How to Choose a Food Vendor for Your Patient Education Seminar
Hosting an educational seminar for patients is a great way for healthcare professionals like doctors or physician groups to reach new patients and take care of current patients. It’s also a great way for medical device companies and suppliers to develop quality relationships with those professionals.
Of course, most great relationships have a common tie: good food. From classic movies to real life events, it seems our relationships often come back to good food. So, working with a quality food vendor for your patient educations seminar seems pretty vital.
If you’re hosting an all-day event, you may need more than one offering of sustenance. However, even a few hours of educational material ought to come with a meal.
Real estate professionals, financial planners and other service businesses understand that one of the best ways to get people in the door to an event is to feed them. The question is, how do you choose the right food vendor for your seminar?
A few things to consider may include time of day – breakfast, lunch, dinner – and the general food tastes of the average person you’re trying to reach. Is your community known for something particular – Texas BBQ, Philly Cheesesteaks, Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, Detroit Coney Dogs – that you should include? Maybe you want to feature something from your hometown in your current city.
Of course cost is a factor. How much are you willing to spend per person – $5, $10, $20?
Think about it this way – when you ask people about a wedding they attended, do they comment on the beer, the lighting, the DJ? Or do they talk about how great – or terrible – the food was? It’s not always the food… but it’s often what we eat that we talk about later.
To start the research, consider reaching out to personal contacts for referrals. There’s no better vendor than one who comes recommended from a trusted friend.
Of course, you can also look online for caterers or restaurants near the venue. Once you’ve narrowed down a few choices, it’s time to interview them – remember that you’re the client so you want to ensure success.
Some questions to ask your potential food vendors:
- Do you deliver on weekends?
- Do you have a minimum order?
- What is the lead time for placing an order?
- What is the delivery schedule for your area?
- Will you call in advance to let me know if your are out of a product?
- Do you place food items in the walk-in coolers or freezers?
- Do you honor competition pricing?
- What products will be subject to seasonal pricing?
- What are your credit terms?
Working with the right vendor is an important part of your patient education seminar success. It may not be the most important, but it’s pretty strong.
Here’s to a successful event! Be sure to check out our patient education seminar event template below for more helpful information.
Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash
