Meals and Breaks

An Unavoidable Necessity

Although most presenters and producers treat meals and breaks as an afterthought, in my experience they are a much-overlooked opportunity to turn your average event into a stunning success. Weather people are attending your event voluntarily or being sent by someone (their company, spouse, concerned parent, etc.), they always look forward to breaks and meals.

Regardless of your budget, food is particularly challenging. No matter how much you spend, you will never satisfy everyone. Face the fact that some people just won’t like what you serve regardless of its price tag. That’s why I say that your best bet is to avoid including meals whenever possible. Sometimes, however, you just have to incorporate meals into the program. This is especially true of a retreat at an isolated site or when you want participants to remain on site and together.

You might also want participants to bond during meals, a great advantage of including meals in the package. There is really nothing like “breaking bread” together to create a feeling of camaraderie and team.

So, when including meals cannot be avoided keep things simple and make sure that you handle special needs meals well in advance. On the registration form ask if people have special needs. Then ask again in your confirmation letter or email. If you go the extra mile to really serve your participants, also include the food special needs question in the reminder email, letter or call that occurs a week or two prior to the event.

Simple meals do not mean plain or boring food. It does mean staying away from your meal planner or chef trying to impress people with their prowess creating exotic dishes. Serve things that people can recognize as essentially “home cooking.” That way they will not feel the need to question what they are eating, and they will subconsciously feel a sense of security because they’re eating things that they might find on mom’s table.

You’ll also do better if you keep it healthy. Salad with both lunch (the entire meal could be a large salad with soup and bread) and dinner will keep people feeling that you are serving them healthy food. Although sodas (pop to some) are clearly not healthy, it’s a good idea to include them as an option just to show that you are generous. Besides, soda is not an expensive item in the overall scheme of things. And, if you are including a meal or meals as part of your event, you can often do better in negotiating the cost of your meeting room rental since most facilities make the majority of their profits from the high cost of meals.

Breaks are an entirely different animal. You can’t avoid them, and it’s best to be as generous as possible with goodies for breaks. After all, there are only two breaks during the day, so why not provide your participants with the things that they enjoy such as coffee, tea, cookies or other sweets. Also, perhaps fruits in the morning and vegetable trays with dip in the afternoon.

Coffee and tea in the morning is almost a necessity – especially coffee for those who are essentially addicted to it. At minimum, if you’re not providing it, know where coffee can be easily obtained nearby. If you’re producing your event at a venue that does not sell coffee (such as a community center or school) and you choose not to provide coffee (not something I would recommend in this situation) know where the nearest Starbucks or other coffeehouse is. I have seen coffee drinkers who come without their cup in hand get very distraught by that fact that coffee was difficult to find or when the producer did not know where the nearest coffee vendor was located.

Because you want your people back as quickly as possible and you don’t want to appear stingy, provide some form of refreshments at both the morning and afternoon breaks. Again, no matter what you do, you won’t please everyone, but better to have something for them than have them head out to the nearest convenience store or restaurant for their snack and then return ten minutes late. Simple cookies or pastries work well as does fruit or vegetables. And make sure that the people who provide your treats create a beautiful display in which everything is spread out rather than piled as tightly as possible. With a little garnishment and spread over a large tray, even plain snacks appear far more bountiful and appetizing.

Water cannot be avoided and is almost always included in the cost of your venue rooms. Make sure that your water station is positioned so that people can access it easily, and that it does not get in the way of participants registering for future events or purchasing products in the back of the room. You can provide bottled water, but like sodas, that can get expensive and you won’t please everyone. Some folks like one brand and some prefer another.

At the local events I produce, I bring a special water that most people really appreciate. Some of my participants even decide that they have to have more of it after the event. It’s called Kangen Water, and it’s an anti-oxidant, alkaline water that promotes good health and has been known to cure people of several diseases including gout, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. When I was introduced to Kangen Water in October of 2005, I thought that the claims were too good to be true.

Since that time, I have been drinking about a gallon of Kangen water every day, and I feel that it is the single most important factor in my maintaining my excellent health. Also, because the unit that produces the water from ordinary tap water can only be purchased from distributors (people who have purchased a unit and have chosen to sell them to family, friends and associates at no additional charge to distributors), I have created another income stream at events I produce. Thus, Kangen Water creates good health and money in the bank for me.

Here is just one of many other ideas I have used to expand my business as well as keep costs down. Although most venues will not allow you to bring in food from outside sources, if you are fortunate enough to find one that will permit that, grab it and use it to your advantage. By advantage, I mean think creatively and look for excellent caterers who are seeking more business (and who isn’t?).

Approach such caterers with the opportunity to gain critical direct exposure for their food with potential clients (your participants). They provide the snacks in exchange for being able to place signs, brochures, etc. on the tables. You might even let them do a one-time mailing to participants, who, if they like the food, may use the caterer. Again, you’re creating a win for everyone involved, including yourself.

Just remember that breaks and meals are critical elements of all events. They will happen even if you don’t plan them, so you would be wise to plan them with a focus on results just as you plan any other aspect of your successful event.