Business Meals as a Reward
Introduction
Business meals can occur as breakfasts, lunches, dinners, etc.
These occasions can be used to reward people for good performance, bonding session so that people know each other better, introducing new concepts, getting to know important stakeholders, like customers, etc.
Some useful guidelines in selecting a suitable venue and conducting the event
- in-house or outside (this will depend upon what facilities you have in-house vs availability of suitable outside caters plus what are the alternatives outside your office facilities; if using an outside facility that you have not used before it is best to check it out beforehand.)
- cuisine et al (check that
i) the restaurant/caters has a good reputation
ii) the menu, wine lists, etc are suitable
iii) the potential cost of the meals, etc so that with in your budget
iv) payment facilities at the venue, ie which credit cards are acceptable
- for each guest
i) explain the reason(s) behind the meeting
ii) understand the different dietary needs of all guests like vegan, etc and check that restaurant/cater can handle them
ii) check each guest’s background such as work, family, hobbies, etc; find common interest so that able to introduce everyone at the start and arrange seating positions with people of common interests)
iii) type of table (generally a round table is best for groups under 12 as usually better able to hear, to observe non-verbal responses and it does not display hierarchy as a table with sides can)
iv) remind all guests about the meeting (venue and time) with-in 24 hours of the meeting time
v) encourage everybody to come on time (as a back-up organise ‘drinks and nibbles’ before the main event, etc to handle early arrivals and try to start on time)
- for host
i) arrive early (around 30 minutes before the event is due to start to check the facilities and be available to meet and greet any early arrivals)
ii) sits where she/he is able to observe the full dynamics (ie interaction of guests at the table and hotel staff in action with guests)
iii) have a deputy (to help as required)
iv) control menu, wine list, seating arrangement, schedule, etc
- numbers of guests (if more than 10 people it is best to have a buffet style set-up or a set menu)
“...The most important thing is for guests to leave feeling as though they have gained something from coming to your event……it is about creating memorable moments…”
Freeman-Topper as quoted by Jill Dupleix, 2024a
In addition to good food, there is also a need for
“... a sense of comfort, space……alert service, the ability to respond to a request…… a room that isn't boring…”
Jill Dupleix as quoted by Matthew Drummond, 2024
NB It is usually best to make some fuss about the least important person in the room as they will appreciate it more than the most important person as the latter usually know that they are important!!!