Whats Hot

Destination-Specific Cuisine

Chances are your people travelled to get to your event. They’re in a new spot and might even want to do some sightseeing on the side. While some people like to check out the city via taxi or subway, others prefer a fork and knife.

That’s why destination-specific food is a huge trend. Give them an experience they can’t get in any other place.

Try this: Hire a native restaurateur to serve up lunch or dinner featuring the destination’s famous foods.

Local Beer and Wine

After your event turns the lights off for the evening, your attendees will want to go out for a drink or two. And just like food, they probably won’t be attracted to the same old suds they can get back home.

Simply put, the same-old rubber chicken and so-so hors d’oeuvres won’t leave a great impression on you, your message or your event as a whole.

Try this: Tie your local dinner together by serving regional beverages.

Smart Menus, Smart People

The food you’re serving makes a real difference to the amount your people learn and can recollect from your event. It’s food for thought—literally!

Participants need to feel alert and ready to engage. And that starts with menu planning.

Try this: Healthy menus are what’s in. Plan your menu around high-protein, low-fat meats such as turkey, chicken, salmon or Omega-3-loaded fish (which have been proven to boost mental health); superfoods, such as kale and avocados; and whole grains.

Grab and Go

At events, your hard-charging teams are there for one reason: networking. A grumbling stomach might be more of an inconvenience than anything else. Give them an opportunity to grab a meal and get back to work—quick.

Try this: Bring in food trucks to let hurried diners get a taste of local flavors on the fly.

Food Experiences

Attendees of all generations and demographics love the experience of learning how to cook what they’re eating. Accordingly, consider making food an activity in itself. A tour of a professional kitchen plus an interactive cooking class of local delicacies can give them memories they won’t soon forget.

Try this: Turn underutilized areas outside of your venue into an impressive outdoor hotspot like we did for one client. For more on that, check out our interactive travel look book.

Whats Not

Boring Buffets

Rubbery chicken, iceberg lettuce salad and garlic bread. Yawn! Preset buffets are on the way out, thank goodness.

Hotels like the Hyatt Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona, are breaking new ground by letting their attendees choose what they want to be served at mealtime.

Try this: Ban the buffet! Event trends are leaning toward providing real choices, and younger generations are expecting it…

Continued…

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