Attention charity event planners! If you didn’t know before, let us tell you now that if tickets to your event are $50 or more, your attendees are expecting appetizers! The only question that remains is which ones need to be taken care of.
In a recent survey of frequent charity attendees, the 9 most popular choices were revealed in the following order (most preferred to least): Sushi, Spinach Puff Triangles, Mini Burgers, Shrimp Cocktail, Mini Quiche, Mini hot dogs, chicken kabobs, egg rolls, and mini pizzas. However, event planners need to be careful; serving all nine is not a solution to the food problem at your event.
“Hors d’oeuvres” literally translates from French as “apart from the main job.” So even if it’s a casual event, serving only hors d’oeuvres is not a good sign. What you serve, when you serve it, and how much should be balanced with the rest of your meal plan for the evening. Talk to your provider. Let them know the mood and theme of your event. Let them know how much money you are willing to spend; that is obviously one of the most important factors.
If money is an issue, consider the following: serve spinach pastry triangles instead of expensive sushi for vegetarians or replace the sushi with shrimp cocktails for seafood, also consider chicken skewers for carnivores. Just remember, the key is to have a variety of hors d’oeuvres, something for everyone.
Savvy philanthropists who use online ticketing and other websites to find great charitable events have this to say on the subject: You don’t need to have enough hors d’oeuvres on hand for people to make a meal out of, but balance them. with the alcohol service so that people get something in their stomachs while having a drink!