New research has shown that quality catering is one of the most under-rated recipes for success when it comes to event management.
Budgetary pressures have seen food and drink tumble down the list of priorities in the eyes of the organiser according to the independent Value of Satisfaction report – which sought the views of a cross section of events, meetings and conference stakeholders – commissioned by Warwick Conferences, the meetings and events arm of The University of Warwick.
Attendees disappointed by catering
Despite only one in ten event bookers rating quality catering as a top requirement, 79% of attendees said that they had been left disappointed by the fare on offer at functions.
Almost half cited limited choice as their biggest bugbear, whilst one in five said that there was no flexibility, and the same amount also complained that what was on offer was inappropriate for the time available.
This disconnect of priorities was highlighted by the fact that just 22% of attendees said they would be prepared to sacrifice quality catering for another element of the function, in contrast to almost four out of ten organisers.
Venues need to take more responsibility
Warwick Conferences’ head of sales and marketing, Rachael Bartlett, believes the results highlight the effect that the economic downturn has had on people’s approach to event management.
She said: “The most striking thing about these results is that people are focusing on food and drink as a way of saving money, but it is an area that their attendees feel very affected by when it misses the mark.
“The fact that almost eight out of ten people have been disappointed by the catering at a function they have attended shows that people really feel any corner-cutting in this area.
“Venues need to take more responsibility for acting as real consultants and liaising with clients on the needs of their delegates. For instance, the type of attendee, length of sessions, average travel time, time of departure, allocation of eating time and much more can contribute to the decision you make.
“Simply allowing people to select from a list of options is likely to see them disappoint their attendees and ultimately lose a lot of the value and goodwill that their event was designed to create.”
The Value of Satisfaction report
Is available for download from Warwick Conferences
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