Some business deals and important decisions for different companies are done while sharing a meal. Preparing an environment that will be conducive for business meetings while eating is tricky. Make sure to take note of these tips on how to prepare for a business luncheon:
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Plan ahead of time.
Always make sure that there are reservations done for the date and time of the lunch. Before booking the reservation, confirm how many people are going. Walking in without a reservation would result to not having a table for your party and spending the time looking for another place to hold the meeting.
Also inform the caterer of the schedule so that they can plan when and how long they would need to prepare and cook the food. You would not want to change the schedule of the participants at the last minute just because your food is served late.
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Number and type of guests.
It is very important to know the number and type of guests participating in the business luncheon. Knowing how many people would be joining will indicate the appropriate table to use. All the people involved should be facing each other so that it would be easy to talk to everyone.
If the people in the business luncheon are of a high profile, this would call for a formal setting. If it is just with your colleagues, then an informal setting would do. Whichever you would prefer, just make sure to mention all the details to the caterer before the actual luncheon so that they can prepare accordingly.
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Allergies and prohibitions
When you send out the invitation for the luncheon, make sure that you also ask if they have allergies or ingredients that are prohibited for them to eat. Serving something to a participant that is against his beliefs might come off as an insult. This would make the communication difficult between the participants.
You also would not want the luncheon to be interrupted with allergy attacks or, worse, the meeting could get cancelled.
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Easy to eat meals.
Nothing kills the mood more for the participants of the luncheon than unnecessary sounds during the meeting. Avoid serving meals that are difficult to eat. The crunching or breaking sound of crab shells and excessive hand movements will be distracting everyone.
Also avoid food that would take a very long time to consume. Make sure that all courses would be done by the said schedule.
These are some tips to take note of on how to prepare for a business luncheon. Just make sure to avoid distractions as much as possible and everything will be smooth sailing for you and the catering company.
Written by bleu events, one of the top caterers Columbia, MO has to offer.