Wrapping Up Your 2019 Catering Events on a High Note

When the off-season is beckoning, it can feel difficult to stay on top of things as you did throughout the year — especially when you have a team who has been hard at work for several long months. It’s tempting to skate through the next several weeks, just to get to the freedom on the other side. This feeling is made worse if you—or your team—haven’t made time for rest throughout the year and are starting to succumb to burnout.

If you’re looking to keep up the strong effort and continue thriving through the very end of the season, here are some suggestions from our event pros.

 Prepare your team in advance

It never hurts to start early, especially when it comes to preparing your employees for the craziness that is the holiday season. Take some time to refresh your employees on responsibilities and expectations to ensure the rest of the year goes smoothly.

“As fall approaches, you have a small window to catch your breath for a few brief moments—and then jump right in,” says Meryl Snow of Feastivities Events. “That’s right, it’s time for holiday events! For most companies, this represents a significant increase in revenue that is relied upon to get you through the leaner first quarter months. To ensure your events will be executed properly, you’ll need to beef up your team and train, train, train!”

Commit to team morale

Your employees are your greatest resources, so it’s essential to take care of your people — especially towards the end of the year when burnout can be prevalent. Commit to reminding them how much you value them through little gestures, like a lunch out of the office or a special treat for everyone to share.

“Be sure to take care of your team, not just your customers,” reminds Alan Berg of Wedding Business Solutions, LLC. “The companies in the world with the best customer service are the ones that take the best care of their people. Do little things to show them they’re valued. Share great reviews from recent events to enforce to your team that you provide a high level of service and experience, every time.”

Anthony Lambatos of Footers Catering shares a personal example: “In December last year, we did a 30-day ‘Spreading Joy’ challenge. Everyone who wanted to participate was assigned one day and they had to do something to spread joy at work. So many people signed up that we had two people on each day, so they would work together to do something creative and fun. My wife and I dressed up in a reindeer costume and handed out candy while dancing to Christmas songs, one pair made a coffee and doughnut cart that came through the office and kitchen, and one day, we had two people telling jokes with our microphone and speaker system as people came into work.”

Hire extra support staff

The end of the year usually comes with an onslaught of event preparation and production, so bringing on some temps can help your team morale, while ensuring quality service for your clients. It never hurts to have an extra few hands on deck to support operations, especially when each week brings a whole set of new events.

“This is the time of year when new clients are earned for the coming years,” says Lon Lane of Lon Lane’s Inspired Occasions. “This is the time of year we have to be at our very, very best as we are exposed to many new potential customers. Now is the time to staff events with extra staff to ensure smooth operations. Hire extra bartenders, servers, and captains that pay particular attention to the client. Extra staffing will divide the work load as well.”

Surprise and delight your clients

The holidays also present an excellent opportunity to treat your clients and take the customer experience to the next level. It doesn’t need to be anything major; all it takes is a special treat or a thoughtful card to show you care.

Adam Gooch of Common Plea Catering shares: “We always do cookie trays of holiday sweets as gifts to the office to show how much we appreciate their business.”

The final lap of the year may seem like the most demanding, but it will also be the most rewarding once you see it to completion. Stay strong, keep your eye on the prize, and continue giving your clients and your team the effort they deserve.