Beautifully curated, light, and simple meals are trending and that is a very good thing for meeting planners. Not only do these types of meals help attract attendees, but they are also very versatile and serve the overall agenda of the meeting well. From grab and go snacks that encourage mingling to locally sourced salads that energize and satisfy, your staff will enjoy every bite.
Food and Beverage Trends for 2020
SOCIAL MEDIA DESIGNER MEALS
Like it or not, social media is here to stay. Meals that are Instagram-stunning are sure to be shared, getting the attention of others in the room as well as those associated with your staff. Instagrammable meals are not only trending, but they are also encouraged as a way to get your staff excited for an upcoming meeting or event.
Stonewall Resort offers custom design on all banquet, breakfast, and lunch buffets. Not only will they delight hungry Facebook followers, but they will also please the palette of your attendees. It’s a win-win!
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GRAB-AND-GO PRE PACKS
For several years, the pendulum has been swinging in the direction of artificial intelligence and virtual meetings. As trends swing back to more social interaction, grab-and-go menu items are increasing in popularity. Finger sandwiches, protein-packed dips with mini dippers like veggies and crackers, and drinkable soups just to name a few.
This is a tremendous benefit to meetings as it encourages interaction between attendees. Interaction is key for trust developing, team building, and project strategizing.
The staff at Stonewall Resort has a whole host of solutions and ideas to accommodate the mingle-power of your meeting mealtimes.
SPECIALTY DIET OFFERINGS
With so many who are on specialty diets, it can be tricky to accommodate everyone. Most meeting spaces offer a diverse menu that will accommodate multiple diet needs, but it is very important to make sure. A best practice is to survey attendees beforehand to get an idea of any special food or beverage needs of the attendees. Then, it is helpful to talk with your meeting location to ensure they are able to accommodate.
Preplanning the menu can also be helpful but it can also be a bit tricky. Generally, attendees don’t know what they will be in the mood to eat 6 weeks in advance but if they are given options to choose from it helps attendees feel their feedback is important.
At the Stonewall Resort, we love catering to any diet with advance notice! Our chefs and servers are trained to accommodate special needs for health as well as medical needs. Gluten-Free, Dairy Intolerant, Vegan, no matter! There’s a dish for everyone!
ZERO PROOF COCKTAILS/MOCKTAILS
Enjoy your tasty libations without imbibing. It’s the best of both worlds! You can mingle with a drink and conduct business without worrying about the alcohol doing the talking, which is very important at a business event, especially!
From hop flavored water to seltzers to mock mojitos, your guests can enjoy a custom drink or two without the side effects.
FRESH/LOCAL
Heavy meals at business meetings have met their demise, not a moment too soon! Salads, fresh local veggie wraps, locally sourced meats, and even desserts from the neighborhood bakery are trending strongly right now. These types of meals are typically energy-giving, filling and help fight afternoon slump and brain fog.
From March to late November, The Stonewall Resort sources farm to table for fresh produce and some meat items. We also source locally for our cheese program.
Food and beverage trends for 2020 are very meeting friendly, making meeting menu planning a breeze. The staff at Stonewall Resort is trained to walk planners through all aspects of meeting menu planning. Get in contact with any questions!
