Lucy - BQ Magazine EditorWhether you’re hosting a small conference or a large trade show, it’s generally a good idea to feed people who are attending. Food can be used to energise your audience or it can be used to give everyone (including yourself) a break from proceedings. You can even use food as an opportunity to impress your audience. However, there are times when food may not be a necessity. This post delves more into some of the things to consider when deciding whether to feed attendees at a business event.
Consider the time and length of the event
The choice of whether to feed guests may depend on the time and length of the event. If you’re hosting a 3 pm – 4 pm event, there’s probably no great need to provide food. However, if you’re hosting a 11 am – 2 pm event, some attendees may get frustrated if you don’t provide lunch. You certainly don’t want to be putting on an all-day event with no food (there will be riots!).
Determine your budget
If you’re on a tight budget, you may consider doing without food to make sure everything else is done right. However, some sandwiches or even some tea and biscuits shouldn’t be too much of a financial stretch. For those with a bigger budget, consider prioritising food and doing something more elaborate. Putting together a large food spread or hiring some unique caterers could be a chance to make your event more memorable.
Think about who your audience is
When choosing to provide food, you need to consider who your audience is. Are they likely to prefer something simple or sophisticated? If you’re putting on an event for everyday consumers, there’s no need to serve caviar and lobster. However, if you’re catering to high-class consumers or VIPs, a burger van might not cut the mustard. Take inspiration from other events aimed at a similar audience – what type of food did they serve? It’s also important to consider how many people are coming as certain foods will be easier to mass-produce.
Take into account the venue
Some venues may have on-site catering. You may not be able to bring in food or hire outside caterers for such venues in many cases. Other venues may not provide any catering, in which case you need to organise food yourself. Mobile catering options like coffee and doughnut food trucks or hog roast food trucks can be great options at outdoor venues like festivals and exhibitions. At indoor events, you could consider serving anything from canapes to a sit-down meal. Just remember that if you do choose a sit-down meal, you will need to consider who supplies tables and chairs – you, the venue or the caterer?
Final tip -don’t surprise attendees with food
You should let attendees know in advance that there will be food. It could be a way to help promote your event, plus you won’t have guests turning up having already eaten. With small invite-only events, letting people know in advance could also be a chance to check for allergies or unique dietary requirements (which could be essential when planning a sit-down meal).