Corporate Holiday Party Trends
With holiday season nearly upon us, INSPIRED CATERING & EVENTS is excited to share our new holiday menu! Designed for both social and corporate festivities, we will take a look at what’s trending this year with regard to corporate parties and events.
In the past year or two, we’ve seen the typical holiday office parties’ shift from being held at restaurants or venues to scaled-back versions right in the office!
There are a few reasons for this. First off…budget. Corporations are scaling back and can save big by avoiding food and beverage minimums, venue fees, additional tax & service fees, as well as staffing or décor fees.
These add up quickly and due to the ideal time period (first two weeks of December with the preferences being Thursday, Friday or Saturday evenings) many venues & restaurants are at a premium and therefore have hiked-up pricing.
Secondly…convenience. Another reason which corporate planners consider carefully is the turnout rate. With family gatherings and vacations approaching, many employees are anxious to get home and consider bad weather and traffic jams major ‘deal-breakers’ for staying late and going to a work-related event before heading home.
With the location right on the corporate premises, planners are guaranteed to save money and have a higher turnout…a win-win situation for everybody!
This leads to a change in the events themselves as well. Where past events may have been structured as formal, seated affairs (which office locales are not ideal for) they opt instead for cocktail parties.
Typically, the designated lunch or break areas within the offices, are easily converted to perfect spaces for cocktails and appetizers with the addition of a few strategically-placed high boy tables.
Corporate planners have realized too, that a capable caterer can easily add the elements of an upscale event by their trendy selections. Simple but elegant passed appetizers in addition to some plattered selections or buffet can serve the purpose of feeding everyone without the hassle of a seated, plated, more formal dinner.
Most importantly, portable full bar service is super-convenient and planners have fun with some unique, corporate-themed drinks with clever names and branded colors.
In addition to the food/beverages, many planners want to include an exciting, interactive element as well. This could be a photo booth, design your own take-a-way candy table, or live musical component.
Either way, INSPIRED CATERING & EVENTS had plenty of options ready to present to our corporate clients. We welcome the opportunity to assist with all aspects of your holiday party preparation and are here to help!
As we officially kick off the 2016 holiday season, we say…Let the games begin!!