F&B as a Bridge of Inclusivity
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By Anjali Sanghvi, independent planner and co-chair, MPI Potomac Chapter, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
At a previous job, I distinctly remember a colleague from another department came up to me, introduced herself and asked if I had been in charge of ordering the food for the last few office events. I had just joined the company, and, as was the culture there, I was encouraged to take on a social committee role to get to know everyone better. I picked a role that would allow me to pick the food. If you know me, you would know that food is a passion of mine.
She then went on to say that she had avoided office events or left early because no one ever thought to order vegetarian/vegan offerings for her and a few other colleagues. “We were always an afterthought,” she said, “or at least it always felt that way.” She then went on to (incorrectly) assume that I must be a vegetarian because I was of Indian descent.
She then went on to say that she had avoided office events or left early because no one ever thought to order vegetarian/vegan offerings for her and a few other colleagues. “We were always an afterthought,” she said, “or at least it always felt that way.” She then went on to (incorrectly) assume that I must be a vegetarian because I was of Indian descent.
This was over 10 years ago, and things have come a long way since then for the vegetarian event goer, but not all folks with genuine food allergies and restrictions are met with grace. It is understandable that as meeting professionals we cannot cater to every attendee’s personal dietary plans, especially as the fads get more elaborate every day.
TIPS ON HOW TO CATER TO A MAJORITY OF FOLKS:
1. Ask about allergies and dietary restrictions at registration points. If you cannot cater to everyone’s needs, make that clear, but also make your attendees aware that you are making a conscientious effort. Knowing your attendees will also allow you to know how best to order your meals.
2. Even if you don’t ask, assume that there will be vegetarians and vegans at your event. Meat eaters CAN eat vegetarian food, but the same is not true the other way around. I have found that build-your-own buffets have been a huge hit at some recent events. These need not be dull. I’ve seen quite a fancy roll out of mashed potato bars (with shrimp/steak as optional toppings!). Moreover, these options allow guests to customize their own food.
3. Work with your food service providers to eliminate the most common allergens, label food extensively and consistently and avoid cross-contamination. If an attendee discloses a deathly allergy, consider eliminating that item from the menu entirely. It is also important to make sure special meals are delivered efficiently and that you are communicating with your attendees about the process.
1. Ask about allergies and dietary restrictions at registration points. If you cannot cater to everyone’s needs, make that clear, but also make your attendees aware that you are making a conscientious effort. Knowing your attendees will also allow you to know how best to order your meals.
2. Even if you don’t ask, assume that there will be vegetarians and vegans at your event. Meat eaters CAN eat vegetarian food, but the same is not true the other way around. I have found that build-your-own buffets have been a huge hit at some recent events. These need not be dull. I’ve seen quite a fancy roll out of mashed potato bars (with shrimp/steak as optional toppings!). Moreover, these options allow guests to customize their own food.
3. Work with your food service providers to eliminate the most common allergens, label food extensively and consistently and avoid cross-contamination. If an attendee discloses a deathly allergy, consider eliminating that item from the menu entirely. It is also important to make sure special meals are delivered efficiently and that you are communicating with your attendees about the process.
4. Your emergency plan should include a plan to deal with food-related emergencies.
5. Make sure to serve fun nonalcoholic beverages at your event. There are many reasons someone might not be imbibing, but also many reasons they might not want their colleagues to know. Make it easy for folks to teetotal privately.
6. If your event happens to fall on a major fasting holiday, try and accommodate your observant attendees. For example, for Ramadhan, in addition to a conveniently located prayer room, you could offer after-hour meal service, or even just have your food service provider pack convenient on-the-go meals to those who require them.
Work in partnership with your food and beverage providers to customize your options. It might even be great for your bottom line to offer a vegetarian/vegan meal!
Work in partnership with your food and beverage providers to customize your options. It might even be great for your bottom line to offer a vegetarian/vegan meal!
There are so many ways to make our events inclusive. F&B is one that is the hardest but also can be the most rewarding. As human beings, we want to mingle, and mingling over food is what we like to do best.
My colleague continued to attend office events after she realized that she WAS being thought about, and isn’t that what we want for our event attendees? For them to know that we are thinking of them, and that they all matter to us. Several years after that job, bringing people together is why I joined the meeting industry. How about you?
My colleague continued to attend office events after she realized that she WAS being thought about, and isn’t that what we want for our event attendees? For them to know that we are thinking of them, and that they all matter to us. Several years after that job, bringing people together is why I joined the meeting industry. How about you?
To learn more about our DE&I Initiative, please visit us at https://www.mpi.org/chapters/potomac/media-resources/diversity-inclusion or contact our co-chairs: Sheryl Brannon, CMP, MBA, sbrannon@spi-meetings.com, or Anjali Sanghvi, anjalisanghvi@gmail.com.
