There can be as many as six corporate events in Q4: the fall client event, the team offsite, Halloween, the Thanksgiving week lunch, the holiday party, and the year-end thank-you. Some of them involve people from outside the company, and all of them come together more easily when they're planned weeks ahead instead of days.
As the person planning catering across those six events, you don't need to book everything in September. You need to know which ones get harder to book the longer you wait, and which ones can wait. This post sorts the six into those two groups, so you head into the holiday season with the right dates on the calendar and the rest open for later in the fall.
The date comes first this quarter, and each menu opens on its own schedule after that. Oktoberfest opens September 21. Fall Seasonal opens October 5. The Halloween menu goes live October 26. Thanksgiving's menu goes live November 16. The Holiday menu goes live December 8.
Picking the date is what September is for. The room, the headcount, and the food follow once that's set, and each menu opens in time for the event it's built around.
Four events go on the calendar this month:
Everything below can wait:
Four dates go on the calendar this week: the fall client event, the offsite, Halloween's office day, and the holiday party. Confirm them this week, and Metro's menus for November and December will be ready with room to spare by the time each event needs one.
If any of the four fall on an evening or a weekend, most often an offsite dinner or a holiday party, plan on a call to one of Metro's catering professionals instead of a standard online order. Evening, weekend, and holiday bookings work that way regardless of the date.
Author
Chris Zamfotis
Managing Partner, Metro Catering
Chris Zamfotis is the Managing Partner at Metro Catering, a New York City catering company serving corporate offices, private events, and businesses across Manhattan. With a focus on reliable service, thoughtful menu planning, and polished presentation, Chris helps lead Metro Catering’s approach to modern corporate catering, from daily office lunches to executive meetings, happy hours, and large-scale events.
Metro Catering has been NYC’s trusted corporate catering provider since 1981, offering fresh, high-quality meals for office lunches, corporate events, and workplace dining—delivered on time, every time.
