As meeting planners, we order the food for our attendees, so we must be conscious of what we’re serving during our watch.
Event pros bullish on 2015 business
According to the latest survey from Penton Research, 81 percent of responding event planners expect 2015 to be as good or better for them as 2014. All told, 45 percent say they expect to stage more events in 2015 than they did in 2014, while 36 percent say they will likely stage the same number. Only 5 percent […]
Orlando’s Grande Lakes gets its catering so right
Hat’s off to the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, where the catering team is anything but ordinary.
Bravo for a legendary experience at AT&T Stadium
An event at AT&T Stadium in Dallas exceeded expectations and offered lessons.
Convene readers name annual ‘best of’ honorees
The best meeting industry venues, destinations and service providers – according to the magazine’s readers – are out in the August issue of PCMA’s Convene. Readers were asked to nominate their favorite CSR initiatives, technology tools, F&B programs, social-media uses, off-site venues, destination videos, meeting apps, high-tech properties, places for small meetings, and room sets. Convene editors […]
To tip or not to tip, that is the question
When in doubt I recommend going with your heart.
Time management: Easier said than done
The crux of this Monthly Morsel is trust, when it’s earned and when it’s not.
Ready, set, eat! 2014 trends favor the small, potent
Imagine a milkshake spiked with chocolate-cherry liqueur and topped with whip, crushed chocolate wafers and a cherry. Who’d miss this meeting?
Say what you mean, mean what you say
The point of this rant? Read your banqueting menus very carefully. When you see print that you think isn’t true, call them out on it.
For on-site staff, stick with a catering manager
People try to cut corners by using someone who enjoys food or has minimal food knowledge. When that happens, the inexperienced managers almost always shoot themselves in the foot.
PCMA names its ‘best in show’
PCMA Convene magazine has published its second annual issue listing of the best meetings industry venues, destinations and service providers.
What happens in Vegas is too often a lose-lose
Venues in the gambling capital leave a bad taste with their refusal to bend for a Sunday event. What’s a planner to do?
Don’t get burned when booking a caterer (enter our contest)
What’s wrong with this picture? Read this month’s morsel on “Hiring an outside caterer” and, if you can answer the red flag question, you’ll qualify to win a Starbucks gift card.
Specify plate size so clients get their money’s worth
It’s our job as planners to specify the plate size and give our guests the food we have purchased.
Mandatory service charges: Where does the money go?
The little “++” that appears on each menu page don’t mean you’ll receive extra food, service or attention.
Stay out of hot water with this bit of wisdom on coffee service
My two exhibitors saw an attendance of more 2,500 people at their trade shows; only one person asked specifically for decaf coffee.
Banqueting = fun
Remember, banqueting needn’t be complicated or splashy in order to be fun. It can employ simple things that are done cleanly.
Here’s what’s hot in food and drink for 2013
What will be on the table the next time you dine? Benchmark Hospitality International, a U.S.-based hospitality management company, has released its top dining and wine trends for the rest of this year and beyond. Among its 35 luxury hotels and resorts, chefs and culinary experts are seeing: Descriptions like “artisan,” “natural,” “healthy,” “organic,” “farm-to-table” […]
The ins and outs of menu tastings
Clients ask a lot of questions about menu tastings. Here’s a sampling of those questions from meeting and event planners. The answers should help guide you the next time you’re in a place to taste.
Today’s lesson: What you see isn’t always what you get
In banqueting, learn to ask questions and then go in and negotiate price points accordingly.
What works and what doesn’t — through the eyes of an attendee
When was the last time you thought about a meeting or event from the attendee’s point of view? What you see might surprise you.
An ‘industry standards’ story: Seeing red when someone is green
To me, and based on my experience, industry standards are best practices that are formula based, not scenario based.
Eat, drink and get TWISTED! It’s a picnic!
As planners we have options when it comes to deciding what to eat. This morsel is designed to help you put a twist on the everyday picnic.
Ask the right questions, and you’ll expose so-called ‘hidden fees’
Are so-called charges really hidden, or do we as planners fail to ask all the right questions?
Onions, orchids and mint, oh my!
Garnishes make Claire Gould a touch crabby (who knew?). Find out why …
Just say no to hotel pricing when …
Usually I write my monthly morsel about an experience after it happens. Today I am writing it at the beginning of an event. A client of mine hired me to do an event in the Washington, D.C.-National Harbor, Md., area. The event instructions were simple: casual get-together with beer and wine for 150 to 200 guests. The […]
