Confrerie de la Chaine des RotisseursBailliage du Kuwait

Invitations

Invitations are fundamental! Merely by working through the invitation, one is forced to pull all of the details of an event together. They create the images of coming events in the minds of your members and are the vitally important first impressions. Often the decision to attend or not to attend is made when the invitation comes out of the envelope.

The right invitation sets the tone and begins to build the enthusiasm and excitement for the event it announces. Invitations take many forms, the simplest of which is a letter from the Bailli.

This type of invitation is certainly appropriate in a variety of circumstances, however, creative, well-designed invitations are increasingly in use and easily available

The invitation should state clearly all of the pertinent information for the event: the date; time of the event, including the times of the induction (if scheduled), reception, and dinner; the place; type of event; attire; whether or not decorations are to be worn; whether guests are invited; price for members and guests, if different; how payment is to be made, and to whom the check is to be sent; deadlines for the response; limit on the number of attendees, if there is one. "Reservations by Check" is the usual policy. Often the menu is included in the invitation, if it has been finalized.

Mail the invitations well ahead of time. Forty-five days is ideal, and more or less customary, for formal events if no Bailliage Event calendar for the season has been sent previously. If a calendar has been circulated among the membership, then a thirty-day lead time is sufficient for every event.

When planning a theme event, remember that the right invitation is crucial. It is the ticket to another place and sends the imagination immediately into flight.

Look for attractive and interesting invitations wherever you go or create your own works of art on your PC. Collect a stock of papers for creating invitations in the event you can't find what you need otherwise. See Resources section. Learn about graphics, fonts, color. Producing an enticing invitation with coordinating menus, place cards, and awards can be great fun and an interesting challenge.

Plan every major aspect of the party BEFORE you send out the invitations.

Seating/Placecards

Seating

For obviously good reasons, the Bailli customarily handles seating but may delegate this task to others involved with the event. Bailliages should encourage fraternization among all Members by rotating seating assignments rather than allowing Members to indicate their own seating preferences. (It's important to keep seating charts from all previous functions for reference.) This practice facilitates a faster assimilation of new members into a Bailliage. Members accompanied by guests, of course, should be seated with their guests.

Assigned seating is always preferred at Chaine events, with the exception of the most casual ones. The changing of seating assignments at a suitable time during the function can provide interest, especially when many guests are in attendance. At functions where two Bailliages combine to share an event, mixing of Members and guests can be promoted by changing the seating assignments during the event thus allowing a greater opportunity for attendees to meet more people.

The easiest time to make a change in seating is after the sorbet course or before dessert. However, depending on the formality of the event, the change could take place at another time during the meal.

Place cards

Use place cards for formal dinner parties to ensure that the people you feel will enjoy each other are seated together. Alternately, for less formal dinners, a seating chart indicating table numbers for every guest and allowing them to arrange themselves at the table is often fun when everyone knows each other.

Reservations

Reservation Procedures

Reservation policies may be adopted to suit each Bailliage's needs. It should be specified if the event is for members only or if guests are welcome. Sometimes guests are invited after a specified date if space is available. Each Bailliage will want to decide if the fee for guests will be the same or greater than the fee for members, and each Bailliage will also want to determine if moneys are to be collected in advance in order to guarantee a reservation or if merely expressing an intent to attend will hold a place, with money collection requested at a later time. "Your check is your reservation," is strongly advocated.

Cocktail parties, formal or informal, are great fun because they provide a terrific way to accommodate large or small gatherings. They can be relatively simple with a minimum of planning and effort or quite formal, planned in advance with maximum attention paid to every minute detail. Such an event is a perfect way to open a season or conduct a tasting, introduce potential members to the membership at large, conduct an election or commemorate a person or event.

In case of last minute cancellations, moneys are usually NOT refunded, unless the reservation can be filled with someone else, because in most cases, the Bailliage must pay the host establishment for a guaranteed number of attendees whether or not they actually attend.

It is vital to place the responsibility of the Reservation Chair in the hands of a diplomatic, highly organized person. This is a delicate and very important job. The position of Reservation Chair is a job for a person who has the patience of a saint, the mind of an accountant, the sensitivity of a diplomat, and the insight of a psychiatrist. Not only does this person need to keep accurate records but often he or she must handle people who are insistent and occasionally very vocally annoyed when they can't have their way. The Reservation Chair can keep the peace or exacerbate the war.

Music/Entertainment

Music/ Entertainment

Music and other entertainment appropriate to the dining experience, is always a plus. Of course budget and space dictate whether the music is live or not, or whether you have it at all.

Sound Equipment

Be sure that any necessary sound equipment is ordered in advance of the event. At the time of the function arrive early enough to double check the working order of any equipment.

Menu Layout

Printed Menus/Layout

Printed menus should be provided whenever possible. They convey information about the event, provide a written record for the Bailliage and attending guests. They set the Chaine menu:

Full name of the organization, Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, Bailliage des Etats-Unis

• Name of the local Bailliage
• Date
• Name of the host establishment
• Complete menu (an English translation if menu is in a foreign language)
• Important host establishment personnel (at least the Chef)
• If possible, the following should also be included:
• The Chaine Seal
• Rules of the Chaine
• Names of the Bailli Delegue and Regional Bailli (whether present or not)
• National Officers in attendance
• Local Officers (whether present or not)
• All in attendance, including guests of honor
• Inductees or Members being elevated (if applicable)

Information about the food served, and/or about the event theme is optional. Take advantage of the many options available to achieve originality and diversity in your printed menus. For example, you may have a member who is good at original design and will create covers for your menus. Alternately, reproduce art that is in the public domain (you can safely assume that anything published seventy-five years ago or more is now in the public domain) on the cover. The host establishment sometimes has covers they would be pleased to supply. Also, formal cream-colored covers as well as less formal blue covers embossed with the Chaine logo may be ordered from the National Administrative Office.

Centerpieces/Favors

Centerpieces

Candlelight is the most flattering for an elegant event; it immediately creates a special atmosphere. Candles are easily woven into most centerpieces, and provide a warm, romantic aura. Lighting is very important for creating the overall effect.

Centerpieces that are whimsical, appropriate to the theme of the evening, and low (or very, very tall) work well for most occasions and allow the guests to see each other. They stimulate conversation and don't obscure the line of sight. A beautiful table setting, glowing candles, flowers or other decorative details, can make the event into a memorable occasion.

Favors

For theme events favors help carry the theme development and can also serve as a keepsake for a memorable occasion such as an Induction. Favors can be as simple as a single rose, or more elaborate, such as an artist's sketch of each guest.

Photos/Publicity

Centerpieces

Local publicity calls attention to a Bailliage and its activities and can result in increased membership. Tips on getting publicized locally include:

• Learning what it takes to get good media coverage
• Finding a special reason for the media to be interested in publicizing your event
• Investigating media contacts your host establishment may have
• Invite media personnel to your event (when appropriate)
• roviding the media with well-written background information ahead of time

Good photographs are essential. If possible, the services of a professional photographer should be engaged; otherwise, find a member with the interest, some experience, and adequate equipment.

Having a photographer record and document the festivities is a great help in promoting the Bailliage. People like to see themselves in the newspaper, in the Bailliage Album and in the Gastronome.

Restaurateurs, chefs, waitstaff and others like to have their pictures taken with the Bailli and other officers. It makes them feel special and important.