Decision Made.

I cannot believe I made it through today!  I got in at 8am, it's only 2:30, but in 2 more hours I will be at home with my feet up and a nice glass of wine in my hand. 

After a full day of back-to-back meetings yesterday we finally made our catering decision and extended an offer to a company that was more than happy to accept.  I am very confident that this caterer will be a great fit here at the Community Center.  Their experience, personality, pricing and menu choices are going to be a great compliment to the Community Center and I am very much looking forward to working with this new group! 

Today my mission (which I for some crazy reason chose to accept) was to contact every wedding and event on the calendar from now through 2012 and let them know of this change.  Many were receptive and understanding.  I did have a few who were, understandably, less than thrilled.  With weddings right around the corner this is pretty short notice to pull a caterer out from under someone.  I was and am very understanding to every concern, comment, question, but in the end we have to move forward with our new caterer and that's where we are now.  I am very pleased with our 2011/2012 group because they are all so nice and many even said that change is a good thing (which is what my last post was on!  How 'bout that!).  

So there's my short post for today.  Time to move on to other things because tomorrow we have a wedding of 164 to prepare for.  Don't worry, I'll have a great post for this one next week and plenty of pics!  **Spoiler Alert**Antique Cars!!

      

        Please join me in welcoming

            Catchers Catering

                 to the CHEER

            Community Center!!!

Change is a good thing (?)

All good things must come to an end.  All not so good things must come to an end.  I prefer the later to the former.  You? 

At this time my event facility is in the midst of change.  We are doing many improvements and turnovers within our agency and within my facility.  At present, we are deciding on a new catering company to take over all catered events and to run our in-house cafe.  We solicited seven (7) catering companies, one of which was our current caterer.  In total we received proposals from two of those companies, neither of which was from our current caterer.  Now we are in the meeting and weening down phase, which I must say is easier said then done when you have so many things to factor in.  Our final decision must be made by Thursday and as that date draws near and we begin to come to terms with our future, it is becoming increasingly more daunting for me to make this change. 

Both of our options are excellent.  That is not the problem.  For me, being the Events Manager/Wedding Coordinator, this decision means that I must contact every event we have on the books from now through 2012 and inform them that the current caterer will no longer be here and that they will have to work with someone new.  In this county, that could definitely go one of only two ways.  Wish us luck!

Believe me, I have done the whole wedding planning thing, I would be freaking out if I was weeks away from my wedding and received a phone call telling me "Oh, sorry, you have to use this new caterer.  Good luck."  (I, of course, will not be so blunt, but you catch my drift.)  It could potentially to lead to minor turmoil and  cancelled events (hope not) or venue changes (hope not again) because the people in this area know and love our current caterer and change may not be taken so lightly.  Fortunately for us they did not submit a bid, so many complaints can be forwarded directly to them and will make this a little easier (fingers crossed) for me in the coming days. 

On Thursday afternoon we will be announcing formally the company being awarded the contract.  As you may have gathered excitement and nervousness are high on my list of feelings right now.  It's time for change, but change is not always easy and not always taken well by all parties involved.  We are going to try to keep spirits up with a positive change that will help our non-profit in the long run, but also by being realistic to the reasons this change is needed.  My hope is that people are understanding.  My reality is that they may not all be understanding. 

Change is a good thing...