Pennock says the planners are not afraid to negotiate with not only the price point but also with the features of the set menu in order to get the best deal before committing. He notes a major bump up in demand for custom-menus in the past few years and estimates some 50 percent to 80 percent of all corporate events now request customized orders.

“The groups are very much more custom-designed than they ever used to be,” he says.

Groups are also taking longer to commit, leaving less of a window between the time they book and the actual event as they grapple with income issues. Leaving less lead time prevents forfeiting a deposit should they be forced to cancel the event.

But price is not the only sticking point. Health requirements, lifestyle choices and religious specifications are also playing a major role in how a function’s menu is presented.

Food allergies -- whether it is shellfish, nut, or gluten -- now play a big role in how menus are prepared. Healthy eating choices, especially vegetarian, have also grown in recent years.

“It’s getting more and more every year. There are definitely way more special dietary trends than there ever has been with corporate groups. Some are religious-based, but there is also a huge amount of allergy increases,” he says. “If you have a group of 300 people, you can guarantee that you’re going to have 30 different requests.”

Social responsibility has also crept into the planning as the majority of the groups -- pushed by commonsense as well as by tough laws and even tougher penalties -- have changed the way they think about libations.

Companies still offer alcoholic beverages with meals, but now set limits on the amount of alcohol that can be served at any given function.

“Groups will establish a limit to the amount that they are going to pay…It’s not just cost-consciousness, it’s society in general. It’s not socially acceptable to get inebriated any more,” Pennock says.

But Pennock looks upon the changing landscape not as an inconvenience but as a self-development tool for not only himself but that of his staff as well.

“Everybody in business throughout the world has had to change. I’ve learned how to deal with it and how to accept it and not to worry so much any more. It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong, but people expect change more and more,” he says.

“It breeds creativity and is a challenge for yourself and the people you are working with. They get to see new things. That’s more motivating for individuals. They may be more tired at the end of the day, but I think they are far more satisfied.”
 

Filed under: Features