Food and Beverage: The Catering Part of Catering Convention Services Management
Catering in hotels and catering facilities is the creative side to this position. The possibilities for your artistic endeavors are endless.
To some planners catering is a necessary evil and regarded as forced offerings to meetings and conventions. Other planners enjoy being creative with their food offerings. These planners might be the type of person who enjoys cooking shows on television, following restaurant trends, an inspired home cook, and follower of celebrity chefs.
Also, some CCSMs are not always familiar or comfortable with questions about and the designing of menu items that are not on standard menus. They prefer to organize the group by way of their sleeping room block, VIP details, general session, breakout and tradeshow setup, and overall group coordination.
For the rest us, we love this part of the job! It allows us to keep the catering in our titles and expand upon it. Those of us that educate ourselves in food ordering, seasonal availability, preparation, trends, cost and pricing are comfortable working with planners and chefs to customize menus and price accordingly.
One of the first things to consider when planning a catered event is the reason for it.
Is the event mainly:
to satisfy guest hunger?
to create an image?
to provide an opportunity for social interaction and networking?
to showcase a person, product, or idea?
to present awards?
to honor dignitaries?
to refresh convention guests and resharpen their attention?
to provide a receptive audience to program speakers?
The CCSM should be informed about the reasons so that the appropriate menu and production and service plans can be created.
Typical catering food and beverage offerings during meeting and conventions:
Breakfast: including continental, plated, and buffet
AM break
Lunch: including plated, buffet, and box
PM break
Reception: stand alone or preceding dinner
Dinner: including plated and buffet
Afterglow or midnight snacks
Brunch
Special events such as sporting and PR events
Breakfast
Breakfast is a functional meal. People are refueling after not having eaten for 8 hours or so. Speed and efficiency are important for the breakfast meal. This is especially true if the guests will be going to business meetings, seminars, or other events immediately after the meal. The last thing a meeting planner wants is to start the day’s activities late and throw off the whole day’s schedule. Everything must be ready at the appointed time in order to avoid this problem.
Many guests will skip the breakfast meal. Some of them traditionally do not eat breakfast. A few may prefer early-morning exercise workouts. Some may have been out late the night before and would rather sleep than eat. Check your meeting history so you know how many people usually show up and you can have an accurate guarantee.
Guests need to energize the brain cells. If they skip breakfast, chances are their attention spans will decrease and they will become irritable by 10:00 a.m.
The breakfast menu should contain energizer foods, such as fresh fruits, whole grain cereals, whole grain breads, and yogurt. In addition to providing a bit of energy, they are much easier to digest than fatty foods. This will keep guests awake and ready to tackle the morning’s business.
There is a trend away from sweet rolls toward whole-grain, blueberry, and oat-bran muffins and fruit breads, such as banana or date breads. Sugary and fatty sweets, such as Danish, doughnuts, and pecan rolls, give only a temporary lift.
There must be some variety, though, at breakfast. While many persons will not eat sugary, fatty foods, they may want to have at least a little taste of one. As much as possible, the menu should accommodate all preferences. For instance, you can offer bite-sized portions of several types of foods on a breakfast buffet table.
A buffet is the best type of service to have for breakfast functions because it can accommodate the early riser and the late arrivals. In some cases, it may cost less than sit-down service. And it can be just the thing for guests who are in a hurry because, if there are enough food and beverage stations, a breakfast buffet can be over in less than 1 hour.
The traditional breakfast buffet includes two or three types of break-fast meats, three to six varieties of pastries, two styles of eggs, one potato dish, and several selections of cereals, fresh fruits, cold beverages, hot beverages, and condiments.
An English-style breakfast buffet usually includes the traditional offerings along with one or more action stations. For instance, an action station, where chefs are preparing omelets, Belgian waffles, or crepes, is very popular with guests. This type of service, though, can increase significantly the food and labor costs so it can only be offered if you are willing to pay an extra charge.
For the cost-conscious meeting planner, the more economical continental breakfast buffet is appropriate. The traditional continental breakfast includes coffee, tea, fruit juice, and some type of bread. A deluxe version offers more varieties of juices, breads, and pastries, as well as fresh fruits, yogurt, and cereals.
If a breakfast buffet is planned, you should make sure to separate the food and beverage stations so that persons who want their coffee quickly, or do not want a full meal, will not have to stand in line behind those who are deciding which omelet to order. You also should have separate areas for flatware and condiments, such as cream, sugar, and lemons, away from the coffee-urn areas. Since it usually takes a person about twice as long to add cream and sugar as it does to draw a cup of coffee, this type of layout will prevent traffic congestion. If separate beverage stations are not feasible, you should have food servers serve beverages to guests at the dining tables.
Conventional sit-down breakfast service usually includes a combination of preset and plated services. This is appropriate if the guests have more time and want to savor the meal a little longer. Served breakfasts make greater demands on the catering and kitchen staffs. More servers are needed and more food handlers are required to dish up the food in the kitchen. However, unlike buffet service, food costs are more controllable because you, not the guest, control portion sizes.
Many planners, especially corporate meeting planners, want some added luxury touches at breakfast. For instance, they often appreciate things such as mimosa cocktails, Virgin Marys, exotic flavored coffees, puff pastries, and fresh fruit in season.
Eggs Benedict are also a nice touch, sure to please the guest who is expecting a lavish breakfast meal. Eggs Benedict will hold up well without drying out, so are ideal for banquet service. Consider them for brunch as well as breakfast.
Many people are not very sociable at breakfast. Also, if the guests trickle in a few at a time, they might spread out in the function room so that they can be alone with their thoughts, or with their last-minute work. You should ask the caterer to make available newspapers, such as The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, to those who do not wish to fraternize so early in the day.
If a self-serve breakfast lasts 1 hour, be sure everything is replenished continuously, especially during the last 15 or 20 minutes. Many guests will show up at this time and expect the full menu to be available.
Here is a Pinterest board with breakfast ideas: www.pinterest.com/pattishock/breakfast/
Refreshment Breaks
Refreshment breaks usually provide beverages and possibly a snack. They also allow guests to get up, stretch, visit the restroom, call the office, check e-mail, or move to another meeting room for the next break-out session.
A refreshment break is an energy break. It is intended to refresh and sharpen attention. It also helps alleviate boredom that tends to develop when guests are engaged in tedious business activities during the day.
Refreshment breaks are typically scheduled mid-morning and mid-afternoon. They are usually located near the meeting and conference rooms. And they usually offer various types of mood foods that increase guests’ enthusiasm to tackle the rest of the day’s work schedule.
Ideally, the refreshment break station would include hot and cold beverages, whole fruits, raw vegetables with dip, yogurt, muffins, and other types of breads and pastries that will hold up well and not dry out. Chewy foods, such as peanuts, dried fruits, and sunflower seeds, should also be available because these types of products are thought to relieve boredom.
