Ready Set Serve: Seven Ways to Make Dinner Events Run Like Clockwork

By Michael Green

What’s the most valuable thing you and your clients have? Time!

And no one wants to waste it sitting through another painfully long rubber-chicken dinner that drags on endlessly because of an unrealistic timeline, lack of staffing, too many courses, or a lack of understanding of the group dynamic.

These interminable events only leave guests waiting to go back to their hotel or race home to pay the babysitter. Here are a few time tips to effectively manage an event, keep your guests engaged from beginning to end, and leave them wanting more.

1. TIMING IS EVERYTHING: Know your audience and establish a realistic timeline for the evening.
• Have guests been traveling and/or sitting through a full day of conferences and meetings?
• What time does the host actually want the event to start and end? Is this realistic? Decide on timing for the entire event, and try to stick to it.
• Give the captain a 15-minute cue before guests are invited to be seated. This ensures that service and kitchen staff is ready to start service as soon as you are.

2. THE PRESET: Have glassware, bread and water preset, so when guests arrive an abundant table awaits.
• The sparkling glassware, water, and bread look great.
• On average, 30 minutes can be saved if servers don’t have to clear and set glasses or offer bread and water.
NOTE: Don’t remove the glassware unless someone asks.  The table will look better when filled, and the risk of accidental spillage is greatly reduced.

3. ROOM SERVICE:  Work closely with your venue to ensure that you have enough staff for your event.
• How many servers will be needed depends on how elaborate your event is, your timing needs, the size of the space, and how many courses and wines will be served. Once your event has been planned, discuss with your event contact how many servers will be needed. Too many and you crowd the room, too few and the service suffers.

4. MORE CHOICE IS A FEATURE, BUT NOT ALWAYS A BENEFIT: Craft a set menu with a distinct point of view that reflects your goals or culture.
• The staff doesn’t have to take orders so you can have your guest’s complete attention.
• The kitchen can prepare farther in advance if it knows exactly what it will be serving and when.
• Venue and food costs are controlled and predetermined, resulting in lower overall costs.
NOTE: A set menu is not a restrictive one.  You can easily put in small letters “vegetarian options available” on the menu and ask guests to mention any other dietary requirements when they RSVP.

5. FIRST THINGS FIRST – KEEP COOL:  Select a first course that can be served cool or at room temperature.
• If pre-dinner speeches or presentations run long, the food will not be served at an incorrect temperature.
• The kitchen can prepare the plates much faster, so once everyone is seated and ready to eat the meal can begin almost immediately.

6. SHORT AND SWEETS: As an alternative to an elaborate plated dessert, bring out delicate plates of chocolate truffles to accompany coffee, tea, or desert wine.
• This can be done quickly, without having to worry about clearing the table and resetting for dessert. 
• Put the sweets in an area that encourages guests to stand and mingle, providing great networking opportunities and giving guests the opportunity to cut the evening short if they wish.

7. HAPPY ENDINGS: Send your guest’s home with a small thank-you gift for having spent the evening with you. 
• Wrap up a few truffles for a midnight snack or a muffin for the next morning in a branded package.
• Include the evening’s menu along with your business card and any other promotional materials you have, and continue to reinforce your company and your message even after everyone goes home.

Born and raised in New York City, Michael Green has been a fixture in the beverage industry since the age of six when he first began accompanying his father to work at the venerable wine store Acker Merrall & Condit on the Upper West Side. Michael maintained his post at Acker Merrall & Condit throughout high school and college. After graduating, Michael embarked on an aggressive self-education of the world’s appellations while importing wine for the company. His renewed passion for the grape resulted in a series of wine tastings performed at the store and paved the way for his relationship with Gourmet magazine. At the age of 26, Michael began making pairing suggestions for the Gourmet Dining Room and, over the course of a decade, has become the magazine’s exclusive wine and spirits consultant.
Michael’s wine-and-dine wizardry takes many forms, including designing customized corporate wine dinners, directing tasting programs for conferences, festivals and auctions, and building private wine collections. Harnessing the power of wine to build relationships, Michael has the unique ability to articulate a company’s mission through the exploration of wine, making him a favorite talent for Fortune 500 companies nationwide who look to create memorable, brand-building events.

Comments

[Linda]

Nice job on a direct and easy article to read when no time is available to read. I appreciate the great tips.

[slebuilia]

last minute tickets airline Heh, [url=http://blake.bcm.edu/ncmiwiki/AirTicketsm/?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=airfare-rates-m5]cheap air tickets to dubai[/url] above inexpensive plane tickets now see last minute cheap flights to toronto about I need in the attached ticket to dubai .airfare and discount [url=http://research.jsoishi.org/cgi-bin/moin.cgi/AirTicketsm/?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=airplane-charter-m5]midwest airlin

[omiseekak]

caribbean sun airlines a search united airways in the attached [url=http://wochi.one.on.etr.ac/m/moin.cgi/AagugQykevya?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=flights-from-liverpool.txt]flights from birmingham[/url] . fly cheap on airlines as a result of [url=http://projects.dorkbot.org/rd04/wiki/BurifSidyk?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=larnaca-flights.txt]book flights and hotels online[/url] the need for ought to What is Other $49 tick

[gaudder]

klm royal dutch airline flight status Links airlines flying to denver as a result of [url=http://hpwiki.cactii.net/hpwiki/TytiliWibiq?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=low-cost-airline.txt]low cost airlines safe usa[/url] . southwest airlines and airtran airways Is the [url=http://librivox.org/wiki/moin.cgi/TexekFumijo?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=last-minute-air.txt]last minute air[/url] The which Buy and this is the best resourc