Corporate events. They call to mind a group of people milling around the food table, wearing suits, and talking about business while trying to make a pass at social life. These events can be awkward or in some cases dangerous, as employees may drink too much and make risky life decisions. But they are also a time for networking.
These events are generally thrown by a department or by the company at large. These events can be called “retreats” or another term to denote the break from work to socialize with other co-workers and employees. These events can be fun or made to be fun. They may be outings at a cool place. They may create time to network and socialize.
There are people who thrive at these events. They are generally the most outgoing people in the group. They may be men or they may be women but they generally are upbeat and positive and wanting to meet people. They may lead the activities or contribute to them in a larger fashion than others.
There are people who let their guards down while working. These may be the bosses or the supervisors. They may let their guard down slightly, while trying to form relationships with people that are at the event. This is a good time for people looking to cozy up to the bosses to approach them and get on their good side.
There are also people who may not fit in well at the event. They may not like the forced socialization or the attempts at making things go well. These people may have social anxiety or struggle with the increased amounts of people or the increased demands of socialization.
Then there are the people who make these events go ’round, especially if these events are held in a corporate office or in a place where there are no food or drinks. These people, the unsung heroes of the event, are the caterers. Caterers, at least the wait staff, don’t get paid very much. And yet they are there, helping out.
Catering has some statistics associated with it that are worth noting. They are:
- There are approximately 321,400 U.S. men and women working in the food service management and catering industry.
- A caterer may also be in charge of some decor, table arrangements and food presentation.
- A caterer has to manage a staff of cooks, servers, cleaners, and dishwashers, while ensuring their team is aware of their schedules, place settings, serving customs, and food safety regulations.
- Recipes may need to be adjusted to cope with food allergies, and cooking methods may have to be altered to conform to religious dietary requirements or personal preferences. Tell caterers about any special needs or accommodations.
- In nearly all cases when you hire a caterer, you don’t get to keep the leftovers. You only get what you paid for and your guests ate, unless you’ve pre-arranged something differently on the contract.
- When you have an off-site caterer, plated, pre-ordered meals are often less expensive than a buffet or food stations.
A corporate catering company handles all the food and drinks at a catering event. They provide all the food and the drinks and strive to make people feel comfortable (or at least well-fed and thirst quenched) at a party. They try to be hospitable, though this may vary with some catering companies.
A corporate catering company is popular in many areas where there are corporate events. These may be in locations like New York City or Chicago or Los Angeles, and generally they are more likely to be in cities rather than in rural towns. A corporate catering company works with an employee or set of employees in the business to create the best experience.
A corporate catering company also is contracted by the company that is having the event to ensure that the quality of service and the agreements are binding. They may also entice people to tip to support the workers of the catering company.
There are terms associated with catering companies and corporate events that are worth noting. They are outside catering services, professional catering services, special event catering services, event menus, dinner catering menu, best event planner, good caterers, and more.
There are more terms associated with them, but there is little time to mention them.