Hi all,
I missed the wrong meeting and got landed with the job of treasurer for a smallish (140 attendees) conference early next year. We're looking at the conference dinner options, and we can pay for drinks by the hour or pay by consumption.
In the 'by consumption' option at our preferred venue, the list looks okay, average wine price is about $40/bottle (max is $60), with about 20 whites and 15 reds to choose from, and 6 or 8 beers at $8/bottle, softies etc about $4/glass.
The 'drinks by the hour' option is $50 for 5 hours, with choice of one sparkling, two average whites, two average reds, three ordinary beers.
I am guessing the average Joe and Jo-ette will drink 1 bottle of wine and a few softies each, or 4-5 beers?
Am I way out with my guesstimate? I really would prefer to let people choose from a broader list and pay by consumption, but not if it's going to blow our budget to bits!
Any thoughts?
Wine by the hour or off the list?
Re: Wine by the hour or off the list?
Either way, it sounds like a rollicking five hour piss-up. It depends on the attendees but $4 for a softdrink sounds a bit much and you could be sure that there'd be a fair few there who'd make the most of the by-the-glass option and drink the most expensive of their chosen tipples, making that option the easily more expensive. The aim of the function itself, corporate image, the budget limit for drinks are factors you obviously know need to be considered. A bottle of wine, a 6pk of beer over five hours with presentations etc is probably a generous estimate. I presume there's to be a food break, hopefully with reasonable quality food. You haven't mentioned the offer of tea or coffee as options.
Cheers
daz
Cheers
daz
Re: Wine by the hour or off the list?
For a sit down dinner at University functions about half a bottle a head was what I found was about right (okay that was nearly 20 years ago). The hard thing is to make an average guess what people will drink - some nothing or only a couple of softies, some only a glass, ... and a few will go at it hard.
One big risk is left overs. If it is the sort of function where bottles are put on tables for self help you can lose a lot in left over half and 3/4 filled bottles. If drinks are being pured by the bar this should be reduced.
One big risk is left overs. If it is the sort of function where bottles are put on tables for self help you can lose a lot in left over half and 3/4 filled bottles. If drinks are being pured by the bar this should be reduced.
David J
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake 1Ti 5:23
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake 1Ti 5:23
Re: Wine by the hour or off the list?
I have been involved in the catering/entertainment of several professional conferences. Paying for the bottle (consumption) always worked out better than by the hour. Think about it. Even with HALF of the attendees wanting to get drunk, that is a bottle each. About $40. The rest are cheaper. The key is to ensure that the choice is limited in cost and variety. That reduces the ability of some to take advantage by choosing a very expensive option and also reduces the likelihood of leftovers as a table wouldn't order a great variety of bottles. Beer you don't have to worry about as it is cheap. Make sure it is house spirits only and you are laughing!
cheers
Carl
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
Re: Wine by the hour or off the list?
griff wrote:I have been involved in the catering/entertainment of several professional conferences. Paying for the bottle (consumption) always worked out better than by the hour. Think about it. Even with HALF of the attendees wanting to get drunk, that is a bottle each. About $40. The rest are cheaper. The key is to ensure that the choice is limited in cost and variety. That reduces the ability of some to take advantage by choosing a very expensive option and also reduces the likelihood of leftovers as a table wouldn't order a great variety of bottles. Beer you don't have to worry about as it is cheap. Make sure it is house spirits only and you are laughing!
cheers
Carl
Carl's right. Conference dinners are usually quite reserved, as no one really wants to get blotto in front of their colleagues. However, the majority of these dinners I attend tend to serve mundane food and insipid wines (which certainly limits my personal consumption).
If I were you, and were organising wines for such an event, it would be great for the guests to be able to order off the list. It doesn't sound like the bottles on the list are extravagant, and everyone likes to be able to choose their poison... If the food is below par, this will at least ensure people have only themselves to blame for the bad choice of wines...
Cheers,
Monghead.
Re: Wine by the hour or off the list?
Have no fear, the food will be very good.
I just know that I hate dinners where you are let down by very ordinary wines served via the package deals, so am strongly in favour of choosing off a list. Hopefully everyone will be pleasantly surprised by being able to choose their drinks, and that coupled with good food should make our meeting a bit of a stand-out (20th annual meeting and all that too, so hoping to put on a good one).
I just know that I hate dinners where you are let down by very ordinary wines served via the package deals, so am strongly in favour of choosing off a list. Hopefully everyone will be pleasantly surprised by being able to choose their drinks, and that coupled with good food should make our meeting a bit of a stand-out (20th annual meeting and all that too, so hoping to put on a good one).