Trying to economize on your event centerpieces? Grace L. Jan, CAE, CMP, Management Solutions Plus’s senior vice president, meetings management, said her company will offer clients food-related options for centerpieces instead of pricier floral arrangements. A few simple ideas:
Three-tiered dessert trays featuring mini desserts are elegant and don’t cost anything extra if they are already part of the dinner menu. Pies — a less-expensive dessert option — also make appealing centerpieces in tiered displays.
Glass bowls of whole fruit are great for breakfast meetings.
Jan also recommends considering plant centerpieces, which last longer and are less costly than floral ones. “Lastly, ask the hotel what they may have in-house,” she said. Once in a while, she said, you find a hotel that has creative centerpieces. “It never hurts to ask!”