Event Report

ASAP Tent and Party Rentals will be taking better advantage of the web site Photo Gallery.

If you have had an event and would like to submit pictures, you may open a photo account much like Flickr except no restrictions.

We will also be happy to publish any photos you would like to submit for you.

Comments (0) Jul 02 2009

The Speeches

In a new style ASAP Rental has expanded it’d product line.

For the Villanova College Commencement Ceremony ASAP Rental supplied the stage, band platform and of course 700 chairs for this well attended event. ASAP also supplied the tent for the refreshments.

Marylake in King City set a stunning backdrop for the event.

More photos can be found on the ASAP Rental website photo gallery. These photos can be sent like greeting cards.

Comments (0) Jun 26 2009

Enjoy a Weekend of Nature Immersion
With Toronto and Region Conservation
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority invites you to spend the weekend at our three full-service outdoor education residential Field Centres.

Picture a retreat set in hundreds of hectares of prime natural landscapes. Your group has exclusive use of a comfortable lodge to meet, to socialize, and to bunk down for the night. Meals are taken in a chalet-style dining room, and knowledgeable staff can help you explore the property.

TRCA is proud to promote our three Field Centres: Albion Hills, Claremont, and Lake St. George. Each location is situated on protected greenspace within a 45 minute drive of Toronto. With over 40 years experience in outdoor education, we’ve developed facilities that can provide a peak experience for your group. Cubs and Scouts are some of our favourite visitors.

All programming and meals are provided. Use our expert staff to complement your badge work with well-developed, hands-on programs.

Contact TRCA Customer Service, 416-667-6295, select #4. Visit our website at www.trca.on.ca and go to “Learning and Education: Residential Facilites.

These locations are also available for weddings. ASAP Tent and Party Rental has done several functions at Kortright.

Comments (0) Jun 19 2009

Starting in June 2009, ASAP Tent and Party Rentals will be offering free delivery in the Kawartha Lakes area.

Some conditions apply. Visit our web page “Free Delivery” for more complete details.

Areas that the truck will be visiting weekly on Fridays and Sundays are:

Free party rental delivery service area:

• Port Perry
• Uxbridge
• Lindsay
• Bridgenorth
• Lakefield
• Peterborough

All orders must be place online to qualify for free delivery. Tent installations also apply for free delivery in these areas.

Comments (0) Jun 13 2009

Comments (0) May 19 2009

Have other event planners noticed that the cost of food and beverage has increased steadily? I stumbled across a Wall Street Journal blog entry on this topic, which shared some chef perspectives about how to manage menu choices to control some of the rising food costs from QSR magazine, a trade publication for the quick-service restaurant and fast-casual restaurant industry. But I suspect the rising costs have impacted other restaurants and hotel banquet departments as well. In fact, the cost of food and beverage has increased by an average of 4.3%, effective March 2009, based on data from the consumer price index by the Bureau of Labor Statistics — which may have marked a record high.

Comments (1) Apr 23 2009

How to Throw a Green Fun St. Patrick’s Day Party

E Hows party ideas for St Patrick’s Day

Comments (0) Mar 04 2009

Tent Exteriors

We have made some updates to our web site. We have added a new photo gallery. Send in your event pictures and we will publish them.

Comments (0) Jan 13 2009

Why not inspire others on Event Report by sharing your best event and party planning tips. Submit your ideas for event themes, activities, decorations, recipes, and veues.

If you are the owner of a venue this website can be a source of increased traffic for your business at no cost.

Comments (0) Nov 30 2008

Tips for Planning Portion Sizes When You as the Party Host Must be Your Own Caterer and Chef

Whether hosting a small cocktail party for eight or an elaborate feast for 50, the host or hostess who cannot afford the luxury of hiring a professional caterer is immediately faced with three key questions: What should I serve? How much do I need to prepare? And how do I figure portion sizes? There are methods to calculate portion sizes, but before picking up that recipe book and planning a menu, there are several considerations that one must address.

Whether hosting a small cocktail party for eight or an elaborate feast for 50, the host or hostess who cannot afford the luxury of hiring a professional caterer is immediately faced with three key questions: What should I serve? How much do I need to prepare? And how do I figure portion sizes?

