Ask an Expert: Event Planning Tips and Trends with food&desire

Creating visual dreams for corporate events, social celebrations, and weddings alike, food&desire are a go-to choice for people who demand only the best in events, catering, and venues. Which venues? You probably know them, or have at least been to a baller event hosted in one of them – Aerial, Harbour Room, Carousel, or the State Library of Victoria (okay, you definitely know that last one).

We had a chat with Snezana Dorseska from the food&desire team about the daily office happenings, managing enquiries, event planning tips for customers, their most memorable events, plus, we got the low-down on what’s trending.

A day in the food&desire offices is a combination of hard work and good times.

“I’d say our mornings are quite quiet and productive,” says Snezana. Team meetings are usually held in the middle of the day. Then in the evenings, the crew delights in “lots of sampling! Refined wines, boutique beers, local gin” and if there’s an event on, there’s lots of menu sampling.

When it comes to managing and responding to event booking enquiries, the food&desire sales team are fast, proactive, and presumably well-fed from all the aforementioned menu sampling.

“The sales team manage all the enquiries themselves from the website, online directories, and other places where food&desire enquiries can be made”.

Here’s a fun fact for venues and event planners alike – Venuemob customers statistically enquire at three venues at a time for their event, so function managers need to respond fast to enquiries to lock in a booking. The food&desire team are fully aware of this, ensuring they respond “within a 24 hour time frame and are continuously managing the client from the enquiry until the end of event” says Snezana.

It’s all about the tasty treats, and making sure said tasty treats match the concept of your event.

“Selecting a menu and dining style reflective of the event’s purpose brings the entire event into a complete full circle. Whether it’s a communal entrée option, open kitchen with chefs on display or completely adapting the menu to suit the unique environment, it’s important for the menu to play a part in the event.” 

For customers, the most important thing you need to master is “attention to detail”, according to Snezana. “Your clients will remember the small things, as much as the big things”.

As for trends, it’s hard for customers to stay ahead of the curve. Creating a memorable experience for your guests depends on a few elements. An integral component is doing something that's trendy, but hasn't been overdone. So, what’s trending in events? "Shared dining experiences,” says Snezana. “Think of the way you dine at Chin Chin or Fonda. Clients are taking these restaurant scene concepts and adopting them for their event."

“We’ve had so many…” says Snezana. But when they think about it, there are two events that really stand out from the crowd for the food&desire team. “One was a wedding we did for Misha Collections founder Michelle Aznavorian”. Why? It all comes back to the attention to detail – remember that hot tip from before? Well, it checks out and the proof is in the gourmet pudding. It’s the little things that truly matter. “There was so much that went into every element of that event, a tailored menu and customised draping and theming”. The other event that stands out for the team is Aerial’s 2017 Wedding Showcase.

Who knows, maybe YOU can host the next most memorable event that the food&desire team references in the future.

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