04/13/2020
The Impact of Social Distancing on Event & Food Services
Last week, we formed the Boston Event & Food Service Collaborative (BEFSC), a small group of local Event and Food gurus to collaborate and share potential best practices for the "new normal".After sharing some battle stories of how March played out with cancellations and postponements, we charged forward with positive thinking! Whenever this ends, we all agree there will be pent up demand for gathering again and perhaps even some revenge spending.
While we all wait for the CDC and government to outline exactly what the new directives will be, we all agreed on a few likely outcomes as follows:
- Relentless focus on Sanitation.
- Much less self-service at gatherings (re-think buffets, self serve coffee & beverage stations); plated meals will be more common.
- Larger events will likely have fewer attendees in general.
- Floor plans will need to be re-done and room capacities adjusted to allow for more social distancing (see renderings).
- Tables will be spaced further apart with less seats at each table.
- Hybrid events will become the norm, meaning a smaller in-person gathering coupled with live streaming or virtual elements.
- Pre-packaged/self-contained food will be more popular.
Before: Ten (10) people per 72" round table. Tables arranged 5'6" apart. 650 guests.
Social Distancing: Six (6) people per 72" round table. Tables arranged 6'6" apart. 275 guests.
The BEFSC group was made up of some esteemed industry colleagues and friends:
- Shira Brandt, Event Manager, Corinthian Events
- Courtney Church, CEO, Corinthian Events
- Lisa Flores, President of SERV and Director of Sales & Marketing, Columbus Hospitality Group
- Jenni Logan, Director, Corinthian Events
- Catering Manager, The Catered Affair
- Amy Porchenick, Director of Sales & Marketing, Gourmet Caterers
- Chuck Ray, General Manager, Capers Catering
- Emma Roberts, Owner, Capers Catering
- Gail Sarni, Director of Catering Services, Gourmet Caterers
- Two Catering Directors from Boston Based Hotels
We will be convening again on Friday, April 17th, so there will be more information to come. If you would like to receive updates from the BEFSC, please email Shira Brandt at shira@corinthianevents.com and she will add you to the list.
Stay Healthy and Hopeful!
03/19/2020
One Night In Singapore: 2020 Gala Award Winner for Best Event Produced for a Private Individual: Budget Under $1,000 Per Guest!
Last week, Special Events Magazine had their 2020 Gala Awards at The Special Events (TSE)/Catersource 2020 in Las Vegas. The TSE Gala Awards are considered the industry's premier global awards with entries submitted by amazing planners from all over including Canada, China, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Thailand, and the United States.Corinthian Events was proud to submit three events for consideration. We were nominated as finalists in two categories and were honored to win Best Event Produced for a Private Individual: Budget Under $1,000 Per Guest for a private birthday celebration entitled:
One Night In Singapore
This spectacular 110 guest 50th birthday was hosted at a local Southeast Asian restaurant. Our goal was to convert the urban Boston street-front venue into an intimate Singaporean experience: A fully themed space that encouraged conversation, energy, culinary adventure, and lots of dancing.Though we bought-out the venue for the evening, it still posed many challenges. We needed to exercise our creative talents when it came to the layout, window exposure, and storage. To define areas for cocktails, dining, and dancing, the layout was reworked. The restaurant furnishings were thinned and then augmented with perfectly selected decor pieces; it then came to life with spectacular florals.
To mask the exposure from the floor to ceiling windows, our in-house graphic designer artfully designed custom window clings that portrayed the busy streets and markets of Singapore. These beautifully themed details served to provide privacy and create an atmosphere of intimacy. We worked closely with the chef to create a tailored menu and amazing specialty cocktails. There were numerous passed hors d'oeuvres followed by interactive Noodle Boat Station, Build Your Own Bahn Mi, and a Shrimp and Crab Boil!
No birthday party is complete without live entertainment. We worked secretly with the honoree's wife to surprise him with two drag Singapore singers from NY. A unique and flamboyant addition that made for a completely memorable experience.
We take great pride in our ability to create not only large highly produced events and conferences, but distinct intimate ones as well. To win such prestigious global recognition for our talents is a great honor. Congratulations to all the nominees and all the winners!
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