Guidelines for how to include food and beverage into meeting and events for planners during the COVID-19 Pandemic and still having safety, cleanliness, and sanitization.
Food, drinks and the F&B minimums are some of the most important and detailed parts of planning an event. Unfortunately these days, the rules of the ways meals have to be served, how they are served, when, and where they are eaten are all under review.
Hotels, convention centers, and local governments will all have their own inputs as well. We all know this will be a fluid and ongoing conversation but the HopSkip team has recommendations for planners nationwide.
First, the days of buffets are going to be gone for the time being. The “new normal” before we get the pandemic completely behind us, will be pre-packaged meals. Hotels are implementing continental breakfast takeaways. Lunches are being prepacked or boxed individually to limit contact. Dinners and banquets will now be composed of plated meals served. Some hotel chains such as Marriott are looking into a modified buffet set up for large scale events where thousands must be served at one time.
As far as seating for eating, we’re looking at custom layouts of rounds of 10 or 12 being reduced to 5 or 6 chairs. Some banquets must be spread out over different time slots or in several different rooms. Catering staff will wear masks and gloves with cleanliness guidelines strictly followed and enforced.
While these are just starting points, we will see food and beverage interaction at events differ from planner to planner, and hotel to hotel. HopSkip would love to hear your feedback to serve as future guidance for fellow planners! Please comment below with your thoughts.