Water, soft drinks, and other cold beverages should be available for each refreshment break, whatever time of day the break is scheduled. Many guests prefer cold beverages throughout the day. Bottled water has become a very important amenity (Bottled water is being replaced by water stations that are less expensive and more environmentally friendly.). If each guest is allocated a reusable water bottle when they check in, they can refill it throughout the conference. The refillable bottle can be sponsored, so it can be provided at no cost to the planner.
Most of those who drink soft drinks prefer diet beverages. Experience shows that 50 to 75 percent of people selecting cold beverages will choose a sugarless drink, such as diet soft drinks, bottled water, or club soda.
Another major consideration is to locate the refreshment break station so that it serves the guests’ needs. Ideally, it should be placed in a separate room or in the prefunction space. It should not be located at the back of a meeting room. If it is, a speaker will have a hard time getting started if guests are lingering too long around the food and beverage stations. The speaker also cannot compete easily with the food and beverage stations; guests are liable to sneak a quick trip to the back of the room and disrupt the proceedings. Furthermore, there may be unwanted noise when the stations are rolled in, set up, torn down, or replenished.
Be sure to know your glassware, cup, and plate sizes used at a refreshment center. A standard 12-ounce paper coffee cup or to-go cup, yields only about 10 cups of coffee per gallon. Most China coffee cups hold 6 ounces, so the expected yield would be 20 cups per gallon.
Another thing to monitor is cleanliness of the beverage area. A coffee urn or juice canister should have drip catchers set out under their spouts. Urns and canisters will drip a little right after a guest shuts off the spout. Provide drip catchers or the tablecloth will get wet and spotty. Drip catchers for coffee should have a few coffee beans inside; this will hide the drips, and as a bonus, will send coffee aroma throughout the area. For juice canisters, such as a lemonade dispenser, a few slices of fresh lemon inside the drip catcher will hide unattractive spills.
Since it takes twice as long to add cream and sweetener as it does to pour coffee, it is strongly recommended to have them located to the side so people have to move over to add them to their coffee and are not holding up the line.
Be sure to provide trash receptacles for waste and trays for used tableware. A server should be available to check the refreshment setup periodically and replenish foods and beverages as needed. He or she should remove trash and soiled tableware and not let them stack up. Someone also needs to be responsible for tidying up the break area regularly. Few things are as unattractive as finding, for example, a half-eaten pastry on a pastry tray next to whole, untouched ones.
Many planners, especially corporate meeting planners, want refreshment breaks available all day, so they can break at will instead of at a predetermined time. In effect, they want permanent refreshment centers. Meeting planners accustomed to conference centers expect permanent refreshment centers. Conference centers typically provide permanent refreshment centers, and if other types of CCSMs want to compete favorably with conference centers, they must offer similar amenities. Of course, since this type of setup requires a server to be constantly alert to fluctuating needs, a planner must be willing to pay the added cost.
You should offer all-day beverage service on your catering menus.
There are advantages to having permanent refreshment centers. Many meeting planners feel this will keep guests around all day. If guests go off to a restaurant outlet for a beverage, they may never return for the business activities.
A permanent refreshment break usually stocks coffee, tea, and cold soft drinks all day, and foods might be offered only at certain times, such as at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. All-day neutral beverage service provides an attractive and comfortable social atmosphere for guests to congregate and discuss the day’s activities.
Themed refreshment breaks are popular. The theme can tie in to the overall theme of your event. You can also look at the location of the event for ideas—a cable car theme in San Francisco, a Cuban theme in Miami and Elvis or Rat Pack theme in Las Vegas. Consider a seasonal theme—Baseball theme in October, Holiday themes, weather themes such as Winter Wonderland or Fun in the Sun, and so on.
Here is a Pinterest board with ideas for breaks: www.pinterest.com/pattishock/breaks/
Brunch
Brunch is a late-morning meal that is eaten instead of breakfast and lunch. Often a buffet, both breakfast and lunch items are served. They typically include alcoholic beverages such as Mimosas or Bloody Mary’s.
Here is a Pinterest board with ideas for brunch: www.pinterest.com/pattishock/brunch/
Lunch or Luncheon
Lunch is a normally a lighter meal, usually eaten midday and is typically casual. Lunch is meant to offer a convenience to guests and to make sure that they will not wander away and disregard the afternoon sessions and meetings.
If a lunch is only intended to provide a refueling stop for guests, the menu should not include an excess of heavy foods. If guests eat too much heavy food they will probably become drowsy and inattentive later in the day. Heavy foods are greasy, fatty foods, as well as complex carbohydrate foods, such as rice or pasta dishes. These products take a long time to digest. Fats can sit in the stomach up to 12 hours or more. On the other hand, fruit and vegetables are digested more quickly. Complex carbohydrates are somewhere in between—they digest more rapidly than fats, but not as quickly as fruit and vegetables.
Working luncheons are often roll-in deli buffets that usually rely on white meats and salad greens. It serves the dieter, the man-handler, and everyone else in between. Heavy items, such as potato salad, should be served on the side so guests can take a small portion. Serving these heavy items on the side will tend to discourage guests from consuming too much. Sixty-four percent of Americans are changing what they eat to healthier food, according to a survey from the International Food Information Council.1
It is important to remember that guests may be eating several luncheons during their stay at the hotel, so variety is essential. Most guests are satisfied with traditional breakfast selections, but they normally seek a greater selection for lunches. Or else they may go to a restaurant or bar for lunch and be late getting back to the afternoon’s business sessions. This may also throw off meal guarantees. Guests could get sidetracked and not come back at all. With working lunches, refueling, speed, and keeping guests on the property are the major objectives. The typical working luncheon is usually less than an hour.
The nonworking type of luncheon usually involves some sort of ceremony and is normally about one-and-a-half hour long. Many nonworking luncheons have speakers, audio-visual displays, fashion shows, awards, announcements, and so forth that may overshadow other objectives.
When you have a ceremonial type of luncheon, the logistics are more complicated. Head tables and reserved tables must be noted correctly, name badges prepared, audio-visual equipment installed and ready to go, all lighting synchronized properly, and printed materials, if any, set at each guest’s place.
Buffet, preset, and plated services are the typical service styles used for lunches. Speed is usually a major concern. Consequently, menus and service styles are usually selected with quickness and efficiency in mind.
Many guests will invariably complain if it is not a hot lunch. While you want to serve a healthy lunch, you should have some fatty foods on the menu. Some guests will be disappointed if they cannot have a few French fries or a rich dessert. You should see to it that alternatives are available to satisfy everyone.
Box lunches don’t have to be boring. If you are taking your group to an offsite location and providing a box lunch, look beyond the ubiquitous sandwich, piece of fruit, and cookie combo and ask the chef for more creative offerings.
Be sure you choose foods that go well together and don’t make it some random assortment. Appearance is important, so pay attention to the color, texture, and taste of the food that you select for your lunch menu.
You can be creative and have lunch served in Japanese Bento boxes,2 which are compartmentalized.
