Inexperienced event hosts make mistakes that can be avoided by working closely with the caterer and relying on their expertise.
The 2 mistakes are:
Not having enough food
Poor communication with the caterer
NOT HAVING ENOUGH FOOD
One of the local schools in the Daytona Beach area earlier in 2022 ordered our catering service delivery. They chose a plan focused on food, without any tableware.
When we showed up at the venue, the faculty and staff were visibly elated to eat.
As they started to fill their plates before the all-hands-on-deck meeting, the Bases (rice and pita bread) started to run out extremely fast. Because they did not listen to our advice to not cut corners and order the full standard amount of rice and pita bread.
The pita bread was a hit that disappeared faster than all of the faculty and staff could try it.
It was clear at that point that in the future we'll nudge our clients to order the full standard amount in order to avoid running out.
POOR COMMUNICATION
Miscommunication. The destroyer of projects and plans. The destroyer of events.
As the host, you have to make sure that the the catering company you choose has a strong and open communication. One way to judge a company's communication starts with their website. The website has to have a clear description of what to expect when working together.
The next way to judge the communication is by correspondence. Are the emails and phone calls clear and direct? If Yes, it's a good sign. Miscommunication between caterers and event planners continue to create frictions and a series of problems including incorrect food, caterers running late and more.
Smooth communication + Enough Food = Smoother event