1. Never use a new caterer or a social caterer for a large corporate event. Never. I don't care if your Aunt Sally swears on the grave of her dead mother that a caterer is fabulous, corporate catering is about more than good food. The food must not detract from the business purpose of the meeting, and wedding or social event caterers simply don't have the background to incorporate food service appropriately. It's a skill that should be proven before unleashing a new catering provider on an important event. Test new caterers out on small lunches—make sure the food is good and delivery times are kept before handing over an important event to someone you've not worked with before.



2. Know your eaters. Is the group entirely female? Male? Elderly with possible food restrictions? Menus for a company of environmentalist animal lovers or members of the American Heart Association should probably not consist entirely of fatty meats. Alternatively, it would be inappropriate to create a limited vegetarian menu for cattle farm suppliers. Try to include a few items that would satisfy everyone's palate. If you're ordering box lunches with sandwiches, order a mix of meat and vegetarian, and throw in a few salads. Don't be afraid to ask your caterer for advice. If you're new to setting up events, professional caterers can give you a good idea of the selection breakdown that more experienced planners choose.

3. Read the agenda. Is the event a working lunch or an appreciation event? Made to order omelets would be great for a morning awards ceremony, but meetings requiring note taking and decision making require more control over food service. Food should be in the background with no fuss for working meetings, but something special is great for appreciation events.

4. At minimum, develop a list of five quality caterers. It's often tempting to use a favorite caterer for all events, but variety is essential to happy meeting goers. You must remember that you're not the only person in a company who is organizing catering events, so it's likely folks are going to get repeat menus day after day if you select the same caterer each time. If this happens, complaints will abound-- people get serious about their food!

5. The number one thing to get right: Timing! Time is a tricky factor when it comes to catering. If you're ordering hot food, you need to time delivery accordingly so that it doesn't get cold. If there is any question at all about dining times, and I do mean AT ALL, order a box lunch that can be delivered ahead of time without risk of compromising the quality of the food. Late food delivery will disrupt a meeting and skew meeting schedules. Meeting administrators frown on presentation disruptions.

In short: research, planning, and proactive organization equals a successful event every time.