Corporate event planning can help you with a lot of the details that are critical to your event, almost none of which that are as important as your menu. As you’re preparing for your big event, you are going to eventually be faced with a choice of menu items. Your corporate event planners will tell you that regardless of whether you’re going buffet style, family style, or opting for individually pre-filled plates to be served to each guest, you are going to have to deal with the very real possibility of allergies and religious refusals. Corporate events are especially difficult to plan for. To help you understand what you shouldn’t include on your menu, our Save The Date® corporate event planners have compiled a list of the 6 foods to avoid on your party menu.
1) Peanuts and Tree Nuts – This is the real biggie. Research shows that as much as 2% of the American population is allergic to peanuts or tree nuts to some extent. While that may not seem like a lot, you have to realize one additional fact: If someone in a family has an allergy to one of these nuts, there is a 20% likelihood that a second family member will share the same allergy. As you begin inviting families to your NYC birthdays and other celebrations, it is entirely possible that you could end up with a high number of guests with this allergy.
2) Shellfish – This allergy isn’t as popular as peanuts can be, but people who are allergic to this variety of food tend to be extremely allergic. To avoid a medical emergency, NYC event planning specialists will advise that you stay far away from any form of shellfish, including shrimp, on your menu. Some religious practices likewise frown on the inclusion of shellfish in food.
3) Fish – Bass, Cod, and Flounder make up the top of this allergy chart, but when a person is allergic to fish, they tend to be allergic to more than one variety of it. While a popular dinner option due to its affordability, any fish option that you select to serve at NYC birthdays should always be paired with an alternative meat source so that those with an allergy, or just an old-fashioned dislike, may choose something different.
4) Gluten – Your guests are more likely to be gluten intolerant than gluten allergic, but an intolerance is still more than enough to cause your guests to turn down any product including this popular ingredient. Make sure that those food items you serve that have gluten in them are obvious, such as breads.
5) Milk – A milk allergy is more often a case of indigestion or other embarrassing side effects after the meal is over. To spare your guests from this awkwardness, make any milk inclusions in your menu obvious, and optional. There’s no shame in scraping the cheese off your Monterrey Chicken at a dinner party.
6) Meat – When someone doesn’t eat meat, they simply won’t eat meat. Any option that you present them with will be viewed with equal disdain. Whether for religious purposes or simple personal choice, your NYC corporate event planning specialist will encourage investigating to see if you have any vegetarians in your guest list, and preparing them something accordingly to eat.
Corporate event planners know that some of what draws your bottom line for your corporate events is the importance of networking and branding, which is the point of these events. The last thing you want to do is offend anyone or alienate them because of their dietary restrictions. Actually the VERY last thing you want to do is send one of your guests, clients, and/or employees to the hospital with anaphylactic shock. Don’t worry though. Corporate event planners are pros at preventing these kinds of issues. It’s our job to ensure your corporate event goes off without a hitch, and it’s a job we know how to do well. If you are planning a corporate event and think you need a little more help, please reach out to our wonderful Save The Date® team of corporate event planners! Click here to Enquire Now