If you try to calculate food portions based on what you might receive at a restaurant, in particular when we live in an era of ’super size’ meals, you may be inclined to purchase and prepare more food than you need. This contributes to a waste of time management, food and financial resources. If you purchase and prepare too little food, obviously you’re going to run out, leaving you and your guests with a terrible experience.

“One thing that immediately comes to mind is an episode on the hit television program, ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ where Mary throws a small dinner party and her boss Lou Grant, played by Ed Asner, takes two portions and is forced to put one back because Mary will run out of food,” said Greg Jenkins, partner of Bravo Productions, an award-winning, full-service event planning and production company specializing in staging corporate functions nationwide. “Mary is obviously embarrassed by the incident. And while this makes for great comedy, I still cringe when I think this scenario actually happens in real life.”

Many food recipes will provide you with servings, however, prior to planning your menu and determining how much food you will need to purchase and prepare, there are several considerations that you should address says Jenkins.

First, always create an informal profile of your guests. For example, are there a bunch of young, hearty eaters attending your functions, or a lady’s social club? Younger adults, teenagers and men tend to eat more than seniors and women. “And if you have hearty eaters, you may have to allocate an additional 1.5 times the amount in portions for each guest,” said Jenkins. The demographic profile should also take into consideration the type of meal preferences of your guests. Is it more of a beef eating or crudite crowd? “If given a choice between fresh jumbo shrimp or a vegetable platter as appetizers, you can imagine the shrimp will go fast,” said Jenkins. The key is to know your audience. Secondly, the time of day will play a factor in determining portion sizes. Guests are inclined to be hungry around traditional meal times such as noon and 5:00 p.m. So if you’re hosting a dinner at 6:00 p.m., you can imagine most of your guests will arrive with hearty appetites. Thirdly, the type of occasion will have an impact on the amount of food you will need to provide. Guests tend to eat more at weddings where there is a relaxed atmosphere with heavier drinking than at social luncheons where lemonade and iced tea is served. In addition, at functions where guests are continuously involved in physical activity, food consumption will be much higher and constant. Fourthly, the duration of time your function will take place is a component in determining how much food you will need to make available. The all-day picnic buffet where food platters are set on a table for self-service by your guests entices people to eat more in comparison to the 2-hour hors d’oeuvres only cocktail party, where appetizers might be tray-passed. Guests’ eyes are typically bigger than their stomachs at buffet-style meals. In that, it’s quite common for guests to take larger portions than they can actually consume. And lastly, be honest in evaluating your culinary capabilities and skills. More specifically, if you prepare a dish or two that you are not proficient in making — even some might find less than tasty — your guests will be inclined to eat more of one particular item, which again may result in you running out of food quickly.

The following tips are guidelines to help you determine food portion sizes and make your occasion as carefree as possible:

Hors d’oeuvres Only Cocktail Party — 12 Pieces per person for the first hour (8 hot; 4 cold) and 6 pieces per person every hour past the first hour.

(Example: 30 guests x 12 pieces = 360 hors d’oeuvres for the first hour needed.)

Hors d’oeuvres Before Dinner — 6 to 8 hors d’oeuvres per person for 1-hour to 1.5 hours of service. When shrimp is served, plan on 4 pieces per person for the first hour.

(Example: 30 guests x 6 pieces = 180 hors d’oeuvres for 1-hour.)

Salads and Side Dishes — 5 ounces per person if serving multiple salads and/or side dishes. If only a tossed salad or one side dish, calculate half a pound (.50) per person.

(Example: 30 guests x .30 (multiple side dishes) = 9 pounds needed.)
(Example: 30 guests x .50 (single salad/side dish) = 15 pounds needed.)

Entrees — 6 ounces per person if one entree and 4 ounces per person if two entrees, including salmon, beef and poultry.

(Example: 30 guests x .50 (one entree) = 15 pounds needed.)
(Example: 30 guests x .25 (two entrees) = 7.5 pounds needed.)

Desserts — The rule of thumb is typically 5 bites each per person. Dessert selections can vary. To simplify this calculation, round cakes usually serve 12 people and pies serve 8.

(Example: 30 guests divided by 12 servings = 2.5 or 3 cakes needed.)
(Example: 30 guests dividied by 8 servings = 3.7 or 4 pies needed.)

Tips By: Bravo Productions. Founded in 1987, Bravo Productions is headquartered in Southern California and has regional offices in Las Vegas, Washington state and Colorado.

Comments (0) Oct 29 2008