| EVENT REPORT 02.29.08 4:22 PM |
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| Standing Orders |
| Rather than serve conference attendees a plated lunch, M.P.A. created a networking opportunity where they could pick up food and mingle with exhibitors and other guests. |
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While planning the luncheon for the first day of the Magazine Publishers of America’s (M.P.A.) Digital Conference at New World Stages, Ja-Shin Tsang, the director of events for the M.P.A., faced some logistical problems. She wanted more networking time for attendees, and she and Amira Gertz, the catering and event sales manager of Sebastian’s, saw during the site inspection that a seated luncheon wasn’t a viable option for the 400 or so guests.
So the two came up with the idea of a two-hour interactive lunch session, with small plates served from made-to-order stations, for the Wednesday-afternoon break, which would allow guests to stand and chat. (Another plus: It also meant that the M.P.A. could sell a couple of exhibitor booths in the lunch area.) |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | The luncheon took over two floors of New World Stages with stations on one level and extra seating above.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
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 | Two exhibitor booths sat on either side of a food station, allowing guests to mingle and chat with exhibitors.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
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 | Chefs tossed various fresh items in front of guests at a salad bar.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
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 | Chefs prepared made-to-order plates of risotto with options like wild mushrooms, honey-glazed ham, and caramelized fennel.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
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 | Unlike the other stations, bite-size desserts such as dark-chocolate-mousse ganache tarts and cherry almond cheesecake bites sat on trays as self-serve items.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
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Set up along the hallway of the venue’s orchestra level, three hot food stations offered items such as swordfish tacos, risotto, and butternut-squash soup. Two other tables offered salad and side dishes, while bite-size desserts sat on serving trays at either end of the hall. And everything came in relatively small portions to make it easier to juggle the food while standing—the soup was the most convenient, as it came in a coffee mug. Tsang and Gertz added tables and chairs, too, placing them around the hallway and on the mezzanine above. As M.P.A. had rented the entire venue, Gertz was able to house the food-prep area on one of the stages that opened directly into the hallway.
To make sure the luncheon didn't feel too much like a deli counter, Gertz ordered custom linens—striped blue-and-brown fabric to match the conference logo—to cover the station tables.
—Anna Sekula
RELATED TOPICS
Magazine Publishers of America
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