Are you planning to host a corporate event for your business in Brisbane and you want to impress your guests with some fabulous cuisine? If so, few cuisines can compete with the universal appeal of Italian food, because let’s face it, it tends to offer a little something for everyone. Italian food can be exotic, mouth-watering, visually stunning, and highly versatile. But before you cross food and the menu off of the corporate event planning to-do list, there are some things to consider. These tips will help ensure that the food and menu portion of the event is a raging success. 

Pick the Ideal Venue

It doesn’t matter what kind of event you’re hosting – the venue plays a pivotal role in the overall success. If you don’t pick the right place, it’s like a domino effect, and everything else starts falling apart. The ideal venue needs to be an easy-to-access location, is large enough to accommodate your guest list, and provides the facilities and services needed.

If you want to serve Italian food at a corporate event venue, it’s wise to look into places that specialize in this cuisine. By choosing a restaurant or event venue that is known for its Italian cuisine, you know you’ll get a wide array of menu choices and chances are it will be authentic and delicious.

The venue should be the first thing you book since it will determine how successful the event is, so that means booking well in advance to ensure you get your first choice.

What Is the Tone You Are Going For?

And speaking of the tone, what is the tone you want to set? Is this a formal corporate event, perhaps a big gala or awards dinner, or is it something more casual such as a meeting, presentation, or even an appreciation gathering? When it comes to Italian food, some dishes feel more formal and would fit in better with that style of event.

How About the Portion Sizes?

Now maybe you don’t like the idea of a sit-down meal that may be too stuffy or formal for the event you’re planning. If so, consider smaller portions that can be served more as appetizers, allowing guests to mingle and move about. This would need to be an offering that the venue can handle.

Can You Customise the Menu?

The next thing to consider is the menu itself. Does the venue offer a standard menu or do you have the ability to customize it? Customizing is typically preferred as that means you can be more specific about the food and the tone of the meal, as well as the budget. The venue may not allow for individual items to be customized rather they offer different packages with different menus. Even that is better than one standard menu.

Part of customizing the menu will also be to decide how many courses to offer. For those who have attended a traditional Italian wedding in the past, you’re probably well aware of just how elaborate a big Italian dinner can be. Guests can be served as many as 14 courses at a traditional Italian wedding. This is extreme and not something you will likely want to do at your corporate event, but even so, you may want to offer at least a few courses.

Consider Dietary Restrictions of the Guests

Italian food is known for being very rich and full of flavour, and it uses a wide array of ingredients. For those with dietary restrictions, the ingredients can pose a problem. This is why it’s important to factor in any restrictions and provide options for those guests. For example, you will probably need to offer a vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten-free meal.

When sending out invitations to guests, you can include a question asking if they have any dietary restrictions and if they require a specific type of meal.

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Planning the Perfect Corporate Event

Using all of these tips will help you to plan the perfect Italian food-themed corporate event in Brisbane. No matter who the attendees are, or how big/small the guest list is, these tips will help you take the guesswork out of things. Just remember to be mindful of any dietary restrictions guests may have and the tone you are hoping to set.