Ah food, the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems! Behind chatting about the weather, food has to be Britain’s favourite subject to discuss. Why is that? Because good food makes us feel good.

Serving delegates with memorable, quality food is one of the staples of a good host. It doesn’t mean you have to break the bank and lay on a feast fit for a King, but through strategic food and beverage selection, indulgent presentation and generous hospitality you can elevate the overall experience of your event.

The idea of hospitality goes back to biblical times, when people would open their homes to guests — even strangers — and break bread. The idea of sharing a meal led to shared conversations, shared ideas, shared fellowship. Sounds a lot like our modern event planning objectives or networking, right?

Our lunch, dinner or snack breaks aren’t just a meal. It’s an opportunity to make connections, to bring people together to break bread. All of a sudden, that budget line item is actually doing double duty. After all, we always hear from our clients that ‘networking is key at our event’.

As budgets continue to reduce and the cost of food continues to rise, it’s easy to look at the food & beverage at your event as a “have to do”. You might be tempted to reduce on food to help your budget.

In all honesty, that rarely pays off (and we’ve organised a lot of events!). Food and beverage at events isn’t just about keeping people full — it’s a part of the experience.

When they’re not busy satisfying their hunger for knowledge and business opportunities, delegates turn to food to refuel and stay energised. Think about it – every single day of our lives is dictated by our meals; when we have breakfast, when we’re having lunch and what we’re having for dinner. Your event is no different.

If you put effort into the menu selection, you can help make that meal do more for your event. Instead of blindly choosing the affordable buffet try being creative and take some risks! Your guests will remember and appreci-ate-it…see what we did there?

There are plenty of ways to mix things up without busting your budget; get rid of the plated dinner and offer speciality food stations, go DIY and allow attendees to make their own salads and sandwiches, get interactive through live cooking in front of your guests or go ‘around the world’ and offer a variety of options from different cuisines. Those are just a few ideas — there are so many more!

Quantity of food is arguably just as important as the quality of food provided. The sight of an empty buffet whilst still sitting there hungry only conjures up negative feelings – something which may influence the delegates’ overall experience of the event.

Remember that food and beverage is an important element of the overall event experience. Start working with your venue and / or caterer to discuss how you can deliver a unique experience, to tantalise the taste buds of your guests. Quality Food & Beverage at your event will make a positive lasting impression.

Hippo offer Event Project Management and Global Venue Finding services. Contact us today on 01372 460 100 or events@hippoevents.co.uk to see how we can assist.