Attention charity event planners! If you did not know before, let us tell you now, that if the tickets to your event cost $50 or more, your attendees are expecting hors d’oeuvres! The only question that remains is which ones should be served.
In a recent survey of frequent charity event goers, the 9 most popular choices were revealed in the following order (from most to least preferred): sushi, spinach puff triangles, mini burgers, shrimp cocktail, mini quiche, mini hot dogs, chicken skewers, egg rolls, and mini pizza. However, event planners should be wary; serving all nine of these is not a solution to the issue of food at your event.
“Hors d’oeuvres” translates literally from the French as “apart from the main work.” So, even if it is a casual event, serving nothing but hors d’oeuvres is not a good sign. What you serve, when you serve it, and in what quantity must be balanced out with the rest of your meal plan for the evening. Talk to your caterer. Let them in on the mood and theme of your event. Let them know how much money you are prepared to spend-that is obviously one of the biggest factors.
If money is an issue, consider the following: serve spinach puff triangles instead of costly sushi for vegetarians or replace sushi with shrimp cocktails for seafood, consider chicken skewers for meat eaters, too. Just remember, the key is to have a variety of hors d’oeuvres-something for everyone.
Savvy philanthropists who use online ticketing and other websites to find great charity events, have the following to say on the subject: it is not necessary to have enough hors d’oeuvres on hand for people to make a meal of them, but balance them out with the service of alcohol so people get something in their stomachs while having a drink!
* Chart is from the 2010 Charity Event Research Report. To download click here