Course Description

Pair Food With Beverages That Will Fit Your Event’s Theme and Create a Unique Experience!

Catering can mean serving thousands of box lunches to a group of conventioneers, barbecuing chicken and ribs for fans before a big college game, serving an elegant dinner for two aboard a luxury yacht, or providing food, staff, and equipment for an upscale fundraiser with hundreds of guests.

As an event coordinator, it is critical to understand all aspects of catering, such as menu planning and pricing, new food and beverage trends, different styles of service to best suit your clients' goals, equipment needed and delivery, set-up logistics, sanitation, and electrical needs, among others. Having this knowledge will separate you from other coordinators in the industry.

Learner Outcomes

• Gain working knowledge of menu planning, pricing, new food and beverage trends
• Differentiate styles of service to best suit client goals
• Assess technology needs and equipment to complement the catering service
• Learn to develop a seasonal menu and present innovated styles of service 

This class will give students hands-on experience and an insight into the catering world. Students will tour a facility to understand what it takes to produce an event from a food and beverage perspective. Additionally, a Chef and a Mixologist will prepare a meal, paired with the perfect drink. A discussion will follow regarding the importance of food and beverage selection for events.

Course Details

Number of Units: 1.0 graduate level extension credit(s) in semester hours

Who Should Attend: Whether you are an administrative assistant, entrepreneur, manager, or current event professional at an entry level position, who is interested in becoming responsible for coordinating small to large-scale events including meetings, fundraisers, conferences, corporate programs, weddings, reunions, and sporting events, this course is for you!

Testimonials

The Catering course “has given me better perspective on how to approach an event and budget depending the style of event needed” --Jeanette Regaletto, Development, Division of Physical Sciences, UC San Diego

“I am currently employed full time as an Event Planner. Since I have been taking the program each of my new events have become more streamlined, my estimated and actual budget totals are more on point, I can create timelines easily and effectively for the work I need to accomplish and my communications with vendors/venues is becoming easier due to being able to ask more of the right questions.” --Sacha Stevenson, Events and Office Manager, Recovery Brands