« BACKEvents & Parties

Meeting and Event Planning Guide

Important clients require the utmost attention. For one-on-one meetings, treating them to a deluxe lunch works just fine, but what about larger groups? If you’ve got a major board meeting or sales pitch coming up, you might want to consider having the food brought right to your offices.

With corporate catering, you can get high-quality meals for your clients without the fuss of visiting a restaurant. When it comes to the food, corporate catering is a great way to provide meal options that everyone will love. With your buffet-style lunch, you can have a myriad of options which appeal to even the most discerning clients. You can even set up hot and cold stations for your food.

Corporate catering also works well for in-house meetings. If you have a major training for your executive staff coming up, why not treat them to a nice lunch to break up the day? It’s also great for staff appreciation events, holiday celebrations and special occasion parties to celebrate a staff member’s retirement or anniversary with the company.

Corporate catering also works for evening events should you have them. Many companies have an annual party, whether it’s for the holidays, a fundraiser or a meeting of shareholders. We know that appearance, food quality and great service are all extremely important when it comes to these events, so why not provide the best catering services for your affair?

If you’re considering having a business event catered soon, contact your local Urban Kitchen to inquire about our corporate catering experience.

Ice Breakers

Always be enthusiastic; remember that ice breakers are a fun way to energize a group before a meeting. They are supposed to be fun without being threatening. They are team building activities/games that are designed to help people feel more comfortable around each other. Certain Ice Breakers may be chosen to highlight the theme or lesson to be learnt by the meeting.

Always choose volunteers carefully and don't cause embarrassment. Be sure that people know if they are uncomfortable playing that they can pass their turn. If you find that an activity is not working move quickly on to the next activity.

Ice Breakers should only be used to warm-up the group at the beginning of the day or in some cases in between segments. Finish each icebreaker while your group is still enjoying it.

1. Mnemonic Name Game
Have each participant give his/her name and something s/he likes that begins with the same first letter. Each subsequent participant does the same and repeats the name and like of everyone that went before.
e.g. (First person says "I'm Christopher and I like Candy... the next person says” He's Christopher and he likes candy... and I am Sylvia and I like swimming)."

• You can also try it with things the participants do not like.
• You can also have each participant give his/her name and an animal that begins with the first initial.
• With some groups try using a word that describes them beginning with the same letter or sound as their first name. Positive Phil or Mighty Mike...

2. What No One Has Done Before
This is an interesting game to help people in your group to open up about their otherwise unknown accomplishments. Each person tells the group about experience or something that they have done, or have seen or posses that they believe no one else in the group shares.

3. Two Truths and a Lie
Each person takes turns telling three things about themselves, as the name suggests one of the statements are not true. The facilitator then asks the group to vote (by applause) which statement is a lie. Once there is a consensus, the speaker reveals the truth and quickly tells about the truthful statements.
e.g.
Hello I am Jim…

1. When I was seventeen I spent the summer being a hot air balloon pilot
2. I own a parrot
3. I speak six languages
4. Leadership Exercise

This is a great exercise for business or leadership meetings. Break into groups no larger than 6 people in each. Tell everyone that when you say go you would like them to work as a group to come up with a list of adjectives or qualities that are required in a good leader. Tell the groups that they will have five minutes to complete the list and to see which group can come up with the most qualities. Once the lists have been completed collect them and put them aside. Tell your participants that you are not concerned with their answers or who had the most words… what you are really interested in is…

• When you said to start how was it decided who wrote the list. Did someone suggest someone, was their a vote, did someone just start writing?
• Was there anyone who took control of the group, getting it to focus when needed or encouraging the other members to keep it working?
• What made these people take these leadership roles…?
• Why did the others decide not to take these roles or chose to follow those who did…?

Event and Party Tips

Sample Menus

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