You can theme lunches to create a distinctive atmosphere, such as having Mardi Gras music playing as guests approach the room for a themed lunch. Everyone will literally dance into the room with big smiles on their faces. In Seattle, a Purple Haze lunch themed on native son Jimi, is a hit—not only for the music, but also for the themed menu that included a guitar-shaped dessert. Themes can focus on locations, seasons, upcoming holidays, and so on. You can have a tailgate party lunch for any sport.
Think of some fun and quirky theme dishes that will get people talking and go with the theme of the event.
Here is a Pinterest board with ideas for lunch: www.pinterest.com/pattishock/lunch/
Dinner
For many attendees, dinner is the main meal of the day, usually offered in the evening, and usually the heaviest meal.
Dinner is the most typical catered meal for social, wedding, nonprofit events, and affiliated sponsored events. While it shares many similarities with breakfast and luncheon, usually it is longer and more leisurely in service time and a more elaborate affair. It is the largest meal of the day and can typically include an hour reception with alcoholic or bar beverages prior to the dinner and the dinner may include continued bar and added table wine service.
Dinner portions in catering are larger portions than breakfast and lunch events. It is important to have dinner menus on your catering menus that are larger in offerings but not identical to lunch menus. This is because planners will frequently ask if lunch menus can be served for dinner. This forces a CCSM to communicate to the planner “yes, but at a higher price” due to dinner portions being larger, the length of service time is longer and whatever else the CCSM can think of short-of saying NO.
If banquet dinner menus are as inviting, cutting edge and progressive as in restaurants, planners will be more likely to stay within the meeting space and to fulfill their contracted food and beverage minimums.
Dinners normally consist of multiple courses—anywhere from three to nine. Possible courses include:
Appetizer
Soup
Salad
Intermezzo
Fish course
Main course: meat, vegetable, starch, bread
Dessert
Cheese course
Beverage
Unlike breakfast or luncheon, meeting planners are usually more adventurous when booking a dinner function because they usually have more money and time to work with. For example, Russian and French service styles are more likely at dinner than at other meals. Even the buffet, preset, and preplated service styles are enhanced. Also, award ceremonies, entertainment, and dancing are more common at dinner.
Many dinners are part of a theme, a fund-raiser, or other type of major production where food service is only one part of the event. Rarely are dinners scheduled merely for refueling purposes.
Dinner guests are not usually on a tight time schedule. They normally do not have to be at a business meeting or any other sort of activity later on in the evening.
Many meeting planners do not have sufficient culinary background or expertise to plan a major food and beverage function. We don’t recommend prime rib with very large groups. It is difficult to serve rare, some prefer it well done, and once cut juices seep out and it loses heat rapidly. Likewise, you cannot do soufflés for large numbers of people.
Food must do more than simply taste good, it must also look good and be presented beautifully. We do truly eat first with our eyes.
About 15 minutes before you want meal service to begin, begin alerting guests. Start the music, dim the lights in the prefunction area, ring chimes, or make announcements to signal guests that it is time to enter the dining room and start moving to their tables.
Servers should be standing ready at their stations when guests walk into the room, not leaning against the wall talking with each other.
From serving to removing of plates, the salad course should take 20 to 30 minutes; the main course about 30 to 50 minutes, and the dessert should take 20 to 30 minutes. The entire banquet service will be about 2 hours for the typical dinner event.
A dinner usually is much, much more than a meal. Food and beverage is only one part of it. You need to work with a caterer who is able to juggle many attractions when helping planners plan these major events.
Here is a Pinterest board with ideas for dinner: www.pinterest.com/pattishock/dinner/
Menu Planning
Catering menus should be updated annually. This is much easier said than done. It’s a good idea to start this process in July to have the menus ready for a December launch for preparing for the new calendar year in January. Unfortunately, you may be challenged with your January events using your previous year menus as the group planner may have budgeted based on the previous year’s menus and have already made his menu selections.
Sometimes the perception of food is reason not to include it on your menus. Lisa Lynn recalls having Escolar fish on her catering menus and a planner not familiar with it researched it online and informed her it was referred to as a having a laxative effect. This fish was removed from the menus.
Failing to adhere to their approved banquet documents and making changes onsite disrupts the operations team staffing assignments.
The last few years there have been items such as hard boiled eggs, coconut water, and string cheese on break menus, beverages included in box lunches, and soup and salad combinations as a first course for galas dinners.
There are times when a CCSM and chefs will need to plan special, unique menus for custom events such as desserts for first courses and dining in the dark events.
The director of catering is often responsible for developing standardized menus (in cooperation with the chef and the food and beverage director), as well as unique menus customized for particular planners. The types of menu items a facility can offer depend on several factors. Before adding a menu item to a standardized menu, or before offering to accommodate a planner’s particular menu request, the caterer needs to evaluate all relevant considerations that will affect the facility’s ability to offer it and the guest’s desire to eat it. Does the kitchen have the skill level to produce the item?
The demographics of the group attending the meal function must be considered. Average age, sex, ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic levels, diet restrictions, where the guests come from, employment and fraternal affiliations, and political leanings can indicate the types of menu items that might be most acceptable to the group. Psychographics (the study of guests’ lifestyles and the way in which they perceive themselves) can also be a useful indicator.
Age is often an excellent clue. Senior citizens usually do not want exotic foods or heavy, spicy foods, so excessive use of garlic, hot spices, and onions should be avoided. Avoid other distress-causing foods, such as vegetables in the cabbage family, beans, and legumes.
When a group is coming from a reception where heavy, filling hors d’oeuvres were served, the dinner should be lighter. If guests are coming from a liquor-only reception, then the meal could be heavier. If a group will be going to a business meeting immediately after lunch, order foods that will keep guests awake. Protein foods, such as seafood, lean beef, and skinless chicken, will keep guests alert. Carbohydrates, such as rice, bread, and pasta, tend to relax guests and put them to sleep. Fats, such as butter, whipped cream, and heavy salad dressings, also tend to make guests sleepy, sluggish, and inattentive.
Nutrition is a consideration for groups that will be at a hotel or conference or convention center for several days during a convention. Since virtually all meals during their stay will be consumed on the premises, special attention must be paid to nutritional requirements when planning menus.
Many people are avoiding trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup, sodium benzoate, and other unhealthy additives.
Whenever possible, have sauces and dressings served on the side so that guests can control their own portion sizes. Ask for fresh ingredients instead of processed foods that contain preservatives and other additives.
Menu Balance
When you plan a menu for a meal you should try to balance flavors, textures, shapes, colors, and temperatures. Appetites are stimulated by all of the senses. You should not plan meals that tend to overpower just one of them. Custom menus are becoming more popular, so it is important to be able to know what goes (or doesn’t go) with what.
Color is pleasing to the eye. Be aware of how a finished plate of food looks; it should not be monochromatic. How appetizing would it be if the chef prepared a plate of sliced white-meat turkey, mashed potatoes, and cauliflower? Guests will be turned off by the lack of color contrast.
