5 tips for planning a business breakfast

If you are hosting a business event, scheduling it over breakfast may just make your venture more successful. Meetings and networking are well suited to the early hours, being easier for businesspeople to fit into hectic schedules as they finish when the working day is yet to begin.

It is thought that the majority of people are most productive first thing in the morning, being more alert after a good night’s sleep (and after they’ve had their morning coffee!).

Here are some tips for planning a business breakfast to help you make the most of your event.

 

Serve a balanced breakfast

It’s long been established that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and your guests are going to expect a good spread to tuck into. To give them the energy they’ll need to get stuck in at the event, serve a balanced breakfast.

A buffet table filled with easy to grab items is a good place to start, as guests may be hungry on arrival and looking for a snack to keep them going. A selection of fruit as well as some pastries, yoghurts, cereal bars and muesli is a good idea. You should also make sure you have a selection of fresh juices available alongside tea and coffee selections, as people usually like to have a range of options. When it comes to coffee, ensure you’ve got the good quality stuff available.

You may also want to provide a tabled breakfast. Once your guests are seated, allow them to choose what they’d like to be served before the event kicks off. Proceedings can begin once everyone has placed an order, with breakfast being served discreetly to the table without causing an interruption.

Be enthusiastic

Guests have made a real effort when attending morning events, getting up early or changing their usual routine to hear what you have to say. To make it worth their while and keep things snappy, get started right away with content that is enthusiastic and full of energy. Workshops should be unique and fun to engage in, allowing attendees to really get something out of the experience. Inspired, motivational speakers will energise guests and start their day on a positive note.

Create easy networking opportunities

Networking is an important part of most business events, but guests might need more of a push to get started first thing in the morning. To give them a helping hand, try to get the ball rolling by using some of these strategies:

·         As the event begins, collect business cards from attendees and ask each person if there is anyone in particular they would like to meet. You can then assign a few staff members to make sure these guests are sat at the same table, or have them arrange introductions at the end.

·         Encourage everybody to hand out 5 business cards to people they’ve never met.

·         Incorporate time within the event schedule for guests to introduce themselves to people sitting near them.

Provide prizes or goodie bags

Guests attending breakfast events will most likely be going straight to the office afterwards, which makes this a great opportunity to give out branded gifts. This way, they are more likely to end up in guests’ places of work, where they will be reminded of your brand in the right environment. A prize draw with an enticing win will also make guests stick around to the end.

Stay on schedule

All events must come to an end. Unfortunately, when it comes to breakfast you really can’t keep guests hanging around, as they need to get to work! Make sure your event finishes on time by keeping to your schedule.

If you are planning a business breakfast and looking for private dining London, look no further than M Restaurants. Our venue on Threadneedle Street is the perfect choice for all business events.