Charity Dinner

We have been talking about ways to market your catering business in this series of articles. We discussed the importance of branding and marketing what your business is all about, as well as the role that PR can play when it comes to the food you supply.

For all intents and purposes, catering a charity dinner is the perfect marriage of both the above components when it comes to a food marketing campaign. Charity dinners are usually big time events, which draw out some of the most important philanthropists in any community. Commercial real estate Toronto gurus, Texas oil tycoons, and other Bill Gates types as well as politicians love to stand up and be counted at high profile dinners. That means you have an excellent chance of promoting your services to a high profile clientele all in the name of a good cause, which will sit well with the rest of the buying public.

The trick is in getting the word out about the services you are providing at the dinner without being too obvious about it. You will probably be thanked at some point by the Master of Ceremonies, but you want to make sure that the people at the dinner remember your company's name. We have a few suggestions.

Place cards subtly. Have you imported some fine wine from California? Business cards won't look out of place next to those bottles, and have a greater chance of being read as well. Cards are one of the best ways to make sure people know about and remember the services you provide.

Go the extra mile. The odds are pretty good that organizers of charity dinners are involved in several other big events throughout the year. You want to make sure that your name is uppermost in their minds. It's more than just providing food; you want them to know you know all the details of your business. That means knowing where to look for a company offering chair or tent rental. Mississauga and other communities in southern Ontario have lots of these business, and if you know where to find them it will take a load off the organizer's mind. They will remember you with gratitude!

Subtle promotion. You will need to ask the organizer first, but many times there is the possibility of including the name of your business in the decor for the event. Sponsors often have promotional material in the form of posters, wall word art, and so on, and it's something you can use too as a company necessary for the event.

Charity dinners are the perfect combination of the issues we have discussed in this series of articles. You have the chance to increase your visibility while at the same time working at an event with positive PR connotations. There is no better way to get the word about your services out there!