work for you.

What trends were new in catering in 2019?

2019 saw a lot of farm fresh goods, locally sourced products, and seasonal goods. People are returning to nature, getting excited about ingredients, and looking for whole, healthy foods.

Many are looking towards catering as art, and "full table" spreads became very common. Foods now have to be "picture worthy," as social media is starting to play a huge role in whether an event garners buzz.

Apart from that, people are also paying more attention to creative, unique cocktails, and cocktails, teas, and other beverages have remained an important part of the entire catering experience.

As a whole, at Laissez-faire, we saw that event catering, decoration, and general planning is having a more "whole" feel, with all elements being tightly integrated, often through unique themes.

What are emerging trends in catering?

For 2020, we can expect some trends to stay the same. A lot of people still love from-scratch, farm fresh food, and that's probably going to continue for a long time to come. At Laissez-faire, we work with local producers to make sure we always have the best seasonal goods.

Reduced food waste and increased sustainability are going to remain important. Caterers are moving towards things like metal straws or paper straws, and eco-friendly food options. More and more, people want to make sure that their food has been ethically sourced.

People are also moving into more experimental food, such as meat substitutes rather than red meats, and unique flavour infusions. Themes are going to remain a powerful way for corporate events to connect their decor to their food and their entertainment.

As far as locations go, corporate events are likely to start being a little more innovative about locations, and start to combine their locations with their theme. At Laissez-faire, we have a complete list of the best locations around Sydney, for all sizes of party and all venue needs.

Rather than full meals, many corporate events are moving towards serving small bites and canapés, as a way to allow guests to sample a large variety of foods. Today, people are moving away from large, full meals in general, and towards a more ala carte system that allows them to enjoy their food while they mingle, rather than all at once.

Themes are going to remain powerful, as they streamline the development and decoration of an event. We are constantly looking out for new and interesting themes that can be used to inform your event planning. And many people like to use a destination, or something equally bold, to centre both their food and their decor.

How can you get started  with your next event?

At Laissez-faire, we are constantly looking for new ideas for our Sydney corporate catering packages. Whether you want your next event to be traditional or hyper-modern, we can do our best to develop the perfect catering menu for your organisation.

Contact us today to find out more about what we can do for you. Make an enquiry today.

The Complete Corporate Catering Guide for Sydney

Date Posted: 28/11/2019 9:07:37 AM
Posted By: Laissez-faire Catering

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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.