Planning a large convention is a huge job. You have to find venues big enough to hold 300 casting agents or dental hygienists or assistant principals or whoever your conference is for, book travel arrangements for all these people, and decide on a schedule of events. Will you put the lecture on how to buy MLM leads before or after the team-building challenge? When you add feeding all these people to the mix, it officially becomes overwhelming. However, there are a number of friendly and experienced catering companies equipped to handle your large convention no matter what type of business or employment you are a part of or where in Ontario you live. While we can't list them all on this page, we can give you a few tips as to how to go about hiring one.
In House or Hire?
Many convention centers and hotels offer in-house catering for large functions, so if you want the quick, easy, and cheap option this is your best bet. However, hotel and convention center food tends to be of the identifiable sauced rubber-like chicken variety. Unless you want all the Toronto real estate agents to remember your conference as the Rubber Chicken Escape, sample the in house offerings before approving a menu. Remember though, if you choose to hire a separate caterer to make nicer food, it's going to cost more.
A cautionary note, however, before you go off looking for your new caterer, is that some hotels and convention centers require you to use their catering service. If you've already signed an agreement with the hotel, you may not be able to escape using their services unless you want to hire a fancy Hamilton, Ontario lawyer to help you get out of the contract.
Budget and Payment
In order to get an idea of what caliber of company you'll be able to secure, compile a rough budget for the convention based on how many attendees you expect and how much per head you'll be charging. Or, if your event has a sponsor like the London Ontario Animal Hospitals Association, figure out how much your venues and such will cost and see how much you have left over for food. Keep in mind that caterers usually require you to pay upfront, so you won't be able to hold off until you have the attendees fees in your hand. Caterers will also need to know how many people they will be serving in advance, and since many attendees will wait until the last minute to sign up, always plan for extra.
The Food
While Indian food may be your personal favorite, if you're hosting a convention for Tim Horton's Alberta franchise owners, chances are only a small percentage of them will even be able to stomach the spices. This is why the ubiquitous menu item for large conventions is chicken, because it's the most widely acceptable. However if you want exotic food, perhaps supplement it with plainer alternate choices. Unless you know the dietary requirements of every attendee, always make sure you have vegetarian options and options for people with food allergies.
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