Catering is the food service industry that combines culinary skills, event planning, and customer service. It’s a business that deals with high-season bookings and low periods, and requires creativity to thrive.
Keep your catering budget under control by choosing less expensive entrees, such as chicken and salmon. Opting for soup and salad can also lower the cost of a meal, while a charcuterie board offers a more upscale feel with a smaller price tag. Scroll down to explore more about Events Upcoming.
A unique immersive dining experience can be the biggest difference-maker at your catered event. Guests love the opportunity to try new foods and drinks, which can be done through do-it-yourself stations like cocktail/mocktail bars or taco bars, as well as by creative catering that’s prepared before their eyes. Adding elements like smoke, open flames, or artistic designs is an easy way to create a wow factor that will be remembered.
Discerning Tastes
Guests have very discerning tastes, so caterers are incorporating more gourmet and exotic dishes this year. Fusion cuisine that combines flavors from different cultures is also becoming more popular, allowing for more creative menu options to delight guests’ palates.
Many of today’s guests are vegetarian or vegan, so more catering companies are offering meatless choices and even fully plant-based menus for their events. These menus allow for more guests to enjoy an event and support catering companies that prioritize sustainability values.
Greens are one of the most nutritious, low-calorie foods around, so expect to see a lot more build-your-own salad bars at your catering events this year. In addition to being a great option for vegetarians and vegans, these bars can provide an excellent appetizer for your guests before their main course.
More and more catering clients are seeking greener practices at their corporate events, so you can expect to see a big push towards sustainable catering this year. This includes using biodegradable and compostable catering ware, sourcing ingredients locally, and reducing food waste.
Family Dinners
Whether they live in a high income or low income family, or on the Midwest or on either coast, kids who eat family dinners more frequently have better outcomes by most measures. They have more positive social relationships, lower levels of depression, and are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors. They also have higher achievement motivation, a stronger sense of personal identity, and more self-esteem than their peers who do not eat family meals.
Unfortunately, many families today struggle to make time for regular family dinners. The reasons are numerous: they are too busy, their kids don’t want to sit around the table, or parents simply don’t care about it. However, the research overwhelmingly supports that family dinners are one of the single best things you can do for your children’s social and emotional health.
Families who eat together regularly can also help their children develop life-long healthy eating habits by exposing them to an array of delicious and nutritious foods. They learn to enjoy fruits and vegetables, reduce the amount of fried and fast food they eat, and drink more water than soda or juice. Additionally, they are more likely to eat a balanced diet including lean proteins and whole grains.
If there are scheduling conflicts, experts tell TIME that it’s still beneficial to try to have at least one family meal a week. Even if it’s just you and your children or you and your ex-partner, family dinner can diminish conflict, help the kids feel comfortable in their separation, and strengthen the parenting team as they grow into teenagers with issues of their own.
To keep conversations going at the dinner table, some families play structured games. For example, some have each person share a rose and a thorn from their day: something that made them happy (the rose), something they are looking forward to in the future (the bud), and something upsetting or heavy on their mind (the thorn). These discussions can help kids learn to express their feelings, and it’s also a great way to teach adults how to listen.
Corporate Events
Corporate events are held for a variety of reasons. They may be used to educate, reward or motivate employees, mark key milestones or manage organisational change. They can also be a great way to build brand awareness and connect with potential clients.
Whether it’s an industry conference or a product launch, events are a great way to generate buzz and get people talking about your products. They offer a more personal touch than just reading blog posts or seeing commercials and allow you to build brand loyalty with your customers. You can use digital tools to collect feedback from attendees and learn what they think of your event, adjusting accordingly in future.
Company retreats offer a chance for your team to take a break from the office and connect on a more personal level. They can help improve morale, boost communication, and encourage teamwork. Additionally, they’re a great opportunity for managers to show their appreciation for employees, which can increase productivity, happiness, and engagement.
When planning corporate events, make sure you have a robust system in place to streamline operations. This can include speaker management, event registrations, and staffing. Having the right software can help you avoid costly mistakes like understaffing and ensure that all your attendees have a positive experience.
Corporate hospitality is a popular way to build relationships with clients and promote your business. It can range from a simple dinner to VIP experiences at sporting events and music concerts. It’s a great way to reward employees and build a strong brand image.
When planning a corporate event, make sure you have a robust system that can streamline operations and ensure a positive experience for both your organizers and attendees. This can include speaker management, event registrations, staffing, and flight and hotel bookings. Having the right software can help you manage costs and avoid costly mistakes like understaffing and overbooking. It can also help you track your attendance data and identify opportunities for improvement. You can then use this data to develop a strategy for increasing corporate event sales.
Weddings
When it comes to wedding trends, we’re seeing a lot of innovation. Couples and their vendors are always looking for creative ways to upgrade experiences and catering concepts (cakes included!) that keep weddings fresh and fun for guests.
Here are some of our favorite ideas we’re seeing:
Wedding menus that offer a variety of flavors and cuisines. In addition to classic options, we’re seeing a big rise in dishes like tacos, burgers and fries, and even pasta and pizza! Guests appreciate having more choices and the flexibility to pick their favorites.
Cocktails that feature unique ingredients, flavors and presentations. Many couples are also choosing to skip the traditional wedding cake and instead opting for dessert stations that include pie, donuts and other sweet treats, as well as savory options like cheese, olives, bacon and eggs, and grilled vegetables. Plus, the trend towards lighter drinks and cocktails is continuing to grow.
Having a smaller bridal party, if any at all. This often translates into smaller reception tables, which can make it easier for everyone to get to know one another.
Avoiding the dance floor if you don’t want to dance in front of all your friends and family. Opting for a non-traditional exit (like bubbles, streamers or environmentally-friendly confetti). Or, ditch the exit entirely and hang out late to spend a long evening with your guests, slowing down the celebration so you can truly enjoy every moment of your special day.
Conduct a walk-through of your venue with key vendors. Finalize the headcount and decide how you’re going to divvy up costs (if needed). Consider planning a shower or two, and start adding gifts to your Zola registry.
Book your florist and start sharing inspiration photos. Create a shared Pinterest board to help you stay organized and share the songs that mean the most to you as a couple. If you’re having a band or DJ, begin to assemble a playlist, and make sure they have all the numbers and details they need.