Remember the concept of the "progressive dinner" popularized during the 1950's and 1960's? The practice has made a recent resurgence, and is fast becoming a favourite corporate event. Progressive dinners are multi-course feasts, with each course being served at a different location. Locations may be across town, across campus, or across the hall, depending on the objectives of the progression.
Progressive dinners can be held in the private homes of team members with each member cooking and serving a course, or at restaurants scattered throughout the city. As a conference event, a progressive dinner can be served in various locations throughout a hotel or conference facility. A treasure hunt can be combined with the dinner so that guests must find and decipher clues as to the location of the next course.
Cocktails, appetizers, soup, salad, entrée, dessert, and coffee or a second round of cocktails are all served at seven different locations. Alternatively, a "Taste of the City" event can be held at where guests travel to six or seven restaurants to sample the best fare at each establishment.
Dinners may feature a consistent cuisine or provide a mix of ethnic foods if the evening is aimed at honouring diversity. Caterers or restaurateurs with various ethnic specialties can be hired to provide each course.
A progressive dinner can be a great drawing card for your next open house to encourage guests to explore your entire corporate campus in search of their next dinner course. Prizes can be given for the first guests to find each course location to add interest and a competitive spirit to the evening's festivities.
Special dinner entertainment can be provided at each location visited during the evening by using a caricature artist, a magician, violinists, a DJ, a comedian, and a ventriloquist, with each appearing at a different location throughout the evening. Guests will be awarded a prize if they can guess what sort of entertainment will be provided for the next course.
