Andrew Hartley of CBRE Hotels Advisory shares what he’s seeing in the trends for U.S. hotel food and beverage departments.
Some expert tips on how to bring your meeting’s food and beverage offerings more in line with good cardiac practices. February is National Heart Health month, and what better way to celebrate than to share ways you can make your conference part of the solution for preventing heart disease? You can do this by getting people moving regularly, whether that means offering formal exercise options or arranging to provide lots of breaks to get them out of their seats regularly. You also could encourage a healthy dose of sleep by minimizing late night partying options when you have early morning…
Trends change annually – and sometimes semi-annually. Check out below on what you can expect to see trending in group catering this year.
How does the ADA and Food & Beverage Intersect? In the August 2018 issue of The Meeting Professional, Tracy discusses ADA and food. Since the Americans with Disabilities Act was amended in 2008, individuals with food allergies, celiac disease and other medical conditions that require them to eat a specific way, are now provided civil rights protections under the disabilities law. The Amendment added such words as eating, breathing, cardiovascular system, immune system to the list of major life activities that, if affected in any way, requires a person to alter “normal” activities — like eating peanuts, gluten or grapefruit…
Convening Kosher Communication and knowledge are key to ensuring the F&B experience pleases all parties At a recent Tourism Ireland event, I was intrigued by a query to guest host Lady Dunleath about the menus available at Ballywalter Park, Lord and Lady Dunleath’s Northern Ireland home. A meeting planner representing a law firm in Manhattan’s financial district inquired about the availability of vegetarian, vegan and kosher meals at the estate, whose Mansion House is offered for group functions. In the ensuing conversation, the planner noted that, given the costs involved in obtaining kosher provisions, she tried to investigate if attendees…
Tracy recently spoke with Meetings and Conventions magazine on how to negotiate a hotel contract in a seller’s market. Of the 12 tips “for getting what your group really needs” in the article, the three tips she provided were focused on food and beverage spend: [list icon=”icon: check-square-o” icon_color=”#d81c5c”] Custom-build your menus — work with your chefs directly Work the food angle to offset costs — “gang” menus with other groups Group events together — commingle groups to reduce duplication [/list] More from Tracy: There are few more ways I’d like to potentially help you save money on food and beverage at your next event while…
Meeting planners are worried about many things when thinking about accommodating guests with special dietary needs, but one of the major fears is the cost. This concern needs to be addressed up front and throughout the planning and budgeting process with both your suppliers and your attendees so you aren’t sinking your event budget. Take a recent question I received after a webinar I gave for Collinson Media. Cathy just hosted a conference for 4,300 people. Of the 458 special meal requests she received, 41 were halal and 12 were kosher. With seven meal functions during the three-day conference, that equated…
Are meeting and event planners required to accommodate attendee’s food needs? With the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, the answer is yes.