In Artigot Catering, catering in Madrid we treat events differently depending on whether they are Corporate Events or Social Events (Weddings), in fact, we distinguish these two divisions within the company.
Corporate events modality
And within the Corporate Events division there is a great variety in the type of events, which we basically differentiate by number of guests.
It is clear that an event of 30 people is not the same as an event of 150, but how do we organize a mega event for more than 1000 people?
Let's go step by step:
- The awarding of an event for more than 1,000 people must be done one month in advance to allow time for preparation.
- The gastronomic proposal has to be very well thought out, to plan the offer it is very important to know what type of event it is: if the diner is young and undemanding, or if they are people used to novelties and enjoy the food; the more elaborate the food, the longer the service time and the higher the price. Evidently, the price per person also conditions the type of service: it is not the same to use disposable material than glassware and tableware, for example.
- It is vital to make sure that there is enough space to assemble the kitchens and that the necessary electrical power is available, hence the importance of visiting the facilities before making the proposal.
- Subdivide the event into smaller events on the day of the event. We explain this in more detail, because it is the key to success.
We must be clear about the range of diners in which we feel comfortable: 250, 500...?
For example, an event of 1,000 people can be divided into 4 events of 250 people, an event of 3,000 people, into 6 events of 500 people... and so on and so forth.
Organization of teams to organize events
From there, the teams are organized. Let's look at the first example, teams to serve 250 people:
- 4 kitchens with 1 chef and 5 cooks each, with its plating area, machinery and office area.
- 4 "lounges" or restaurant areas, each served by 1 Maitre d' and 15 waiters, their support tables and beverage bars.
- Supervision of the 4 zones by:
- 1 Kitchen manager
- 1 Room Manager
- 1 Sales manager, who deals directly with the customer
Doesn't it seem less nerve-wracking to hold a mega corporate event this way?
The truth is that, as with everything in life, the more experience you have, the more experienced you become, because you learn from the mistakes made on previous occasions and minimize problems. Here we are giving a very important key in mega events: make a meeting after the event to analyze the results, both service (quality and pace) and food (quantity, temperature, order of departure, etc).
Because prior to the event there is a huge task for the Event Manager, the Chef and the Purchasing Department. It is necessary to determine what is made "in house" and what is bought from 5th range suppliers, which appetizers can be produced in advance and which have to be made on the same day. And the most complicated thing: to define the quantities of each dish.
At the same time, we work on the equipment of the 4 kitchens, and on the furniture, tableware, table linen and decoration of the 4 rooms, which will be necessary. And the quantity of beverages and glassware to be used is determined, taking advantage of the fact that the suppliers will bring the pallets of products to the place of the event, whenever possible.
Logistics comes in later, because it is clear that this type of events are not set up the same day of the service, but 1 or 2 days before. In fact, the caterer is usually the last one to come in to set up, so that the rest of the suppliers of the event have already finished: sound, lights, decoration...
And ready, ready, ready..., YA
It's a rush to do Mega events, I assure you.
