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If you make the call, you have the power, whether it's planning lunch out with clients or a full slate of conference menu selections.
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Rethink the budget. With food inflation hitting 3% last year in Canada, many corporate buyers have seen some sticker shock in their group food and beverage menus. Before striking anything off the list, or opting for the safe "rubber chicken" option, consult with your venue's chef and convention-services manager and ask for ideas to tailor meals to fit your budget. A customized menu, switching up service options (a platter of hors d'oeuvres in lieu of plated apps?), can keep the quality without scrimping on hospitality or wow-factor. |
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Balance local flavours. Hosting a group on the road for a business meeting or conference can be a great opportunity to get them to experience the food and culture of a destination. However, in the case of traditional fried foods, pungent local flavours, massive hunks of meat and, well, certain acquired delicacies (Prairie oysters? Cod tongue? Poutine?), it can be easy to over-do the “when in Rome” routine, and leave some attendees (and their digestive systems) unhappy. Include more traditional or healthy-lifestyle choices, and the story can be about local ingredients. |
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Explore your veggies. Whether it's for reasons of health, culture, morality, faith or purely flavour, Canadians' appetite for vegetarian cuisine is growing. While strictly defined non-meat-eaters include lacto-ovo-vegetarian (dairy and eggs), lacto-vegetarian (dairy, no eggs), and vegan (no animal products of any type), so-called flexitarians avoid red meat, may eat chicken, but do consume fish or seafood, and exceptors may tolerate some animal products in prepared dishes (everything from gelatine, to broth, to anchovies in Worcestershire sauce). Try something different and seek out local vegetarian caterers in your area. |
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Get sensitive to allergies. About 1.3 million Canadians have some form of food allergy, according to Health Canada, all the more reason to take that “dietary restrictions” checkbox seriously on your guestlists. Highlight any special needs with conference and catering providers well in advance. For a helpful primer, from gluten allergies to the most common intolerences, bookmark this must-read Food Allergies Guide, published for the food service trade by Anaphylaxis Canada. |
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Tell us what's on your plate as you navigate food and beverage options for your 2012 meeting and events. Send us an email, meet us on facebook or at IgniteMeetingsConnect.
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INCENTIVES + MEETINGS
BYOL (bring your own laptop) for hands-on
tech sessions
From sessions tapping into free tools like Screenr to create web presentations, to Excel and Powerpoint techniques and templates designed to help meeting planners, the Canadian Association of Exhibition Managers gets its geek on for the second annual Technology Day for the Exhibition and Events industry on Jan 18. Meeting U founder James Spellos hosts a hands-on technology lab at Toronto's Allstream Centre at Exhibition Place, and a limited number of computers will be available for those who don't BYOL. Registration information is online or in this PDF. |
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CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
NEXUS cross-border travel program to be expanded
Ottawa is encouraging more travellers to sign up to the bi-national NEXUS program for trusted travellers, as Canada and the US begin to unveil details of a new border-crossing accord. Last month, the government announced expansion plans of the NEXUS system for dedicated screening queues at Canada's eight largest airports, while both countries are aligning systems so NEXUS users will be able to skip to the front of lines as they cross the border. Other planned improvements include the elimination of duplicate baggage screening for Canadian travellers who change planes in the US as well as measures to speed up temporary entry for business visitors who are providing after-sales service into either country. |
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CORPORATE GIFTS + REWARDS
Upper end of "middle" reaps bigger incentive rewards
After surveying 198 Canadian organizations employing more than 15,000 middle managers and supervisors, a recent Towers Watson report shows it pays to be on the upper end of the "middle" when it comes to incentive pay. According to its 2011 General Industry Supervisory and Middle Management Compensation Survey Report, the percentage of supervisors and middle managers receiving a short-term incentive award varied significantly by salary, ranging from a high of 70.9% of those earning $125,000 or more to a low of 42% of those earning less than $50,000. And, those who earned a higher salary were likely to be rewarded more generously, ranging from a high of 18.1% of salary for those earning $125,000+ to a low of 6.8% of salary for those earning less than $50,000. |
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| Share your event news, case studies or story ideas with us here at ignitemag.ca. |
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Become a Sales Legend of the Falls
If you're looking for an exciting career move with a newly minted meeting and exhibit venue in one of Canada's most iconic destinations, The Scotiabank Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, is looking for a Director of Sales to lead its dynamic sales team. Learn more, and find the job posting here. |
An events career with one of Canada's best-known brands
Canadian Tire Corp. has the word out to find an AVP, Corporate & Retail Events who will lead a planning and creative production team that shapes everything from vendor meetings to employee events, celebrity appearances to car shows. Sound interesting? Click through to the company's full job posting on Workopolis. |
Get your motor running for Honda's events
If you're a recent grad in events marketing who also loves to rev-up a bike, Honda Canada is looking for a Special Events & Marketing Assistant who is also licensed to drive a motorcycle. Based in Markham, Ont., this full time set of hands will assist with consumer shows as well as help coordinate new rider programs, among other responsibilities. View details here. |
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