At a session at Meeting Professionals International's recent Professional Education Conference in New Orleans, Janet R. Pickover, CMP, a director with Site Inspections Plus in Princeton, N.J., offered these cost-saving tips:

• Buy bottled water in bulk and custom brand it, instead of serving the expensive branded bottles hotels typically provide.

• Put reception food tables against the wall rather than in the center of a room. Less access to the table means less food consumption.

• If your attendees can't tell the difference between standard and premium liquor brands, don't invest in the premium.

• Put more expensive food closer to the front door, and less expensive food in the back.

• Check out your venue's inventory of tables, chairs, linens, and decorations. Using in-house stock is a lot cheaper than renting.

• Eliminate waste by planning the number of special meals (vegetarian, kosher, etc.) that will be needed, so extra meat dishes don't go to waste.

• Make sure you have enough time for the type of meal you plan to provide. In one case, Pickover recalled, the planner and kitchen staff eschewed the safe bet — a simple continental breakfast — and went with a five-course, themed meal, culminating in a chocolate dessert! The multicourse meal took longer than anticipated, which left attendees stampeding into the meeting room from the breakfast area, leaving behind dozens of uneaten desserts.

  
  

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