The best way to ensure clients enjoy their time at every event they’ve attended as a company is by providing the very best possible food. High-quality food appropriately designed for the event will enhance the experience of being there for all attendees, especially clients who have developed relationships with your company and already know what you stand for. At a Corporate Event, potential clients repeatedly invited to your space are reminded of your expectations and how committed you are to providing a superior experience for them, as well as reinforcing your brand, while on-site.
The actual catering experience is the number one factor used by clients when determining their loyalty to your company. Most importantly, it is also a great opportunity to highlight your ability to deliver exceptional food and service on-site; therefore, choosing a Waterfront function venue Sydney, where you will host your next Corporate Event, to offer bespoke food and beverage services will positively impact client retention and success of your Corporate Event overall.
1. Food as a Brand Extension: The Quality Factor
When you recall an event where you felt the food was inadequate or lacking in quality, it likely affected your perceptions of that organisation in a negative way. Alternatively, when you attended an event and were served very well-prepared, fresh, beautifully-plated, creative meals – those meals created positive experiences that stay with you over time. Your respect for your guests will be evident by the quality and proper presentation of food.
Research in the industry supports the importance of food quality and presentation as two of the most important attributes of providing a memorable and holistic food experience for attendees. By partnering with a Sydney Private Event Venue that has a reputation for its high-caliber kitchen, you will be using this venue’s reputation to enhance your own, and by working with a venue that places such a premium on preparing exceptional quality food from the freshest seasonal produce and providing superior service, your brand promise of excellence will be met at every level.
2. The Strategic Value of Menu Customization
Businesses are forced to adopt flexibly designed menus that cater to the different kinds of people who attend events (as opposed to merely providing them with a vegetarian dish). Creating custom designed catering incorporates all aspects of the event, including its purpose, targeted demographic, etc.
- Accommodation of special dietary needs for employees is a basic showing of respect: A company’s willingness to provide options for vegans, those with gluten sensitivities, and/or working with each individual guest (for food allergies) is important in ensuring that each attendee feels respected and valued. By doing this, an organization is directly building stronger relationships between its employees and their fellow coworkers.
- The use of Theme Based Menus: Food has a story to tell. An illustrative instance of this is a Corporate event adopting Mediterranean/Italian cuisine whereby the corporate brand’s colours are displayed and/or the event represents the convenience of a corporate partnership within another nation. Customising the food in accordance with the theme and concept/product of the corporate event will result in a greater sense of cohesion and will provide attendees with a feeling of having been a part of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
- Networking Flow: The manner in which the bespoke corporate menu will dictate the way that the food at the event is served (e.g. canape versus plated). Using canapes at a reception level allows for a lot of interaction and is equivalent to having multiple meetings in the same space. Using a plated formal meal encourages conversation between attendees and forms a closer bond. Therefore, the menu model must correspond to the primary goal of the event (as well as the other three points listed above).
3. The Location Effect: Catering to the Waterfront Setting
The Waterfront Function Venue in Sydney offers one of the most amazing visual backdrops you could hope for. The menu needs to be an extension, not a distraction, from this amazing view.
A light, fresh seafood, light Mediterranean fusion menu, and beautifully plated dishes that make the most of the natural Harbour light are usually the best options for menus. Weighty or complex food can lead to sluggishness mid-afternoon, and sluggishness is not conducive to the success of any corporate event. Conversely, having a culinary professional tailor his or her creations to the surroundings will create a seamless, memorable experience that meeting attendees are likely to remember and share for some time.
4. Simple Logistics, Elevated Experience
For a business owner/event planner, having an effective catering service is crucial. The most significant advantage of having a dedicated Woolloomooloo function restaurant is that you will be dealing directly with the venue’s staff who have extensive experience in serving meal functions. This means less time wasted trying to educate a third party catering company about your venue, but instead using a reliable source that can manage all aspects of your catering function, including logistics, menu selection and preparation, and serving timing. Because of this, a venue with a controlled logistics operation decreases the amount of risk while allowing you to concentrate on doing what you do best: providing excellent hospitality to your guests and serving your business interests.
Another benefit of having a dedicated function restaurant is their ability to accommodate your event’s menu preferences by creating customized menus with specific wine pairing recommendations, as well as providing immediate, professional service, leading to seamless execution of the event and ultimately enhancing your organization’s image as a well-run and competent organization.