5 things to look for when choosing an Executive Roundtable venue
3 minute read.
You’d think finding a venue for a 20 person lunch would be easy - right? Well - it’s not always, especially in Australia.
Everybody has been to at least 1 corporate restaurant disaster. From terrible service, dark and pokey private cupboards, to the absolute worst… running out of seats at the table.
There are some key things to look for and to avoid, and having delivered hundreds of events in private dining rooms, I’d like to think I have a pretty good gauge of what these things are.
Let me give you an exclusive pre-tip tip, make sure you know how many people can fit on one table in that room!
So, here are the 5 things I look for when choosing a Private Dining Room for a Roundtable:
1. Natural light
Rooms like this are sexy, but are also a surefire way to make everyone sleepy!
There’s nothing worse than walking into a dark cave, enjoying 3 courses and a glass of wine, while trying to keep yourself awake for 2 hours during a detailed discussion.
Not to mention going back to work afterwards instead of taking a nap!
Keep your guests awake and engaged by choosing a bright and airy room to stave off that melatonin production.
2. Proximity to CBD
Can your guests walk from their office? As soon as they have to get in a cab, you add a barrier to entry, because nobody wants to get in a cab in 2023 and they will probably arrive a bit queesy from the heavy-braking.
That said, I’ll make an exception if the restaurant is actually worth travelling for. For example: is there an amazing view? Is it well-known?
3. Privacy and access
You must avoid the “Semi-private” dining room. Be wary of sheer curtains or shelving replacing actual gyprock, amplifying your moderators voice throughout the entire restaurant & diluting the conversation with distracting background noise. Otherwise, you might find the bloke at table 32 chiming in, or worse, sending notes to your competitors!
Also consider; is your venue easy to find or will guests be lost in the back-alley looking for the ultra-cool un-marked door?
4. Space
Remember that people don’t sit down immediately. You want some space for people to mingle pre-event and enjoy a drink as everyone arrives.
You also don’t want the awkward “crotch-to-the-back-of-the-head” shuffle as guests are pressed against the walls and the seats, like they are exiting a restaurant in Tokyo.
“Space” was inspired by this video I saw this week. As a larger human, this looks like a nightmare. Don’t put your guests through it!
There will also be bags, coats, sometimes umbrellas. We’ll always try to organise cloaking, but sometimes guests prefer to just hold onto their belongings. Plus, you need a spot for name badges and check in.
Make sure your room has enough space for at least 15 people to stand comfortably, and you should be fine.
5. Cuisine & service
I probably wouldn’t choose a 12-course degustation at Quay for an Exec Roundtable… and not just because of the $350 per person price tag.
The food & service should ultimately take a back seat to your content and the discussion. The food should be delicious, but not distracting.
This goes for service as well. We’ll brief the waiters and make sure they aren’t shouting “Who ordered the medium-well rib eye?!” right as your customer speaker is about to drive home a point!
Lunch should be accessible for everyone’s tastes. Modern Australian and Italian are always the safe bets. I always avoid food-coma inducing cuisines like Chinese or Indian, and also the more adventurous culinary experiences like Japanese.
Finally, a’la carte or set menu? I always like to provide guests a choice, but some restaurants are sticklers, so make sure you check.
So there you have it, the formula for the perfect Executive Roundtable lunch venue.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting 3 of my favourite Private Dining Rooms in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth so keep an eye out!
Can’t be bothered checking all this? Leave it to the experts.
Get in touch with your plans and let us to the leg-work.
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