The air rushed in and out of my lungs with deliberate pace. I caught myself for a second as I reached the cafeteria, taking in the space and formulating a plan of attack. It wasn’t my first time decorating for an event this month, but tomorrow was special. Tomorrow I was personally responsible for every detail and it had to be perfect.
One of the most intimidating assignments this year for me was the retail and marketing project. How do you create a financially successful event when the facility you are working with is half shut down due to a pandemic? It’s all about the team.
The first step was choosing an event and the person to talk to was the chef. I didn’t want to add extra work to an already overworked environment, so I talked to the chef about his schedule, events already happening, and ideas for what to do. Oktoberfest quickly became the clear choice. This holiday hadn’t been celebrated in a couple years and the chef, having spent time in Germany, was passionate about the food. Next, I asked the employees about past fall celebrations. This was our first success, finding a common passion to fuel motivation and excitement.
Now that the event was chosen and date set, I created a nutritional education plan centered on apples, approved the needed supplies for the menu and display samples with our procurement manager, and worked on marketing materials and handouts. Once the posters were approved by my general manager, we spread the word about the upcoming event. I wanted to personally invite the hospital units to share some of the excitement through face to face marketing. This was our second success, personal contact and connections.
One of the most intimidating assignments this year for me was the retail and marketing project. How do you create a financially successful event when the facility you are working with is half shut down due to a pandemic? It’s all about the team.
The first step was choosing an event and the person to talk to was the chef. I didn’t want to add extra work to an already overworked environment, so I talked to the chef about his schedule, events already happening, and ideas for what to do. Oktoberfest quickly became the clear choice. This holiday hadn’t been celebrated in a couple years and the chef, having spent time in Germany, was passionate about the food. Next, I asked the employees about past fall celebrations. This was our first success, finding a common passion to fuel motivation and excitement.
Now that the event was chosen and date set, I created a nutritional education plan centered on apples, approved the needed supplies for the menu and display samples with our procurement manager, and worked on marketing materials and handouts. Once the posters were approved by my general manager, we spread the word about the upcoming event. I wanted to personally invite the hospital units to share some of the excitement through face to face marketing. This was our second success, personal contact and connections.
Morning arrived and the various operations were set in motion. Chef had the entire menu taken care of, my friend and I had decorated the cafeteria, the general manager set up an elaborate attraction for the nutrition display, samples were ready, and the polka musicians were in place. This was our third success, communication and organization.
Needless to say, Oktoberfest 2020 was a success. The entire menu sold out, the samples of apple varieties disappeared, and the crowd marveled over the stark contrast in freshly pressed versus store bought apple juice. I had so much fun interacting with the staff and patients’ families. We learned about fall nutrition and the hospital community was brought together in celebration. This was our final success, community teamwork.
No matter what area of dietetics you enter, it’s all about your team. That’s why we chose Sodexo’s internship, because of the team supporting us. I would never have been able to put on my retail marking project without the help of the general manager, procurement manger, retail manager, head chef, pastry chef, kitchen staff, retail staff, and my preceptor/nutrition manager. Thank you for the opportunity to work with this amazing team. Thank you for your support.
Needless to say, Oktoberfest 2020 was a success. The entire menu sold out, the samples of apple varieties disappeared, and the crowd marveled over the stark contrast in freshly pressed versus store bought apple juice. I had so much fun interacting with the staff and patients’ families. We learned about fall nutrition and the hospital community was brought together in celebration. This was our final success, community teamwork.
No matter what area of dietetics you enter, it’s all about your team. That’s why we chose Sodexo’s internship, because of the team supporting us. I would never have been able to put on my retail marking project without the help of the general manager, procurement manger, retail manager, head chef, pastry chef, kitchen staff, retail staff, and my preceptor/nutrition manager. Thank you for the opportunity to work with this amazing team. Thank you for your support.
