The 2015 STRENGTH Conference hosted by The Thought Board (TTB) focused on collaboration and company productivity. Tasty Catering partnered with them by creating a custom special events menu to sustain an energy-filled learning environment for the 80 guests in attendance.

TTB Conference Menu

Continental Breakfast

TTB conference kicked off bright and early on May 11th. Guests mingled over these continental breakfast items:

• Continental Choice: Bakery fresh muffins, bagels, Danish, seasonal fresh cut fruit and condiments
• Individual Berry Yogurt Parfaits: Organic vanilla yogurt and seasonal berries with granola separated and served in individual cups.
• Individual Mixed Fruit Yogurt Parfaits: Organic vanilla yogurt, strawberries, bananas, grapes and apples with granola separated and served in individual cups.

We carefully designed the breakfast buffet using long white tables and black table runners to accentuate the space. At the end of each table, guests found a wonderful array of these morning beverages:

• Regular and decaf Hawaiian Kona coffee
• Hot tea
• Bottled juices and water

Energizing Snacks

Guests had just 10 minutes between sessions, and they needed to be alert and engaged at each presentation. Knowing a healthy snack would keep them focused, we set up on-the-go snacks and beverages outside each breakout session room:

• Regular and decaf Hawaiian Kona coffee
• Assorted sodas
• Bottled water
• Bananas
• Healthy snack bars

After learning about topics like employee engagement, leadership, teamwork and public relations, guests enjoyed lunch while listening to the “Life After Athletics” panel. We prepared double-sided buffets to facilitate an efficient event flow and networking environment. To satisfy a variety of tastes without disturbing the lunchtime panel, our catering team opted for a gourmet sandwich and wrap buffet with side salads.

Artisan Sandwich Buffet

Artisan bread with golden brown grill marks had mouths watering as guests selected from the following sandwiches:

• Chicken Panini: Olive oil-griddled Italian country bread layered with grilled chicken, sun-dried tomato pesto, provolone and fresh basil
• Turkey & Brie on Baguette: Shaved smoked turkey, imported brie and honey-cranberry mayonnaise on a bakery fresh baguette
• Caprese Sandwich: Vine-ripened beefsteak tomato slices, fresh mozzarella, basil, leaf lettuce and a hint of sweet Vidalia onion, served with pesto mayo on Italian country bread

Wrap Buffet

A delicate scattering of beautiful fresh purple flowers added to the appeal of the table with the sliced wraps. From vegetarians to fiery meat lovers, these wraps satisfied any taste and dietary need:

• Buffalo Chicken Wrap: Flavorful combination of chicken tenders glazed with honey-spiked hot sauce, romaine, tomato, ranch dressing and crunchy celery
• Classic Club Wrap: Smoked turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise
• Santa Cruz Wrap: Baby spinach, red pepper hummus, raisins, cashews, apples and cilantro served in a tomato tortilla

Refreshing Side Salads

In addition to the traditional sandwich side of bagged chips, we treated guests to the following fresh side salads:

• Zesty Pasta Salad: Basil, spinach, red onion, black olives, Fontinella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and banana peppers in a red wine vinaigrette
• Spinach Salad: Baby spinach, sliced strawberries, almond slivers, red onion and dried cranberries, accompanied by poppy seed dressing
• Fresh Tomato, Onion, & Cucumber Salad: Drizzled with a red wine vinaigrette

Mini Dessert Bars

To end a great event, we stocked our dessert bar with mini Oreo dream, caramel apple granny, lemon-berry jazz and marble cheesecakes. These sweet bites kept conference guests satisfied and energized until the panel wrapped up at 1:30 pm.

The owners of Tasty Catering were honored to speak at TTB’s Conference. It was also a chance for them to witness how the company’s core values and exceptional corporate catering produced yet another great event. As Michael Lunchies wrote in this article, a well-planned conference is a huge learning opportunity that can benefit all companies and driven individuals. To arrange your next big event and custom menu, give our friendly Chicago catering pros a call at (847) 593-2000 or contact us online.