You also want to avoid colors that clash. A plate of red or orange pasta would not be the place to have a red or purple crabapple slice.
Be cautious of strong flavors that may clash or be too similar. You should not serve broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts at the same meal—unless you were serving a medley as one vegetable. They are all strongly flavored vegetables and are in the same vegetable family. You need more variety and contrast to create a successful menu. It is particularly important to serve a bland vegetable, such as a potato, rice, or corn, to counter one with a strong taste, rather than serve two strongly flavored or two bland flavored vegetables.
You should strive to have something mild, something sweet, something salty, something bitter, or something sour on the menu.
Textures also are very important. Ideally you would have a pleasing combination of crisp, firm, smooth, and soft foods.
Product forms, shapes, and sizes should be mixed and matched. You should offer as much variety as possible. For instance, a menu could include a combination of flat, round, long, chopped, shredded, heaped, tubular, and square foods.
A temperature contrast will also appeal to most guests. A menu should offer both hot and cold food options. If you start with a cold appetizer, you should then serve a hot soup, followed by a cold salad, then a hot main course. We like variety in temperature. Most people also like to have hot and cold together, such as a hot fudge sundae.
The preparation method provides an opportunity for several pleasing contrasts. An appropriate assortment of sautéed, broiled, baked, roasted, steamed, sauced, and smoked foods will be more pleasing to guests than will foods prepared only one or two ways.
Avoid the common mistake of serving two or more starches, except on buffets (i.e., potatoes, rice, pasta, corn, etc.). The word starch should never be printed on a menu. Starch does not sound appetizing—starch is for shirts.
You also should offer several types and varieties of food courses. A meeting planner should be able to select an appropriate combination of appetizer, soup, salad, main course, starch, vegetable, bread, dessert, and beverage from the menu offerings.
New catering menus allow planners to choose one from column A and two from column B, and so on, rather than having every item pre-determined. This type of menu allows planners to choose a main course, types of vegetables, method of cooking, type of dessert, and so on. For example, a planner could choose to have the potatoes baked, au gratin, scalloped, or French-fried. This menu style should be limited to smaller properties. If you have five groups in-house and all order something different for lunch, it can be an operational nightmare.
Special Meals
There is more demand for special meals now than ever before. Guests come with all types of allergies, preferences, religious mandates, doctor’s orders, and so on.
You should develop a procedure for dealing with special meal requests in advance. Last-minute requests can throw off the kitchen. Because they haven’t planned in advance, they have to pull someone off of the line to work on one dish, which slows down the rest of the service. Most large hotels have breakfast potatoes and pastries on a daily rotation.
Always be sure the special meal is served last at each table. If it is served first, other guests may request that instead of the regular meal.
To simplify this process, request that the planner provides special meal tickets to those guests who request special meals during the registration process.
Some planners try to get reduced prices for things like vegetable or fruit plates, because they say a plate of vegetables costs the hotel less than that slab of prime rib. But, there is more labor involved in preparing and delivering a special meal. Special meals should cost the same or more than the regular menu. The extra labor and coordination are an expense.
To make life easier on the chefs, serving staff, and especially planners, do vegan meals such as butternut and acorn squash and risotto entrees. This satisfies most levels of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free requests. Thrive Meetings & Events will consult with hotels about providing special meals.3
Some planners will put a note on the registration form, asking anyone with allergies or disabilities to contact the planner so arrangements can be made. The National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) prints all menus in the registration packet with a form to submit if guests need any substitutions.
Menu design: Here is a Pinterest board with ideas for menus: www.pinterest.com/pattishock/menu-ideas/
Special Diets
Guests with special diets will influence the types of foods served. Some people cannot tolerate certain spices or peanuts (allergic reactions), sugar (diabetes), salt (high blood pressure, heart problems), fat (weight problems, high cholesterol), wheat, rye, or barley (celiac disease), or milk products (allergic reactions, lactose intolerance).
Food allergies include:
Gluten free
Seafood and shellfish
Nuts (tree nuts and peanuts)
Eggs
Cilantro
Dairy
Onion, garlic (chives, leeks, and shallots) all from the lily family of herbs
Soy
An acute allergic reaction to a food may manifest as swelling of the eyelids, face, lips, tongue, larynx, or trachea. Other reactions can include difficulty breathing, hives, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, or abdominal pain. Anaphylactic shock is a severe whole-body reaction that can result in death.
Some guests consume special diets for religious or lifestyle reasons. Some Jews require kosher foods; others may not keep kosher but will not eat pork or shellfish. Some devout Muslims may only eat halal (approved ) foods. Some people will not eat red meat but will eat poultry and seafood. Many vegetarians (often called lacto-ovo vegetarians) will not eat animal flesh but will eat animal by-products such as eggs and dairy products, but vegans will not eat anything from any animal source, including cream, eggs, butter, and honey. Accommodating some ethnic or religious requirements may create added expenses because of a need to hire outside-specialized personnel (such as a rabbi to supervise kosher preparations) or to acquire special food items.
Here is a Pinterest board with ideas for special meals: www.pinterest.com/pattishock/special-meals/
With enough advance warning, the hotel can order kosher meals from a kosher kitchen. There would, of course, be an extra charge for this. When it comes to kosher meals you have to be careful to ask: “what level of kosher does the guest eat?” (Kosher style, Glatt, served with paper, plastic, etc.). When doing events that are 100 percent kosher, you are at the mercy of the supervising rabbi and some are stricter than others. Lisa Lynn worked with one rabbi on a reception for 2,000 guests and he required her to order whole salmon—ungutted salmon that weighed a ton and were costly to ship.
Chef’s Tables and Food Tastings
A Chef’s Table is usually located in or near the kitchen of a restaurant. VIPs and special guests are served a special meal prepared and served by the head chef—often right in the kitchen. Some restaurants, such as Smith & Wollensky and Delmonico in Las Vegas have glassed in areas that separate the diners from the kitchen, while still providing a view of the activity of the chefs preparing the meal. Dining in this manner is pricey, but you may have a small group of important people that would love a unique experience.
Chef’s tables are often used for tastings for high-end meeting planners that want to taste the different options available for the various courses. The tasting can be a degustation, which is a culinary term meaning an appreciative tasting of various foods. It focuses on the sampling of small portions of many of a chef’s signature dishes in one sitting. Each course is presented in an Iron Chef format, where the chef describes each dish he or she has prepared.
A tasting not only allows a planner to decide between different items (types of appetizers, etc.) but also to test the food quality at the hotel.
Not every event will warrant a tasting. Planners with low budgets that are ordering ordinary items will rarely be given a tasting.
Some CCSMs try to avoid tastings, because many planners have abused the privilege by bringing too many people to the tasting. Realizing that many things are decided by committee, some CCSMs will provide a complimentary tasting for a set number of people, say four or six, but any additional guests will be charged a fee.
