Vegas Events

Regardless of the size and type of events your company hosts, you will inevitably find yourself in need of a caterer.  With thousands of companies to choose from and often limited knowledge of food, this can be a tremendous task. 

What steps can you take to ensure that you select a caterer that meets your event requirements and budget? 
 
1. Determine the purpose of your event.  After all, the company’s weekly sales meeting, executive board retreat, customer appreciation event and C-level prospect dinner have very different goals and require distinctive types of food and beverage.   Escargot and fine wine may go well with your prospective client cocktail reception, but they would seem like an odd choice for the company’s family picnic. 

2. Understand your audience.  Today, many people have religious or personal beliefs that dictate their dietary requirements.  Hosting an audience of Orthodox Jews, Muslims, vegetarians or vegans calls for very different types of food and even unique food preparation.  It is also important to pay close attention to the calendar as many groups have different dietary requirements on different days of the year.  For example, you would not want to serve meat to a group of Catholics on Friday during Lent.   There is nothing worse than realizing half of your event attendees are not eating because you failed to do your research.

3. Clearly define your budget and stick to your guns. Regardless of your event location, you should be able to find a caterer who can offer a wide range of options without breaking the bank. The best way to get the biggest bang for your buck is to provide the caterer with a detailed description of your event including its purpose, your budget, your audience and any must haves.   After outlining your expectations, leave the rest of the work up to the caterer.
 
Request proposals from several caterers and see which company is offering you the best quality and most creative food selection for your budget.  Don’t hesitate to openly compare one proposal to another, but out of courtesy you should not disclose the name of the competition.  Most astute caterers should have a good idea as to who their competition is. Try to make one proposal work for the other in order to negotiate upgrades such as an additional appetizer, dessert or signature drink selection without increasing your price.  Make the caterer earn your business.

4. Find a caterer who specializes in providing the services you need.  If you are hosting an around the world event and need to represent cuisines from ten countries, do not select a caterer that has traditionally only focused on Asian Foods. Caterers work with the same food suppliers on a regular basis and adding new items to their standard order to meet your menu requirements can increase their cost and simultaneously increase your price per person.  

Instead, consider selecting a full-service caterer like Main Event Caterers who can prepare food for a wide range of occasions from backyard BBQs to wedding celebrations or formal seated dinners.   Conversely, if you are hosting a themed event, look for a caterer to fill your niche.  For example, for a wine and cheese party, you may want to select a beverage caterer like Ace Beverage as you will likely get a better selection of wines at a lower price point.  

5. Never underestimate the importance of a tasting.  Regardless of how well the food has been described in your proposal, the real test is how the food is presented and more importantly how it tastes in person.    Before confirming a caterer for your event, select your top two choices and schedule a tasting.  Tastings eliminate surprises and can even be very educational. If you were oblivious to what spanakopita was when you saw it on your proposal, you will soon learn that this fancy term actually just refers to a phyllo pastry filled with spinach and feta cheese. 

Do not be afraid to ask for alternate options if you are not pleased with your selection or part of the food presentation.  Caterers are used to this sort of request and can probably provide you with a plethora of additional choices.  The more honest you are during the tasting, the more likely you will be able to confidently select your menu and caterer in the end. 

Selecting the right caterer can powerfully impact the success of an event.  Do not haphazardly approach this job.  Think through your event requirements, stick to your budget and follow-through on the process.  Remember, the ultimate goal is a happy and satisfied attendee!

Visit catering.cvent.com to search for and compare over 4,000 catering companies.