Corporate dinner in Barcelona: 10 tips for organising & some venue ideas

Christmas is getting closer and many companies are starting to organise a corporate dinner with the aim of strengthening ties among their employees, so they face the end of one year and the beginning of the next in a relaxed atmosphere.

Corporate dinners require a different approach compared to other types of social meal events. A corporate dinner is often dedicated to celebrating an achievement or providing a place for guests to gather after an important meeting or training seminar. Thus, everything from the menu to how the seating is arranged should be planned to fit the mission of the company. While preparing a corporate dinner, you can use these tips to make sure everything is in place to support the company’s goals.

At Empirance we take care of organising corporate dinners in Barcelona that adapt to the needs and objectives of each company.

10 factors to consider

A memorable corporate dinner does not just happen. Planning is needed to effectively organise and execute the eventing. Whether it’s an informal affair or a gala dinner, or, we have a year to plan it or just a few weeks, the success of this type of event lies in the details. At Empirance we have compiled some tips to guide us when organising successful corporate dinners.

1. Start planning in advance

A business dinner should start to be planned as soon as possible, especially if each phase of the event requires the approval of several people. Selecting of suppliers and monitoring their work demands anticipation.

2. Choose the right date and duration of the dinner

We must select an appropriate date and time that will work according to our business calendar. In general, dinners last 2 to 3 hours, so planning the start and end time accordingly is advisable. A well-organised schedule will not only prevent guests from eating in a hurry or getting bored between courses, -but will also allow them to enjoy the event to the fullest.

3. Adapt all aspects to the theme

The chosen venue, the dinner decoration, the menu, the entertainment, etc. create the atmosphere or theme for the event, -and also depend on whether it is formal or informal. For example, an informal dinner will probably require bite-size snacks that guests can eat while they talk, while a formal dinner will call for a greater focus on the meals served at the table and their setup.

4. Consider the number of guests

A dinner for 30 guests is not the same as one for 150 or more. The number of participants determines not only the venue but also the organisation of the catering, the type of event, etc. Keep in mind that guest counts may change, so making plans for a little more people than expected is highly recommended.

5. Address special needs from the start

Once we have the guest count, finding out if any of them require any special consideration, such as wheelchair access, attention to food intolerance, etc. is essential. This way we can guarantee the guests’ comfort. Few things reflect worse on a company dinner than having no control over these aspects. In the same way, good service at all times generates a very positive feeling in a guest with special needs.

6. Plan the menu in advance

Food is one of the determining factors of how to organise a business dinner, and the last thing we need is to find out at the last minute that a dish on the menu is not available or that the catering team is not prepared for a certain service. The menu should be a priority at the beginning of the planning process in order to have time to make corrections as necessary.

7. Organize the seats

The seating arrangements at a corporate dinner must follow certain rules of etiquette. For example, the guest of honour should be seated to the right of the host, and the rest of the guests should be placed in areas that fall within similar ranges within the company. The contact person at the company should know if there are special people who are expected to sit at the same table.

You will also want to think about the shape of the tables and their size. Round tables of up to 10 guests are ideal for socialising.

8. Offer entertainment

Offering some type of entertainment during dinner can hold the proper atmosphere and give people an injection of energy when needed. Dance performances, opera singers, famous artists, etc., can be good choices depending on the audience.

9. Plan a warm welcome

Each dinner guest should receive a proper welcome from the event team as they arrive at the venue. This may require some preparation, such as a table with labels of each guest’s name at the entrance to the dining room, or special treatment for VIPs.

10. Offer something more

Although a company dinner is a good idea to motivate employees, these types of events are also increasingly expected to offer attendees something more than food and drink. You can take advantage of the occasion to organise a meeting and take stock, -or carry out some team building activity teambuilding,such as a gymkhana, a dance or singing contest, a magic show or similar plans.

Selecting of a venue, the key factor

The venue, the theme and the catering of a corporate dinner are essential to its success. These elements mainly depend on the estimated budget available. If we want the dinner to generate a special bond between the employees and the company, we must find a memorable place.

Barcelona offers many options for celebrating a corporate dinner. Some selected highlights are, on the one hand, restaurants. They are usually the cheapest option and offer a wide variety of menu choices, but imply time and theming restraints. On the other hand, we have hotels, where the dinner length can be extended, and a wide variety of themes and entertainment options are allowed. Also, -since they are usually adapted to the needs of each client, hotels may even agree on fixed prices with disco and drinks, -and special prices for the night. A third option is to find on a rural house, which is flexible in terms of the duration of the event, the possibility of spending the night and in regard to the organisation of the theme and of activities such as team building.

A visit to the venue in advance— -at least a week before the event
-by the personnel that is required to give its approval is highly recommended. This way, it will be easier to explore the space, including the surroundings, views, etc. and reserve the preferred areas for VIPs.

A selection of some of our favourite venues is listed below:

Masias

• Can Cortada. An authentic Catalan farmhouse with more than 900 years of history, this space offers quality Catalan cuisine specialising in the best meat of the region.
• Mirador de les Caves. In the heart of the Penedes, surrounded by nature and vineyards, we find the Mirador of the Caves. It is an ideal place to hold meetings and business gatherings and has a menu filled with local products and high -quality barbecue.

Hotels

• Hotel W. Also known as Hotel Vela, this hotel is located on the beachfront next to the famous Barceloneta seafront promenade. Guests can to enjoy a delicious dinner at the restaurant BRAVO24 run by chef Carlos Abella or a cocktail at the Wave and W Lounge.
• Hotel Alma. . In the busy heart of Barcelona, we find an oasis (and a garden) of calm and silence. It is a 5-star Grand Luxury hotel that allows guests to disconnect from the daily routine, have a business meeting or celebrate a corporate dinner.

Restaurantes

• El Xalet de Montjuïc. This modern restaurant consists of a large panoramic terrace and a rotating dining room from where spectacular panoramic views of the city can be enjoyed, as well as Mediterranean cuisine with signature touches, combining creativity and quality in all its dishes.

Heritage buildings

• MACBA, Convent dels Àngels. Currently, the Convent dels Àngels complex is part of the catalogue of the Architectural, Historical and Artistic Heritage of the Barcelona City Council. This historic building allows spectacular lights and colour customisation for corporate dinners.
• Poble Espanyol. This architectural complex located in Montjuïc is a tourist attraction with contemporary art, architecture, crafts and gastronomy in a single setting.

Museums

• Fundació Joan Miró. In the heart of Montjuïc, integrated into the landscape but imbued with its own personality, we come upon the Joan Miró Foundation, a great work of rationalist architecture that hosts 14,000 pieces by this Catalan artist. They have a multitude of spaces that offer total adaptability for different events such as corporate dinners.
• Fundació Antoni Tàpies..A museum and cultural centre located in the city of Barcelona, this Foundation is mainly dedicated to the life and work of Spanish painter Antoni Tàpies.

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