Belo Mansion in Dallas provides a copy of their tasting guidelines:
Tastings may be requested and scheduled for plated events with a food and beverage minimum of $10,000.00 or above. Availability of specific items to be tasted and scheduling of such tasting are at the sole discretion and availability of the Chef. Tastings are available Tuesday through Thursday, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. This avoids any lunch or dinner events/ commitments with our Culinary and Banquet Team. Only one (1) tasting is offered complimentary for up to 4 people. We do not provide tastings for items from our stations and displays menus. We are happy to customize a menu to meet your style and needs or you may select from our selection of menus.
Provide us with your selection of:
4 Hors d ’Oeuvres
2 Salads
2 Entrees
2 Desserts
Please forward three (3) dates and times that work best with your schedule, keeping in line with the above guidelines and we will find a date that works with our Culinary and Banquet Teams event calendars. We require no less than two (2) weeks’ notice for such arrangements to be made. Lastly, we must have your menu selections no later than 10 days prior to the tasting to keep your original scheduled date.
Conducting a Food Tasting
Food tastings are often requested for events such as wedding receptions, nonprofit galas, large conventions with specific dietarian concerns and service level, and so on. Low-budget SMERF4 meetings rarely merit tastings.
When planners book social events they often do this on blind faith that the food offerings will be to their satisfaction. Planners may take this blind leap of faith to book hotels and facilities, without having tasted their cuisine up to a year or a few years in advance, and hoteliers and other CCSMs therefore may provide a complimentary food tasting. It stands to reason that most CCSMs conduct menu tastings only after contracts have been signed. These tasting events are also a time for CCSMs to get to know the planner(s) on a more personal level and understand their preferences. It will also uncover important items such as allergies, religious and dietary restrictions, likes and dislikes of the planners and their guests, and families.
Weddings can involve just the couple or the couple plus each set of their parents. Tastings for a nonprofit gala can include the entire planning committee or board of directors. Corporate tastings are not as common but can be more grueling in their degree of critique, as these meeting planning planners may conduct tastings for annual conference at high-end hotels all over the country and perhaps internationally and compare those to yours. The CCSM is usually not privy to the planner’s experience of what exactly went well and what didn’t in food service and logistics at his previous conferences.
From a CCSM’s point of view, the best part of food tastings can be their upselling opportunity by suggesting (and providing tastings of ) added course food offerings such as soup, intermezzo, wines, cordials, and so on. Also, in the same vein, upgraded décor, linen, floral, lighting, and audio-visual can be suggested to the planner at this juncture. Lastly, the CCSM can actually get a head start on BEOs by the planner’s confirmation of the food selected.
Food and beverage is generally the highest cost for many events. For planners to be able to experience the tasting of menu items before their event(s) provides them a sense of relief, an excitement of the upcoming event and allows them to make changes to customize the offerings.
Often the banquet and culinary teams will strive to wow the event planners attending the tasting with VIP presentations and serving equipment. And who doesn’t like a wow? However, it’s a really good idea to keep the tasting food presentation and serving vessels the same way you would be actually serving the group event onsite. This way the expectations were set and clearly understood at the tasting.
Tasting can range from a full menu with each course tasted by each planner and their guests to a sample tasting of each or selected items shared by all attending tasting. The planner will need to communicate which menu they are wishing to sample. For example, the plated, the buffet, or the food station reception items. For plated meal tastings it is appropriate to taste all items. For buffets and receptions it is appropriate to taste most if not all of the proteins, up to four hors d’oeuvres (traditionally two hot and two cold, of which one of each should be vegetarian), two composed salads, three entrees of which one should be vegetarian, and up to two desserts or three flavors of wedding cake. Items not feasible or necessary to try at a tasting are carving station items, cold seafood, crudité and cheese displays, salad bars items, action dessert station items, and most sides such as vegetables, rice and potatoes, and breadbaskets. A must try would be specialty desserts, signature drinks, and upsell of high-end varietal wines!
If planners want a more extensive tasting than you have proposed, it is absolutely appropriate to charge for the full price of higher-end items and the labor to cook and serve these items. Some facilities will credit back the amount of the tasting account after the event has actualized.
To save on food cost, a good idea is to present the items or entrée on a show plate5 and then on a second or multiple plates divide the item into tasting portions and serve that to guests.
For the best results possible, create a tasting document and have that available for all those tasting to note their comments on. Also take copious notes on the planner’s feedback, and photos of all items tasted and their presentation. E-mail and print these photos and distribute to the culinary and banquet teams both right after the tasting and a couple of weeks before the actual event(s). This will help any new team members to know what the planner experienced and is expecting for their event, which could be several months in the future.
Food Safety
According to FoodSafety.gov6 one in six Americans will get sick from food poisoning each year.
There is a difference between clean dirt and dirty dirt. Clean dirt is caused from everyday preparation and is removed every day. Dirty dirt hides in the crevices—it is dirt that is not cleaned up daily and it builds up. Dirty dirt contains bacteria and nasty creatures like salmonella,7 clostridium perfringens,8 or listeria.9 And, food that is not handled properly can contain E. Coli.10
Is food kept at the proper temperatures? Perishable food must not sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Foods must be kept above 145°F or below 45°F. The danger zone for perishable foods is between 41°F and 135°F. Temperatures should be checked both in the kitchen and in the chafing dishes that sit out on buffets.
Are food handlers wearing plastic gloves? Do they have their hair contained (Back in the olden days, all servers, as well as food handlers were required to wear hair nets—not attractive, but effective.)?
With outdoor events it is even more critical because there is not always refrigeration available, and foods sit out in the danger zone. Never have anything with mayonnaise, such as potato salad, or cream, such as a cream pie, sitting in the sun.
Receptions
At receptions, plates can add as much as 1/3 to food cost. Guests tend to pile food up on plates and often don’t eat everything. Remember, it isn’t how much they eat, but how much they take.
Pre-dinner receptions are designed to encourage people to get to know one another. Most conventions schedule an opening reception to allow guests to make new friends and renew old acquaintances. If a reception is not scheduled, guests may meet only the handful of people sitting at the dining table.
Stand-alone receptions are not predinner receptions. They are typically held during standard dinner hours and are intended to take the place of dinner. This type of reception allows guests more time to have a drink, eat a little, and get to know one another. Once a guest is seated at a banquet, they only have the other people at the table to network with.
The selection of food should include both cold and hot items. Food should have broad appeal. Here is a Pinterest board with ideas for receptions: www.pinterest.com/pattishock/receptions/
Determining Quantities of Food and Beverage
For receptions with dinner following, allow for about six to eight pieces per person. For receptions with no dinner following, anticipate approximately 10 to 14 pieces per person. If there are more females than males in the group, trend toward ordering 10 pieces, but if the group composition is the other way around, plan for 14 pieces.
