Many businesses host various events throughout the year that require the use of a catering company to provide meals both to employees and guests of the company. Providing an excellent meal can really set the tone for the event overall. Management, of course, wants to be well represented by the events that they host. Here are seven different things to keep in mind for anyone working on planning a corporate event, complete with meals for those in attendance.

1. It is important to find a caterer that can accommodate a wide variety of dietary restrictions. Consider meal options for guests that are vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, or otherwise. Many caterers can work with a variety of different menu options.
2. A reputable client will be able to provide references and reviews. It’s important to look for caterers who have experience specifically in doing corporate catering, as opposed to restaurants and companies who may have dealt with other types of events. Hearing from past satisfied customers is important to making the right selection of caterer.
3. Remember that the event is more than just food. Some companies may be able to provide things like linens, tables, chairs, and other basic necessities for any sort of corporate hosted events. However, it is important to know exactly what the catering company will be providing. For more formal events, find out if they can provide servers and wait staff. Certain meals may require special equipment to keep everything hot. It’s important to not only confirm what type of food is provided, but also the types of other services.
4. The overall schedule of the day is also important to a smooth corporate event. The catering company should be able to provide a general timeline of what their service involves. Depending on the location, menu, and number of guests, the company will need a designated amount of time to both setup and tear down the food. Employees of the company will also need to know whether they will have an location to stay on site during the meal portion, or if they’ll be expected to leave and come back. The expected dress code of any staff, whether they’re merely setting up and tearing down equipment, or they’re providing table service at the event, is also important to discuss with the catering company.
5. In addition to experience doing catering at corporate events, it is also key to find a catering company that has experience catering certain types of environments at different types of locations. Catering a small breakfast in a hotel conference room is very different than catering a holiday party at a more upscale event venue. Finding a catering company that has dealt specifically with the type of event that is being planned is key.
6. Naturally, the overall budget is one of the first things to review with the catering company. It is important to ask about any additional fees, such as costs for things like napkins and condiments. In addition, sometimes there are set up fees, delivery fees, and gratuity.
7. Consider how versatile the corporate catering company is. Finding a quality company can be time consuming, and it is helpful to have one company that a business is comfortable working with on a longer term basis. Consider a company that is able to accommodate a wide variety of different types of events and different types of menu options. This way, once a business forms a relationship with a catering company, they can rely on that company for many events in the future.