Food and Venue

By: s360

These quick tips should help you when deciding on location and catering.

VENUE

The venue is one of the first things you’ll need to decide on, and it’s often one of the most important choices you’ll make when creating your ‘Ask A…’ event. To help you out, here are our tips and tricks:

  1. Look for a venue in the area where Answerers naturally gather. Going to them is easier than asking them to come to you.
  2. Find a space that is big. ‘Ask A…’ takes up a lot more space than you might think (see a recommended floor plan here) so try to find a venue that can handle at least 100 seats auditorium style.
  3. Community Centers are your friend. Most communities center have a larger multi-purpose room that can be perfect for ‘Ask A…’ events.
  4. Make sure it’s OK to eat in the space. It’s always good to double check with the venue about food and drink so you don’t end up being banned from feeding folks the day of the event.
  5. Trust your gut. Be sure to visit the space you’re thinking of hosting in beforehand and just see if it feels like a fit. You know your event best, so don’t be afraid to deviate from our suggestions.

FOOD

Breaking bread together is an important part of each ‘Ask A…’ event. Here are our top tips for getting food to your ‘Ask A…’ event:

  1. Order food from a restaurant/caterer in the Answerers community.
  2. Have the food delivered to the venue about halfway through the event. Make sure food is delivered at least 30 minutes before you plan to feed everyone so you have enough time to set it all up. If you’re serving hot food, make sure you don’t have it arrive too early, otherwise it’ll be cold by the time mealtime rolls around.
  3. Don’t forget about cutlery. We’ll repeat this in the checklist, but make sure you don’t leave people hanging by bringing a bunch of food, but forgetting all the plates, forks etc.
  4. Ask about dietary restrictions. Once you’ve locked in a guest list, be sure to ask people if they have any dietary restrictions.
  5. Don’t have a budget for food? Make it a potluck. Ask attendees to bring a dish to share as part of the experience.