Guarantees
Normally the chef will prepare enough food to serve more than the guaranteed guest count. This overproduction is necessary to avoid running out of food. If the menu includes unusual foods that cannot be used in other areas of the hotel or other events, the planner will need to pay a higher price to defray the extra food costs. With a standardized menu, planners may not have to worry about paying for overproduction. Chefs usually prepare for 3 to 5 percent over the guarantee, but this is negotiable.
The guarantee is critical. The planner must pay for the amount guaranteed, even if that many people do not show up. If a planner guarantees 500 people and only 300 show up, payment for 500 is still required. Payment for no-shows is called attrition. Generally, a planner gives an initial guarantee when the event is booked. A final guarantee must be made 48 hours in advance of the event, to allow the hotel to order the food and call in staff. In some areas, where food deliveries are not available on a daily basis, a 72-hour guarantee may be required. In some cases, hotels will allow planners to add additional guests as late as 24 hours in advance, but they may not subtract from the final guarantee.
Labor
Some menu items are very labor-intensive, particularly those made from scratch. This is particularly true of handmade cold hors d’oeuvres by the garde manger chefs. It is not unusual for labor costs to be as much as one-third or more of a meal function’s total price.
Labor is expensive in the foodservice industry. There are many hidden labor costs that are not readily apparent. There is a great deal of pressure to hold the line on labor costs. To control labor costs, a hotel may need to purchase more convenience foods, reduce menu options, eliminate menu items that require a great deal of expertise to prepare and serve, or charge the planner more.
Beverage Offerings
Understanding the purpose of the beverage function will give the catering sales representative an insight to the type of event desired. This information is invaluable when creating an exciting, memorable event. There are many reasons to schedule beverage functions. These events usually serve as a way for guests to socialize and engage in networking. A short reception can provide a transition period from a long workday to an enjoyable dinner.
A cocktail reception scheduled from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. instead of a dinner should offer a variety and quantity of foods so guests can have enough to satisfy their appetite.
Spirits include distilled beverages, such as bourbon, scotch, gin, vodka, brandy, rum, tequila, and a variety of blends. Spirits can be consumed straight (neat), on the rocks (over ice), or as highballs or cocktails, mixed with a variety of ingredients.
Trends show that overall consumption will average three drinks per person during a normal 2-hour reception period. Always consult the history of the group for liquor consumption trends. If the group history is not available, assuming that 50 percent of the people will order spirits, order the following quantities for every 100 guests (Table 6.1).
Wine consumption trends show that overall consumption will average three glasses per person during a normal-hour reception period. Assuming that 50 percent of the people will order wine, order 30 750-ml bottles for every 100 guests. Wine consumption trends also suggest approximately 60 percent of people will drink red wine, with the remainder preferring white.
Table 6.1 Par Stock for 100 Quests
Bourbon |
2 bottles |
Scotch whisky |
2 bottles |
Blended or Canadian |
2 bottles |
Vodka |
3 bottles |
Gin |
1 bottle |
Rum |
1 bottle |
Brandy or Cognac |
1 bottle |
Tequila |
1 bottle |
Beer is classed as domestic or imported. Domestic beers would include Budweiser, Coors, and Michelob. There are also light beers, such as Bud Light, Miller Lite, or Coors Light. Imported beers would include Heineken, Corona, Fosters, Stella Artois, Pacifico, Tecate, Sol, or Dos Equis.
There are also specialty beers from microbreweries. Catering managers should know what is available in their area and be prepared to discuss these options with planners.
Kegs, or the smaller pony kegs, of beer would be appropriate for an outdoor tailgate, barbecue, or picnic, or where low price is a key factor. It is important to have the proper serving equipment and staff that are experienced with kegs so that warm or foamy beer is not served.
Neutral beverages do not contain alcohol and include sparkling or still water, tea, coffee, nonalcoholic wines or beers, juice, soft drinks, and so on.
Specialty Drinks
These primarily alcoholic drinks are a fun way to carry out the theme of an event. It can be by color, name, garnish, or presentation that makes these must-try event exciters. Still popular are anything-tinis. These are spins on the classic martini with items added like liqueurs and juices for color and flavor, for example Chambord, Grenadine, Campari, pome-granate, and cranberry juices for a red color. Other fun food items can be added for floating garnish such as mint leaves, cucumber and fig slices, assorted fresh and dried fruit skewered, or ribbons of a shaved vegetable on a large plastic pick. Lollipops and sugar swizzle sticks can be provided for stirring in sweetness.
Drink stations still in current popularity are:
Margarita with flavors of strawberry, mango, peach, and so on
Bloody Mary with gin, whiskey, bacon strips, large shrimp garnish, and so on
Martinis with classic spirits such as vodka and gin or flavored spirits and garnishes
Mojitos with various rums and herbs
Mules from the classic vodka Moscow Mule to bourbon, tequila, fruits, and herbs
Lemonade stand featuring flavored lemonade and a selection of hard lemonades
Sangrias with seasonal fruit with red or white wines and nonalcoholic sangria
Iced Tea with flavors of green tea
Champagne cocktails and fruit puree Bellinis
Layering drinks for the horizontal effect can be dramatic. The trick to this is to know what liquids are the heaviest and should be poured first for the bottom layer. For example, one could start with Kahlua then pour a lighter liquid on top such as a banana liqueur, and top it with the lightest of the three such as Cinnamon Schnapps.
Search the Internet for sites on gravity charts11 for layered drinks that list the weight and color.
Here is a Pinterest page with beverage ideas: www.pinterest.com/pattishock/drinks/
Liquor Laws
Liquor laws vary from state to state and even from county to county. Laws govern the times of sale, the days of sale, and the size of bottles sold. Delivery of any liquor must be provided by the hotel’s contracted providers including donated products.
There are four types of illegal sales in all states:
Sale to minors
Sale to intoxicated persons
Sales outside of legal hours
Improper liquor license
Signage
One of the most overlooked components of creating specialty meals, buffets, signature drinks, and food stations is the appropriate signage. It is vital to the success of the event which you and the planner have created together to have signage that reinforces the theme. For example if you are serving a signature drink that is named Trifecta it’s important to place a sample drink on the bar showing the three layers that correspond to the drink and how the drink fits theme of a horse-racing event. Then add the signage with the name of the drink followed by the ingredients list.
Group Cash Concessions in the Meeting Space
Another manner of providing a group with food and drink is through the use of cash concessions, wherein group participants pay their own way rather than being provided with these comestibles as a part of their conference or event participation. Planners sometimes view this as an easy way out, an efficient alternative that relieves them of making arrangements, menu decisions, and making payments to the hotel. This is usually requested by the planner for the hotel to offer, so they do not have to organize and pay for a catered function and they want to keep the guests close to the meeting space. Otherwise guests are required to find meals within the facility outlets or at neighboring restaurants where service times are unknown.
In actuality, cash concessions are generally a lose-lose proposition in view of the fact that most conference centers are not set up for this. In this case, cash food concessions can be discouraged by a CCSM in almost every circumstance, to eliminate added labor cost with little sales return.
