Notable Catering Trends in 2022 You Need to Try
/0 Comments/in Corporate Events, Event Planning /by Courtney CoulombeNotable Catering Trends in 2022 that You Need to Try
Planit Events Inc. shares new catering trends of 2022 for you to try out at your next event!
Notable Catering Trends in 2022 that You Need to Try
Each year it’s so exciting to see the new and emerging trends in the events industry. In December I wrote a blog post that summarized the trends from the events industry in 2021 (you can check it out here). This time around I decided I would share some of the catering trends that have gained popularity and perhaps one of these trends will be fun to implement into one of your upcoming events!
Pandemic-Friendly Food Serving
The first one is a little obvious, but due to the pandemic (I swear, I will try to say this word less and less), catering has had to become creative to share food and treats safely. This led to a huge increase in individually wrapped servings, but many catering companies made light of the situation and got crafty. Take a look at some of these awesome ideas:
I do predict moving forward that this trend is here to stick around. Whether you are catering your own event or hiring a catering company, don’t be scared to be creative and have fun with it. Give your guests something to talk about!
It’s All About the Flavor
In the past, when thinking of catering for large events, many planners tended to stick with the more conservative palette for flavor, but according to studies from recent years, guests love trying new and bold flavors. Your event isn’t just about being informative or celebrating, it’s about being memorable and most importantly creating an experience for your guest. By incorporating bold flavors you’re doing just that!
Alcoholic vs Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Depending on your event and audience, you may choose to incorporate alcoholic beverages. This isn’t anything new or memorable to note, but what is, is that more are choosing to not indulge in alcohol anymore. So they’re left with the option of ordering a water, soft drink, or coffee/tea. And guess what, that’s no fun. Consider asking your bar team to add in a few fun non-alcoholic beverages, mocktails. Looking for some inspiration? Check out these fun mocktail ideas!
Think Green
Moving into 2022 more individuals and organizations are moving towards becoming more green. This is great, however, it can pose a bit of a challenge and this may require you to be a bit more creative about your catering. So how can you move towards a more green-friendly option?
- Not using disposable plates, cutlery, or glassware
- Cloth napkins
- Responsible sourcing of ingredients
The key message from this blog that I would love for you to take away is, make your event an experience for your guest and I can assure you they will be returning in years to come. And of course, if you need help along your event journey, or perhaps you’re looking to pizazz things up a bit, Planit Events Inc. is here for you! Send us a message and we would be happy to see how we can help your vision come to life.
How to Create Contingency Plans that Guarantee Success
/0 Comments/in Corporate Events, Event Planning /by Courtney CoulombeCreating Event Contingency Plans that Work
Planit Events Inc. shares tips on creating event contingency plans to ensure your event runs as smoothly as possible.
How to Create Contingency Plans that Guarantee Success
Before we get started, it’s important to know what a contingency plan is and why they are important to have in place for your upcoming event. A contingency plan is any “backup” plan that you have in place in case of any unforeseen circumstances. Some examples of unforeseen circumstances in the events world include:
- Budgeting issues
- Catering canceling
- Bathrooms failing (trust me I’ve seen this before)
- Time delays
- And much more…
In the events world, so many things can go wrong due to so many independent factors so it is best to be prepared with contingency plans ahead of time so that when something does happen you are prepared and the event can continue like nothing even happened in the first place.
Step 1: Create a List of Risks
The first step in creating contingency plans is to decide which elements of your event are potential risks. It is crucial to be extra diligent during this step because even though it may be unlikely that part of your event may fail due to unforeseen circumstances, it is still a possibility. Some things to consider putting on your list may include:
- Failure of specific guests (especially speaking ones) to arrive on time
- Weather, for both indoor and outdoor events. Even though your event is indoors, will the road conditions to get to your event be a potential risk?
- Injuries or accidents
- Team members calling in sick
Step 2: Rank the Risks
The second step is to rank the risks in order of how large of an effect it will have on the event’s success. For example, weather for an outdoor event may have a larger impact than the special speaking guests arriving 15 minutes late. I like to use a scale ranging from 1 to 5, with 1 being a low risk and 5 being high risk.
Step 3: Creating the Contingency Plans
Step three is one of the more crucial steps – making the plans. This step can sometimes take a little sprinkle (or a big sprinkle) of creativity. To develop contingency plans you need to think outside of the box. For example, at a wedding I attended a few years ago, everything was going smoothly until it wasn’t. The toilets at the hall started to fail and it was a very short time before not a single toilet worked, and there was an open bar to boot so as you can imagine it was a less than ideal situation. So, where’s the contingency plan? Porta-potties were quickly delivered just in time to save the day! Not a pretty problem, I know, but contingency plans need to be in place, or problems like these can end up being disasters.
If you’re planning an outdoor event, especially in the Edmonton area, we know the weather can be… let’s say a little unpredictable. Has it snowed in May? Absolutely. Weather is one of the more tricky elements to create a contingency plan for. Will your event continue rain or shine? Do you have tents as backup just in case of bad weather? Will your guests still want to continue with the event? All of these questions must be considered when developing your contingency plans.
Step 4: Briefing Your Team
What’s almost just as important as the contingency plans themselves? Your team! Don’t forget to include your team members in the plans, whether it’s solely the ones they’re involved in or all of the plans to increase overlap. Ensure you notify team members of the following:
- Their role in any plan they are involved in
- Where they can find a written copy of the plan
- Who they can contact for additional support
- Any additional details that may assist them
Planit Events Inc. is at your service. If you want to run a successful event without the hassle of all the nitty-gritty planning, send us a message, we would love to chat about turning your vision into a reality. My numerous years in the industry have allowed me to face many challenges and become a great event planner over the years, and I would be happy to share my skills with you to ensure your event is just as perfect as you are envisioning it.
If you’re looking for more event planning resources, check out my blog page!
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