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Knowing the latest catering trends, options, and etiquette plays a vital role in creating a memorable corporate event experience. Select the perfect menus that delight guests, suit the event’s style, and meet dietary needs, all while staying within budget.
Well-organised catering will create an experience that encourages your team, builds relationships, inspires clients and makes guests feel appreciated.
Impress your corporate event guests with innovative and practical catering ideas. Incorporate thoughtful choices for your menu selection, from presentation to dining experience, and learn how to create a delicious and unforgettable experience with this guide.
Understand Your Event Type and Audience Preferences
When sending out invitations, ensure your RSVP includes guests’ dietary requirements. Asking well in advance ensures a smooth-running event, allows everyone to feel included and avoids last-minute surprises or accidents. There may be individuals with allergies and religious preferences, or dietary requirements such as gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan and halal.
Your event type will also affect your catering needs as formal dinners, casual networking events, and workshops are typically catered for accordingly.
For a formal dinner you generally want to pull out all the stops. Consider options such as pre-dinner canapés and cocktails, themed buffets and grazing tables, live food stations, or plated food courses.
For networking events you would likely choose catering options that encourage communication such as roaming canapés, grazing stations and buffets, whereas for a workshop, you would be wise to select options that enhance the experience and flow of the day. Consider offering breakfast on arrival and lunch buffets, along with finger food and simple snacks such as sandwiches, fruit, and cupcakes. These can be served during breaks, accompanied by non-alcoholic drink options such as coffee, tea, and juice throughout the workshop.
Creative Food Presentation Ideas to Wow Your Guests
Innovative catering and presentation elevate the catering experience for guests. Here are some ideas to consider:
Food Stations:
Immersive experiences for your guests. A lively activation with chefs that your guests can feel entranced by. Imagine a live station such as paella, pasta, pizza, or even handmade mozzarella.
Themed displays or presentations:
Create a culinary adventure for your guests with a fun display or presentation. Often paired with a live food station for added sparkle. Imagine a fun sushi bar, dumpling bar, or seafood buffet selection.
Artistic plating:
Have fun with new ways of plating your food, using interesting colour combinations, textures and garnishing.
Branding in Food:
For a corporate event, this is a great small touch that makes a big impact. Imagine having your brand showcased in cocktails with branded ice or stencilled onto gorgeously plated desserts.
Incorporating local and seasonal ingredients:
Add uniqueness to your menu by incorporating native ingredients such as lemon myrtle, kangaroo, Quay and Balmain bugs.
Popular Catering Styles for Corporate Events
Experiential catering is becoming increasingly popular. People are incorporating buffets, live food stations and carts into their events. These are often combined with classic catering options, canapés and plated food service.
How to select catering options which align with your event type:
- For formal events, guests will expect a formal presentation. Arrival drinks and canapés add a touch of elegance to your event when combined with plated services. This should be a staple for any formal events such as fundraisers, product launches and award nights – in fact, most evening and nighttime celebrations do well with this combination.
- Live food stations, trucks, and carts are amazing for experiential-type events. Perfect as an add-on for formal events such as gala dinners and fundraisers, or as a main feature at less formal events such as company family days and networking events. Make sure your guests will have enough time for the experience, a live food station would for instance not be suitable for a day conference unless there is an extended lunch hour.
- For business events like conferences, workshops, and training days with multiple refreshment breaks, a buffet or grazing stations with finger food are great options for a delicious and satisfying meal that’s less formal and more relaxed.
Dietary Considerations and Inclusive Menu Planning
It is essential to ensure you accommodate dietary restrictions in any catering you do. Dietary restrictions include vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free, and halal or religious options etc.
When planning your menu, select satisfying meal alternatives to accommodate those with dietary restrictions. For plated menus, this will be a pre-selected dish for the guest. For canapés, live stations, and buffets, ensure that your menu includes options that cater to everyone’s dietary preferences. Consider dishes that are halal, dairy, nut, and meat-free.
Ensure all dishes, including plated services, have clear labelling. A guest’s name card should clearly indicate their dietary restrictions. Roaming canapés, buffets and live stations should all clearly indicate when the food is restriction-friendly.
Beverage Options to Complement Your Catering
Your beverage choice should match your catering style.
If you decide to host a nighttime or formal event, such as an award night or fundraiser, offer alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage options. Consider roaming drinks, bottles and jugs on tables and an open bar.
For morning and afternoon events such as boardroom meetings, conferences, workshops, and training days, have non-alcoholic beverages and a fresh coffee bar, allowing individuals to quickly grab refreshments and return to focusing on the presentations.
Innovative and fun drink ideas you can incorporate include specially crafted cocktails, mocktails, and specialty coffees.
When planning, always keep in mind the importance of responsible alcohol service and providing alternatives for those who are non-alcoholic.
Budget-Friendly Catering Ideas Without Compromising Quality
You can organise impressive catering within your budget by factoring in a few points.
Select a seasonal menu using local and seasonal produce or offer a smaller menu selection. You can also opt for only two courses instead of three or serve canapés instead of a substantial sit-down meal. Keep in mind your event type and ensure the option you choose is suitable for your business event. Thoughtful planning can balance cost and quality effectively.
How to Choose the Right Catering Service?
Select a professional caterer with experience in corporate events. A professional corporate events caterer will understand punctuality, dietary needs, and setting style. Before you lock in your caterer, check online reviews to ensure others have had a positive experience collaborating. Request a tailored proposal to verify that the caterer aligns with your event goals.
For a large event, you my want to schedule a menu tasting to assess food quality, presentation and flavour. A menu tasting will also showcase a catering company’s professionalism. Also, remember discuss the flexibility of their menu for last-minute changes or alterations.
Make sure you ask the important questions such as if they provide staffing, and check licensing and insurance.
Sustainable Catering Practices for Corporate Events
Stand out further by being eco-conscious for your catering.
You can accomplish this by:
- Using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.
- Opting for sustainable meat suppliers.
- Offering more plant-friendly options.
- Using minimal packaging or sustainable presentation options to reduce waste.
- Using reusable or compostable serve wear, such as glassware and bamboo cutlery.
Incorporating sustainable catering will benefit your company’s image. It demonstrates corporate social responsibility. It creates a meaningful initiative that appeals to eco-conscious employees and clients. Finally, it sets you apart from your competitors.
Ready to Elevate Your Corporate Event Catering Experience?
The catering at any event greatly impacts the overall experience and atmosphere, and is an opportunity to impress guests and reflect your company’s brand and goals. Choosing the right menu, presentation, and service style will ensure a memorable and seamless event.
Explore Navarra Venues’ professional catering services and options to find the perfect fit for you.