The hotel loses because a cash concession operation is much more complex than it would appear.
There are the logistics involved. The primary method of payment is cash, so cash registers are installed and power provided to them. In hotels or facilities where credit card payment is an option then POS electronic connections must be provided. Ropes and stanchions may be needed to isolate the food or beverage sales operation(s) from other convention users within the public shared physical space in which it is set up.
Staffing is required to execute the sales transactions, bring in and later remove the products that are for sale. Whenever staffing is involved, labor and labor union rules and policies must be considered and adhered to. Servers and laborers are likely to belong to two or more different unions, which could create scheduling issues for more than one department. For example, if a hotel banquet facility does not have a cashier they need to request them from other food outlets such as restaurants, food courts, and so on.
Finally, the concept of cash concession sales—particularly of foodstuffs—leads to considerable waste, since most all non-prepackaged edibles and perishable foods cannot be returned to inventory once they are placed on the selling table; the overages must be trashed.
The are times where cash concessions will pay off. These times are when the hotel may be hosting/sponsoring a several thousand person event where guests are held captive within the meeting space or an outdoor event for extended periods of time. For example, tournaments, pageants, sporting events and concerts.
The meeting planner loses because the hotel will contractually insist upon the cash concession operation returning at least a bare bones profit or breakeven return. Thus, the planner may be faced with a $3,000 (plus or minus, depending on the nature of the meal and size of the group) minimum charge, plus additional hourly fees for servers or bartenders. In their attempt to escape the complexities by using a less expensive, simpler solution, they usually end up paying for the service of providing the meal versus the actual meal for the guest. Also, the menu offerings are only what the hotel chooses to produce, which may be simple salads, a salad with protein, a cold sandwich, and prepackaged items such as chips, candy, energy bars, bottled water, and canned soft drinks.
And finally, with a cash concession operation, the meeting planner may have to pay for additional regulatory fees such as fire marshal permits and health department permit applications and inspections.
A very important part of safety is providing room layout diagrams in the fire marshal permit application process. Whoever submits the permit applications must show on their diagrams all items required by the local fire prevention department. This includes showing the dimensions of the egress, ingress, calculated amount of exiting, and all stationary and movable items in the room from tables, chairs, fire extinguishers, audio-visual equipment, registration desk or counters, ropes and stanchions, exhibit booths, food and beverage stations, and so on. Also, special permits may be required for motorized or gas vehicles displayed, certain types of cooking fuels and fire watch (turning off the automatic sprinkling system) for indoor cooking and theatrical hazing or fogging events. These permits will require plan checking approval based on diagrams and finalized by onsite inspections of code compliance.
The Banquet Event Order
How much attention do you pay to your BEOs? They should be read as carefully as a contract, because they are contracts and are legally enforceable. By signing the BEO, you are agreeing that the contents are correct.
BEOs are also called function sheet or event order. They serve as the basis of internal communication between departments. A BEO is prepared for each event and copies are sent to relevant departments, including the chef, the purchasing agent, the banquet manager, convention service management, and even the valet manager, so enough staff can be scheduled to park cars.
BEOs are usually numbered sequentially for easy reference. They are usually distributed one week in advance of event.
Pay special attention to the times and be sure they match the times on the guest schedule. Guests will be upset if they arrive for breakfast at 7:30 a.m., the time on the schedule, only to find nothing ready—not even coffee—because the banquet captain’s BEO shows 8:00 a.m. as the start time.
Also check the room assigned. Hotels often switch rooms at the last minute.
Conducting a BEO meeting is covered in Chapter 5. A sample BEO can be found in the Appendix.
Elements of a BEO:
BEO number
Function day(s) or date(s)
Type of function
Planner name or signature line
Planner address
Contact person
Authorized signature(s)
Name of function room scheduled
Start time of function
Expected ending time
Number of guests
Number of guests to prepare for
Menus
Style of service
Function-room setup (décor, table layout, staging, etc.)
Special instructions (ice carvings, special lighting, dealing with entertainers, etc.)
Prices, gratuity, taxes
Master billing account number
Billing instructions
Reference to other BEOs or other relevant records
Date BEO completed
Signature of person preparing (or approving) the BEO
List of departments receiving copy of BEO
Change order or change log: An addendum to a BEO. CCSMs or planners often make alterations to booked functions. They may order changes in the menu one week before the event is scheduled, switch from table service to buffet service three days before, or decide to add extra bars 24 hours in advance. Be sure the addendum is signed or initialed by both parties.
Resume: While a BEO is for one function, the resume is a packet of all of the BEOs for a multiday meeting, including room set instructions for all meeting rooms.
Specifications That Are Common for Large Hotel BEO Standards for 3-Hour Reception for 500 Guests with a 24-Hour Room Hold
All event lines should appear in time order followed by event name and then ballroom name for example:
12:01 a.m.–11:59 p.m. |
Grand ballroom |
24-hour hold |
|
12:01 a.m.–4:00 p.m. |
Set up |
Grand ballroom |
220 set (total chairs) |
6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. |
Reception |
Grand ballroom |
500 guarantee |
9:00 p.m.–11:59 p.m. |
Teardown |
Grand ballroom |
Below this the food and beverage should be listed also in time order always beginning with cold items.
Seafood on ice displays: Note number of pieces of each item
Cold food displays: Fruit, crudités, cheese, and antipasto trays list number of displays)
Cold hors d ’oeuvres: Note if they are tray passed or stationary list number of displays)
Hot hors d’ oeuvres: Note if they are tray passed or stationary list number of displays)
Salad stations: List types of salads and accompaniments
Hot buffet items: List items in menu and accompaniments
Carving stations: List types of meat followed by sauces and bread or rolls
Dessert stations: List items in menu and accompaniments
Hosted premium bar: List in order spirits, wines, beers, energy drinks, soft drinks, and bottled water
Notes should be made in the following categories:
Foyer Setup
(2) 6 feet × 30 inches tables with VIP Covers, (4) chairs, (1) wastebasket for registration
Ballroom Setup
See diagram—set by 3:00 p.m.
Set 18 feet × 8 feet × 24 inches stage with (2) sets of side steps
(10) 6-foot rounds of 10
(30) low cocktail rounds with (4) four chairs each
(30) tall standing tables
Audio-Visual
Working directly with (insert audio-visual manager and cell phone number)
List audio-visual if appropriate (note many large hotels with outside audio-visual providers cover this on a separate contract )
Set by 1:00 p.m.—work with setup on timing of stage, table, and chair sets
Banquet Manager
Tray pass hot hors d’oeuvres for first hour 6:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m.
Silverware in baskets at each station
Use planner provided logo paper napkins at each station
(2) stations for each food offering
White underlay with black overlay on 6’ rounds
Black underlay with white overlay on low cocktail rounds and tall standing tables
Planner Providing
(2,000) sponsored logo paper napkins
Chefs
(2) stations for each food offering
(2) chef attendants for carving station
(1,000) pieces of hot hors d’oeuvres tray passed for first hour 6:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m., food stations following
Stewarding
(2) stations for each food offering
Induction tables for carving stations
Heat lamps for hot hors d’oeuvres
Engineering
Set 32 feet × 32 feet dance floor by 3:00 p.m. and strike12 between 9:00 p.m.—10:00 p.m.
