Save Time and Money on Food and Beverage
Feb 09
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If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to save time and money, meeting planners have a lot of suggestions to cut food and beverage costs.
Each of the planners mentioned below shared their advice in the “Stellar Tips” section of ConventionPlanit.com.
Food and beverage charges are always a major cost center. Customizing menus can allow for greater variety, fresher ingredients, and cut costs.
“When working with a limited budget for a full day of meals, I provide my total dollar amount to the chef or catering manager and request that they customize menus for me, keeping in mind any specific requirements I have for each event,” says Kathleen Zwart of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida.
“This allows them to use seasonal or local specials, piggyback onto other events being held that day, take advantage of specials offered by their food suppliers, and offer smaller, healthier portions. I stay within my budget, my attendees are offered healthier options, and the chef is able to use some creativity instead of the same old banquet menus. It’s a win-win for all.”
Even simple changes in how food is presented at meal functions can save money.
“If you’re having a reception, pass/butler the more expensive items,” says Debbie DeJacques of GMA Washington.
“You’ll be able to make them last longer and save money. Don’t set plates on the display table – use only napkins (this will ensure your attendees get to sample all the offerings but won’t walk away from the display station with a mound of food) and stick with beer and wine at the bar.”
Laura Johnson of Market*Access International recommends asking the caterer to slice bagels, croissants and muffins in half. Attendees will take smaller portions – leaving more food to go around and wasting less while stretching your breakfast budget.
Stacey Petersen with MHA Ventures, Inc., eliminates canned soda:
“I have found that canned soda costs a lot of money to provide at our conventions. To save on money, and save on the waste of half cans of soda being thrown away and people taking two or three cans ‘for the road,’ two years ago I moved to using a self-service soda fountain station. These stations are conveniently placed near break areas, and are serve-yourself.
All the venue has to worry about is ice, 6-ounce disposable cups, and replacing the canisters once a day (instead of counting and recounting soda cans). It’s a win-win situation – it’s saved me on my budget, members are happy, the hotel staff is happy to not have to count cans anymore, and the waste is significantly decreased!”
Claire Modarelli of Moffitt Cancer Center, replaces bottles of water with water coolers and pitchers. It saved her $1,000 last year!
Stray from a traditional break time – offer variety and cut costs with a voucher program.
“We worked with a hotel to provide vouchers for breaks instead of serving an expensive break time. Each participant was given vouchers to go to the snack shop located in the hotel lobby.
Each voucher was worth $3. For each item the participant chose, they turned in a voucher. The vouchers were then counted and charged to the master account. This wound up costing considerably less than paying for breaks,” shares Kathy Craig of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Closely monitoring a beverage manager can also pay off, as Stacy Wald of Orthopaedic Associates explains,
“When I do my banquet event orders I let the manager know at that time that I would like to be with the beverage manager when they tally the bars and empties. Liquor is counted by tenths of a bottle and then billed accordingly.
If I disagree with a count and the measurement is changed it could be the equivalent to 10-12 drinks. It also keeps the beverage manager on his toes! I have saved hundreds of dollars just by checking the bars before the totals are finalized.”
What is your cost saving tip? Share your ideas by commenting on this post!
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