A good fit forConferences, training days and one-off business gatherings with scheduled meal and refreshment breaks.
Brief suppliers on every service break
List arrival refreshments, breaks, lunch and any closing reception separately. Give guest numbers and the time available for each one. Explain whether delegates leave sessions together or arrive in smaller groups. Ask how the supplier proposes to serve within that window and what would happen if the programme shifts by a few minutes.
Coordinate the venue and the catering team
Confirm loading, security checks, delivery routes, lifts and access before the conference opens. Establish who supplies tables, water stations, power, crockery and waste collection. Ask where food will be prepared or held and whether service areas can be reset while sessions run. These details can affect staffing as much as the menu.
Make requirements easy to manage
Collect broad dietary needs early and arrange individual discussions privately where necessary. Ask suppliers how food information will be available to delegates and who will answer questions during service. Compare delivery, serving staff, replenishment and clearing on a common basis. Confirm invoicing, purchase-order requirements and the final-number deadline with your organisation and the supplier.
BEFORE YOU ASK FOR QUOTES
The details worth agreeing.
- Provide an agenda with separate service times and counts.
- Explain how many people leave sessions at the same time.
- Agree venue access, loading and security arrangements.
- Confirm who resets and clears each catering area.
- Set deadlines for final numbers and menu requirements.
A USEFUL STARTING BRIEF
Make it specific to your event.
Replace the bracketed details. Keep names, contact details, exact private addresses and named health information out of the shared brief.
A conference with timed refreshment breaks and lunch. Please address service capacity, separate counts, venue access, replenishment, food information, staffing, clearing and the final-number deadline.Open the planning hub ↗
QUESTIONS TO CLEAR UP
Before you decide.
Are boxed lunches always quicker?
They can simplify distribution, but storage, labelling, collection points and waste still need planning. Ask the supplier to explain the full delegate journey and compare it with a staffed buffet.
What if attendance changes close to the event?
Ask about the final-number deadline and how additions, reductions or spare portions are handled. Record the agreed rule so your event and procurement teams have the same expectations.