Strange Goings-on
We asked banquet and catering directors to describe their quirkiest events. By Pam Leigh
Matt Jackson
Matt Jackson Director of Catering and Convention Services, Sheraton Overland Park Hotel,
Overland Park, Kansas
“We had one group from the art world that neglected to tell us about some of their event’s special effects,
such as the naked live models perched amongst the indoor decorative foliage. Nor did they inform us about
the huge inflatable costumes, representing intimate body parts, that would be ‘dancing’ onstage. Another
quirky client was a major pharmaceutical company whose product specialty is plastic surgery equipment for
breast augmentation. We had a largely Muslim waitstaff trying to serve the meal just as a slide show of before
and after breast work was running; it was a complete culture shock to them. Wedding events can be pretty
quirky, too. One of our catering managers was asked to hold the hair of the mother of the bride as she threw
up in the toilet. Then there was the bride and groom who were cheerleaders at a major university. Still dressed in their formal attire, they demonstrated a cheer for their guests, with the bride fully extended upside down in the groom’s hands.”
Vincent Dreffs
Vincent Dreffs Director of Catering Operations, Gaylord Opryland Resort
and Convention Center,
Nashville
“A quirky request whose execution turned out successfully
despite its magnitude was the banking client
who wanted each of the bank’s nine business sections
to be thematically tied to nine separate food stations,
guest activity, and guest take-away. For example, to
highlight the bank’s small business section, we used
the Delta River, which actually runs through the hotel, and the New Orleans-themed
area around it. We created a ‘Get on Board with Small Business
Banking’ area, offered 15-minute boat rides on the river, set up food stations on
the boats, and served dishes like jambalaya, carved muffuletta sandwiches, and
fresh beignets upon disembarkation. Another example was the branch administration
team’s Tennessee-themed station, which was held on Main Street in the
Delta atrium. ‘Cook it up with Star Power’ was the motto, and the food featured
the three different styles of Tennessee barbeque. Dessert was an Elvis hot dog,
which was our own creation [based upon Elvis’ love of peanut butter and
banana sandwiches] of a bun coated with peanut butter, served with a banana,
and drizzled with honey.”
Christopher Ayoub
Christopher Ayoub Director of Event Planning,
Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles Hotel,
Chantilly, Virginia
“The quirkiest groups are always the weddings or social-type events.
Unfortunately, it’s often the vendors who work with these clients who make our
jobs harder than they should be. For example, some decorators assume they can set up hours before a
space is actually contracted for the group instead of conforming to
the contracted setup times. This can be a touchy situation that
requires diplomacy because the decorator can go back to the client
and say we’re not cooperating. As for unusual requests, one bride-to-be
wanted a server for each of her seated banquet guests instead of
per table—which would have been about 200 servers. Once she
understood the challenge, she scaled back. Then there was the bride
and groom who decided they wanted to have a drink waiting for
them at each banquet table as they made their greeting rounds. But
by the time they got to the fifth table, we had to cut them off. It had
been a family tradition to do this, but the bride was only about 110
pounds. By the fourth drink, she was literally in her cups.”
Parrish Phillips
Parrish Phillips Director of Banquets, Hotel del Coronado,
San Diego
“At a previous property where I worked, we hosted Dining in the Dark events, where guests temporarily
abandon their sight to enhance the dining experience. The Dining in the Dark company would take over
our banquet space and hire blind waiters to serve dinner in pitch-black darkness. Guests pre-selected their
menus in advance. The dining area was sealed off so that not a speck of light came into the room. The waiters
pushed food carts along pre-positioned plastic tracks. It is a fascinating experience that I tried once.
When your sight is gone, your senses of taste and hearing predominate. Conversations that swirl around
you are intensified, and you try to imagine what the people you’re hearing look like, because it is literally so
dark that you can’t see even those sitting right next to you. The sight-impaired servers are the diners’ guides,
from taking guests to and from their tables to serving the meal. Their serving skill is amazing, pouring wine without spilling a drop and doing everything they can to make you feel comfortable in their sightless world. At the event I attended, everyone had a good time, despite a few who had some initial anxiety. It’s true that many left the dining room a little messy. At some point, you give up using utensils and just eat with your fingers.”