Power to bars and carving stations
Schedule of Events
12:01 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Setup
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Band or DJ set up and rehearsal
4:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Banquet server setup
5:45 p.m. Ready serve time
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Guests enjoy food, hosted bar beverages, and entertainment
8:00 p.m. Soft close of any food stations and bars if needed
9:00 p.m. Hard close all bars and remaining food stations
9:00 p.m. Event ends
Billing
Charge to master account #XYZ
A Common All-Day Small Meeting-Only Standard:
12:01 a.m.–8:00 a.m. |
Set up |
Ballroom A |
U-shape for 30 |
8:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. |
Meeting |
Ballroom A |
|
10:00 a.m.–10:15 a.m. |
Break |
||
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. |
Lunch Break |
||
12:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m. |
Meeting |
Ballroom A |
|
3:00 p.m.—3:15 p.m. |
Break |
Banquet Manager
No food and beverage required—meeting only
Ballroom Setup
See diagram—set by 8:00 a.m.
U-Shape for 30
Pads, pens, and mints
(1) water station in back of room $250
Refresh Room
10:00 a.m.–10:15 a.m.
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m.–3:15 p.m.
Audio-Visual
Working directly with (insert audio-visual manager and cell phone number)
List audio-visual if appropriate (note many large hotels with outside audio-visual providers this is covered on a separate contract)
Billing
Charge to master account #XYZ
General BEO Information
The standardized BEO contains six fields and will contain menus and items for a specific event.
BEOs need to be sourced and completed every Monday for any events taking place the following Monday–Sunday. Banquet manager must always be sourced. Any changes or additions made after this must be distributed appropriately.
Monday morning BEOs will be batch printed, copied, and distributed for the following Monday–Sunday.
BEO Types
Completed BEOs are in the system, checked complete, and ready to go for the weekly distribution. This will list the food and beverage order including number of expected guests and pricing, setup details, chef, and banquet manger notes.
TBD (to be determined): If you do not have the complete BEO information for a definite booking when the weekly is distributed a TBD BEO is sent out. List on this BEO the event(s) time, number of people, and event type and price. This will assist the banquet department in scheduling. Note that the banquet, setup, and culinary departments will schedule staff based on this information indicated. On the weekly, TBD should be hand written next to this information.
Once the BEO is distributed TBD should be stamped on those BEO’s.
Please note that the banquet department will schedule staff based on the information indicated.
Addition: Pop-up events happen more often than we would like. Primarily this occurs because a group adds unexpected events. Sometimes it is because the planner didn’t provide all of the correct information, and sometimes because the planner did give us all the event information and we just couldn’t get to it in time for the weekly distribution. Unfortunately, this causes additional staffing changes and additions that can cause undue stress on operation teams. However, in the hospitality industry we respond so quickly to these pop-ups that we have created planner expectations that we can make miracles happen onsite … and they don’t hesitate to request these types of unplanned add-ons! Pop-ups that happen during the day of occurrence, or within the next two days, warrant e-mails to the operations team. Pop-ups for the following week can go in the daily distribution for pop-ups.
Revision: Revision of a BEO should be used if a majority of the food, setup, or times has changed on an existing BEO. It is helpful to operations to indicate what your changes are. It is the discretion of the CCSM when to make to revised a BEO or whether to announce the changes at the daily BEO meeting. Once the BEO is distributed as a Revision a copy of it will replace the original in the BEO file.
It is helpful to operations to indicate what your changes are. It is the discretion of the manager to make the judgment call on when a BEO is to be revised and redistributed or when the changes can be gone over in BEO meeting.
Once the BEO is distributed, Revision should be stamped on those BEO.
Change log: It should be updated when you are making changes to a BEO.
A change log should not be done when you are revising a BEO. These should be only minor changes such as adding a table, removing chairs, and so on.
All change log changes need to be noted on the original BEO in the file.
Guarantee or Set
Guarantee and set numbers need to be agreed on at least three days (72 business hours) prior to the event.
Meal Types
Sample types of BEOs with general knowledge needed to create the correct BEOs.
If the group is under 25 people, continental breakfast and a buffet can go on the same BEO if the event takes place in the same function room (coffee break staff ).
If the group is under 25 and the breakfast, lunch, or dinner take place in a separate room it needs to be on its own BEO (only exception will be if the breakfast is continental ) (A list staff 13).
Continental breakfast is considered to be an existing continental with one hot item regardless of size (coffee break staff ).
Should two hot items be on the continental it becomes its own BEO (A list staff ).
Coffee breaks and meal functions plated or buffet from 26+ need to be split on separate BEOs (A list).
Anything plated needs to go on a separate BEO (A list).
All plated functions go to A list.
Banquet Check Procedures
Most planners should be provided (either by the CCSM or banquet manager) with their banquet checks the following day of the event.
Every day around in mid- to late-morning, the CCSM or banquet manager should present the planner with all their banquet checks from the previous day. This will allow the planners to compare the actual charges to their spreadsheet of budgeted charges or previously signed BEOs prior to actual consumption.
It will be each CCSM’s responsibility to review the checks on a daily basis to make sure they are correct prior to delivering to the planner.
In addition to reviewing the banquet checks the CCSM should review the micros check that will also be attached. You will need to double check the micros ticket to make sure that it matches the grand total on each of the banquet checks. This will also confirm this has been posted as definite revenue.
If the checks have errors and changes need to be made, the CCSM will assure that the changes are made and the correct check is presented to the client.
Once your group has concluded and all checks are correct the CCSM will notify the audit or the accounting department the group is ready for final billing as far as the banquet charges are considered.
Recording BEO and Banquet Check Changes
It is important that when the financial changes are made to the BEO that they are not only put into the change log, but also changed in Delphi, or another CRM system. The more correct the information is in Delphi or other CRM systems, the more accurate banquet checks and final billing will be at the conclusion of the event. Updating information with revenue changes will assist in monitoring the food and beverage minimum. Additionally, this will allow the CCSM to know where they stand for upsell incentives.
1 Food Information Council: http://www.foodinsight.org/articles/2016-food-and-health-survey-food-decision-2016-impact-growing-national-food-dialogue
2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento
4 SMERF: Social, Military, Educational, Religious, and Fraternal Groups. Typically low budget.
5 A decorative plate preset on the table settings and removed prior to service.
6 www.foodsafety.gov/keep/basics/index.html
8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clostridium_perfringens
11 cocktails.about.com/od/mixology/qt/spirit_graudio-visuality.htm
12 Tear down.
13 The A list is the first group of banquet servers that are called in for events. Should additional servers be required, they would move to the B list, and so on.