Signature Caterer for Best Event

Transcription

1 Signature Caterer for Best Event

2 The Grand Opening

3 SYNOPSIS You never get a second chance at a first impression. The Grand Opening for a new event venue can make or break the initial impact of the new venture. With no soft opening to work out the kinks, this launch party was an exercise in innovation and flexibility. Teamwork, flawless execution and adaptability helped to provide world class hospitality to the event savvy guests.

4 Concept: First impressions are everything. In order to set this venue apart, we had to create an impression that would have the greatest impact. Every element of the event had to be remarkable. The final details of the event were put into place in one final meeting at a local restaurant. Our owner, executive chef, design director and director of sales all sat down and discussed how all of those pieces would fit together. The restaurant table had a large sheet of brown paper on it, perfect for us to map out floorplans, including placement of all of the food stations, entertainment, station designs and menu. We also discussed the guest list which included prospective clients, planners, key individuals who we wanted to thank for making it possible to open the space and produce this event.

5 Food is key to any successful event. The menu showcased items from the past and the future. Innovative new items were served alongside classic favorites reinvented to fit the style of the venue. The entertainment would be an important part of the event so we chose acts specifically for each space to showcase its features and flexibility.

6 Design: As the guests arrived they were treated to the sight of graceful aerialists performing spectacularly beautiful acrobatics under steel frames on the front patio. Greeters handed out programs that were bound together with nuts and bolts to compliment the venues industrial theme. It contained a brief history of the building, the menu for the evening and a map of each of the spaces.

7 The entryway sets the tone for the venue perfectly. Black iron, original brick walls, distressed wood and crystal chandeliers all mesh together to leave no doubt in the guests mind about the style of the building. The first floor boasts 30 miniature crystal chandeliers sparkling under exposed air ducts and steel girders creating an interesting juxtaposition. Cool jazz was being played, paying respect to the building s history as a prominent hotbed for jazz and gospel music in the 1950 s and 60 s. The building sits at the end of a historic canal with limestone walls and columns. To complement the view of the canal and bring a bit of the outside in, the walls of the first floor are covered with limestone.

8 The guests passed through the first floor space to the outside patio overlooking the canal. There, they enjoyed the view and the "Up In Smoke" station. The entertainment chosen for the main patio were "bucket Drummers". This unique band of percussionists looked like janitors gone crazy and played rhythmic grooves on overturned trash cans and buckets. They encouraged the guests to play with them, bringing interactivity to the event.

9 Menu: Passed Hors d oeuvre: Candied Bacon Spoon - Candied bacon fashioned as a spoon, topped with a mini three cheese frittata, garnished with caper mayonnaise and fresh dill. Ham and Gouda Spaghetti Fritters - Homemade spaghetti covered in gouda sauce with diced ham, fried to a golden crisp, dusted with freshly grated parmesan. Mozzerella en Carrozza- Fresh mozzarella hand battered with herbed breadcrumbs topped with caper mayonnaise. Spinach & Artichoke Puff- Savory spinach and artichoke cream puff topped with crème fraiche, garnished with fresh chive.

10 Food Stations: Up in Smoke - Seared sea scallops served with sautéed crimini mushrooms, crumbled bacon, and grilled corn kernels atop a corn puree, smoked in a jar by a smoking gun with hickory. Sautéed Beef Tips - Sautéed beef tips over black garlic mashed potatoes. Guests then seasoned to their taste with choices Black Cyprus, Pink Himalayan and Mediterranean Sea Salts. Lemon Brownies- Mini lemon brownies topped with whipped cream and rose crystals.

11 Goat Cheese Candies - Savory pecan candy rolls with bacon and date herb goat cheese in copper wrapping, suspended by clothes pins in a picture frame. Feta Foam - Feta foam with honey frozen on a nitro anti-griddle, served on a wooden spoon, and topped with mini fried pickle, fried olive, or dried fig. Salad Chandeliers - Salads suspended from the ceiling and displayed in a chandeliered tree branch. Guests chose from a wheat berry salad with roasted butternut squash, baby spinach and bourbon soaked cranberries drizzled with a bourbon white balsamic vinaigrette, or a Panzanella salad with toasted Italian bread, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes and capers all tossed with a tangy red wine Dijon vinaigrette.

12 Chicken Thigh Waffle Manhattan - White wine poached chicken thigh covered in rosemary gravy sliced and served on cheddar potato waffles, garnished with edible micro flowers. Polenta with Short Rib Ragu - Creamy polenta served with choice of short rib Ragu or sautéed mushrooms, topped with freshly shaved parmesan.

