I was having lunch the other day with an associate of mine who is a buyer for a major food distribution company. The conversation drifted toward the varying aspects involved catering a large corporate function when she stopped me asking, “You’re really enthusiastic about focused business catering, aren’t you?” she inquired.

I guess my exuberance showed in my demonstrative delivery praising the distinguishing aspects about corporate catering. She wanted to know what difference it made selecting a caterer specializing in corporate dining functions versus an established, reputable one with varied experience.

“Wouldn’t you want a professional with a great deal of overall experience to handle an important function like feeding a couple of hundred sales associates at an annual meeting?”

I sort of chuckled with that slight knowing smile emerging on my lips and that “I’m about to tell you so” story about why she might not be right in her thoughts.

First of all, any caterer – business, event, wedding or otherwise – that has maintained a long standing relationship in the community where they serve certainly is most equipped to handle large dining events. However, the caterer with an outstanding reputation serving the community’s wedding needs, private party needs, sporting venues, political conventions or other events where a large number of people gather may not be the best choice to meet corporate dining needs.

Although every caterer conducts themselves as a business, not every caterer’s client is a business. Therefore, all-purpose caterers, while competent, if not exceptionally gifted at providing food services, usually lack the knowledge of details needed to successfully meet all the specific nuances required when supplying business meeting, seminar, convention or other dining needs.

I tried to explain some of these corporate dining needs relate to costs, space and time – often considerations that may not weigh as heavily as deciding factors when planning a bar mitzvah, graduation, wedding or other celebratory event. Many celebration events are sold based the number of extravagant features available whereas a corporate dining event planner needs to make a choice that is on budget, provides quality nourishment, can be provided in whatever space is available in a timely manner so all attendees can go back to the business at hand. This is especially true, I said, for at-work business functions such as planning and training meetings.

Although dad gets the kudos for the party thrown at his daughter’s wedding celebration, a corporate meeting and event planner has much more riding on the successful dining experience meeting, seminar or convention attendees have.

Quality food and service specifically catered, if you don’t mind the pun, to busy working professionals will create a great deal of morale when the planned event is an employee attended function. Additionally, corporate events that are held to entertain possible clients when served by a caterer who has the knowledge necessary to meet specific business needs and goals will make a lasting impression. Knowing your business has “put out the red carpet” treating them in a way that makes them feel special goes a long way toward cementing lasting business relationships. A corporate catering specialist like Just Corporate Catering has the knowledge and know-how to create a memorable business dining event that can be a very productive employee benefit or client marketing tool.

“Obviously you make a great point about specialized business catering that I’ll pass along to my bosses when they plan our next sales training seminar. We’d score a big plus using a service like corporate catering,” my food buyer friend said.

Justin Cook stirs up his recipes concerning corporate catering, event planning and other dining related topics on his Just Corporate Catering blog. Please feel free to add comments to his posts and contact Justin with questions or other communication at justin.cook@justcorporatecatering.com.