Convention Management and Service
Eighth Edition
(478TXT or 478CIN)
© 2011, Educational Institute Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Dallas

1. Identify different types of food service and servicerelated issues related to food functions.
2. Identify control issues related to food functions.
3. Describe service and control issues related to beverage functions.
4. Describe post-function activities for both food and beverage functions, and compare large properties with small ones in terms of in-house coordination.
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• Food functions are an integral part of most meetings
• Association and corporate meeting planners rate the quality of food service as “very important” in their selection of meeting facilities
• Food and beverage functions are second only to guestrooms in generating revenue at most convention hotels
Courtesy of Orient-Express Hotels
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• Meeting planner selects one appetizer and one salad in advance to be served to each attendee
• Meeting planner also chooses three entrées from a selection of six
• At the tables, attendees may pick from these three entrées or a vegetarian option
• A dessert sampler is also included
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• Meeting planners are more food savvy
• Hotels seek to create a restaurant-quality dining experience at banquets
• Customized menus, choice of entrée, action and testing stations, and upscale presentation are popular
• Meeting facilities are offering fresh, healthy, locally grown, organic, and nutritional foods to connect with the trend toward green menus
Courtesy of Fairmont Hotels
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• Food and beverage is second only to guestrooms in the amount of revenue it generates
• The profit margin on banquet sales is 35–40 percent
• Banquet sales volume often exceeds restaurant volume by two to one
• Banquets allow for flexible pricing, while both food and labor costs may be lower
Courtesy of InterContinental Hotels
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Types of Food Functions
• Breakfasts
• Luncheons
• Dinners
• Dinners with entertainment and/or dancing
• Coffee breaks
• Receptions
• Hospitality setups in suites, meeting rooms, or exhibit halls
(continued)
Courtesy of Raffles Hotel Singapore
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(continued)
Tips
• Use a function sheet for each event
• Menu is focal point of theme party
• Better to refuse a request than to fail
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Courtesy of Gaylord Palms Hotels
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Healthier Foods
• Low in calories, fat, and cholesterol
• High in fiber and nutrition
• Breakfast foods lighter/healthier
• “Green” menus promote organic, locally grown choices
• Refreshment breaks are becoming
“energy” breaks
Courtesy of InterContinental Hotels
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• Firm menu prices are not quoted earlier than six months prior to event
• Planner initially will estimate attendance at a food function
• Early estimates of planners should be updated periodically
• Guarantee needed 48 or 72 hours in advance for ordering purposes
• Group generally guarantees to pay for a certain number regardless of attendance
(continued)
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(continued)
• Overset safety margin of 5 percent is common. For example, if guarantee calls for 200 attendees, hotel agrees to set for 5 percent over and sets tables and chairs for 210
• Require guarantees in writing
• Attrition fees may be assessed if group fails to meet its commitment
• Ticket exchange is often used for final banquet
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Plate or American Service
• Most common form of banquet service
• Food prepared in kitchen and presented on guests’ plates
Russian Service
• Food prepared in kitchen
• Served from platters onto guests’ plates
Courtesy of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
(continued)
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(continued)
English/Family-Style Service
• Food brought to the table on platters or in bowls
Butler Service
• Used at receptions
French Service
• Food prepared tableside on carts or a gueridon
• Requires space between tables for carts
Courtesy of Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts
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(continued)
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(continued)
Preset Service
• First course on tables when guests arrive
Buffet service
• Guests serve themselves from arrayed choices
À la Carte Catering
• Guests have choice of entrées
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• Choose location based on type of function, location of other functions, traffic, kind of seating, and lighting
• Ensure enough time for setup, breakdown, and cleaning
• Ensure that noise will not disrupt functions
Courtesy of Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts
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Control Procedures
• Meals: usually charge per person
• Hotels must establish a head count procedure to determine the actual number of meals served
• Count coupons or tickets at door or table, or count dishes
• Coffee breaks or hospitality suites: charge per cup or gallon of coffee, per piece or tray of Danish
• Complimentary hors d’oeuvres allow higher meal and drink charges
• Labor charges and setup costs added to smallfunction bills
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(continued)
Staffing
• One server per 20 guests
• As little as one server per 10 if price and service warrant it
• One captain for every 10 to 12 servers
• One server per 16 guests with wine service
• One server per 30 to 40 guests for buffets
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Uniserve
• All arrangements for function space and F&B made through one service contact—the convention service manager.
Duoserve
• F&B responsibilities separated from scheduling of function space. Meeting planners must work with a banquet/catering department for their F&B requests, and with the convention services department for their function room needs.
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Types of Beverage Service
• Host bar/open bar
• Cash bar/no-host bar
• Coupons or tickets at no-host bar
• Captain's bar
Pricing Methods
• By the person: flat rate for a specified time
• By the bottle: includes opened bottles
• By the drink: include labor charge and use standard drink sizes
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Hospitality Suites
• Used by exhibitors and for good will
• Policy on liquor from outside (corkage)
• Inform group of union regulations
Brands of Liquor
• House brands—standard
• Call brands—by request only
• Premium brands—most expensive liquors
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• Prices for house and call brands may be the same or different
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Procedures
• Maintain formal procedures
• Stock 25 percent more than group’s estimated consumption and return excess to stockroom
• Marrying beverage service stations—closing bars in staggered order, moving partials from one bar to another
Host Bar Control
• Easiest—no cash exchange
• Opened bottles returned to stock or sold to group
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(continued)
Cash Bar Control
• Requires rigid controls
• Use cashier, not bartender, for cash handling
Coupon or Ticket Bar Control
• Need for cashier depends on when tickets are sold
Automated Bars
• Prevent overpouring
• Bartender still required for blended drinks
• Most units take only 8 bottles
• Lends a mechanical atmosphere to cocktail receptions
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Liquor Liability
• Many states have dram shop laws
• Must take responsible care in serving alcohol
Staffing
• One bartender for every
75 to 100 people
• One bar back for every three bartenders
• Open bar stations farthest from entrance first
Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Geneva, Switzerland
• Staff one waiter for every
50 people for food receptions
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• If billing is per person, tally guests served and have planner acknowledge total
• Tally unopened bottles and bottles to be returned for credit; have planner acknowledge totals
• If billing is not through master account, bills should be paid when totals are certified
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Role of Catering Manager
• Can be responsible for sales as well as coordinating F&B in smaller properties
• Small property’s catering manager usually does not have authority over rooms
• Large property’s catering manager usually handles only F&B
(continued)
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(continued)
Servicing and Selling
• Smaller properties use uniserve
• Catering manager may be in charge of function book at small property
• The danger of double-booking
Communication and Cooperation Needed
• More so in small properties because departments are more autonomous
• Small properties should still use specification sheets
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