13 The specialty drink created for the evening was "Whiskey Barrel Buckets". When conceptualizing this, we wanted to maximize the impact of a fountain that sits next to the building and feeds the canal. Originally, we were searching for faucets to go in the bathrooms. During that search, we came upon a fountain designed for use in backyard gardens. The fountain looks like a whiskey barrel so we used bourbon as the base. We used lemonade as the mixer because of its refreshing seasonal appeal. In addition to fresh mint, we soaked strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in whiskey for 4 days to create drunken fruit for the guests to choose as garnish. Specialty drinks need unique vessels so we shoes to use miniature galvanized pails. To display the pails, we built a ladder out of reclaimed wood and the pails hung from ten penny nails.

14 Goals: The main goal of this event was to introduce a new event facility to the special event community, planners, designers, key clients and selected prospects. Another goal was to show the versatility of the venue at the same time. The primary objective was to throw an impressive party to create a buzz. The event was designed to demonstrate various elements in the different spaces of the venue to showcase the versatility. The building had just been renovated from a restaurant that was well known, so the transition was a surprise to many people. There would be no restaurant in the building anymore, so it was necessary to get the event community behind this new venture. We needed them to see it, not as the closing of a restaurant, but the opening of a new era for our company and the events community in our area.

15 Uniqueness and Challenges: The unique aspects of this event made it challenging. We conducted many SWOT and gap analyses but nothing can fully prepare you for the challenges of executing an event in a brand new space for the very first time. We had to discover what worked and what did not in the production areas as we went.

16 The first floor kitchen is a bit small so we had to be creative with space. The bussing area, for example, was first used to mix the Whiskey drink. Once the drink was pre-mixed, the tables were cleared and ready for use as the scullery area. From that area, all dirty dishes and utensils had to be sent down a dumbwaiter to the basement where the dishwasher is located. The second floor kitchen is quite small so we had to be even more creative there. Some of the production for the food on the floor had to be done in the first floor kitchen and sent up to be held until it was time to be served. The weather was a bit of a challenge as well. We deeply wanted to showcase the outside space but Mother Nature didn't favor us. The evening was quite chilly so, at the last minute, we brought in portable heating units so that people could still enjoy the outside even if it was only briefly.

17 The mixture of old and new menu selections was both unique and a pleasant surprise. Many of the menu items were brand-new, but we took the opportunity to redesign some of our tried-and-true menu items to fit the space. For example, we had the smoking gun station developed for quite some time but since our other two spaces are a true historic building and a high-rise, we were not able to use it because of the fear of setting off smoke alarms. Because of the outdoor space the smoking gun station had finally found its time and it was a wonderful addition to the outside space. The creampuff station was a classic of ours from many years back, but to show the versatility of the building and bring a modern twist, we introduced the liquid nitrogen element to it.

18 The preproduction process had to be carefully planned because many of the display items had to be built from scratch. Most of the food and beverage display items were made by hand out of distressed wood and metal piping. The trees for the salad display had been in our arsenal for many years, but we had never had the right opportunity to hang them from proper rafters. The idea had floated around our company for many years, but this event was the perfect opportunity. To make them stand out and to continue the chandelier motif, we wrapped the trees in white Christmas lights creating a stunning visual as guests enter the room.

19 Production for the event was not very different from every other event we do. Our food is prepped at our commissary, chilled and brought to the event in refrigerated trucks. Due to the tight space, we gave ourselves plenty of extra time to finish the items on-site. Staff timelines, production schedules, and detailed set-up instructions were given to the staff upon arrival. Once the set up was concluded, we had a detailed staff meeting to explain staff responsibilities and expectations for the event. We conducted SWOT analysis through the set up and did final walk-throughs and quality control at the schedule times. Everything was ready on time for guests arrival because we had conducted the proper research and development for the menu items. The production and service went flawlessly. With the exception of the chilly weather, everything went off as planned and the guests had a wonderful time. The client was very pleased with the evening and felt that the goals had been accomplished with great success.

20 Vendors: Aerialist (317) Cocktail Sax (317) Circle City Bucket Drummer (317) DJGallant (317)

21 Encore Entertainment (317) Detail and Design (317) Goldstar Managment (317) Wow Factors (317) Evans Audio Visual (317)

22 BBJ Linen (847) A Classic Party Rental (317) mike@aclassicpartyrental.com

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