In the modern business, effective meetings are essential for success. But just as important as the agenda and participants is the right catering. At MyDesk, we understand that planning catering for meetings can be a time-consuming task that often distracts from the primary focus of the meeting itself. That’s why we’ve developed a solution that makes ordering catering for meetings easier and more integrated than ever before – directly from your existing Outlook calendar. With the MyDesk add-in in Outlook, your booking of meeting rooms and catering is all in one place, saving time and minimizing errors.
We know that successful companies like Sundhed.dk, Phillips-Medisize and Orifarm prioritize efficiency. Our platform is designed to support this by optimizing the processes around your meetings and giving you a complete overview of consumption and utilization of your facilities. Let us show you how MyDesk can revolutionize the way you manage meeting catering.
Why is effective meeting catering essential?
Meeting catering is about more than just food and drink; it’s about creating the best environment for productivity, engagement and employee wellbeing. When meeting attendees are happy and well-rested, the chances of a successful meeting are significantly higher.
- Improved productivity: Well-chosen catering that supports energy and concentration can prevent the familiar afternoon slump and keep participants sharp throughout the meeting.
- Increased employee satisfaction: Providing good catering for meetings sends a signal of appreciation to employees and guests. It contributes to a positive company culture and can improve morale.
- Professional impression: When receiving external guests, the catering offered is a direct reflection of your company’s professionalism and attention to detail.
- Time savings: A streamlined meeting catering process frees up staff resources that would otherwise be spent on manual coordination and ordering.
Whether it’s a short internal meeting, a full-day conference or an important customer meeting, the right meeting catering is an investment that pays off. With MyDesk, you can ensure that this important part of meeting planning is always top notch.
MyDesk catering management: your solution for meeting catering
MyDesk offers an integrated catering management system designed to make booking catering for meetings as intuitive and efficient as possible. Our system is part of the overall platform that also includes desk and meeting room booking, guest registration and workplace analytics. Simplicity and integration are at the core of our catering solution.
Order catering for meetings directly in Outlook
We know that most companies use Outlook for calendar management. That’s why we’ve developed a smart add-in that lets you book catering for meetings directly in Outlook when you book a meeting room. Imagine this scenario:
- You open your Outlook calendar to create a new meeting.
- You select the meeting room you want via the MyDesk add-in, where you can view availability and facilities – you can even view 3D floor plans.
- At the same time, via the same add-in, you simply add the desired catering for meetings from a predefined menu. This can be anything from breakfast and lunch to coffee, tea, water and snacks.
- The order is automatically sent to your internal canteen or external catering partner.
- Any changes to the meeting, such as time or number of participants, are automatically updated in the catering order, eliminating the risk of errors and duplication.
This seamless integration removes friction and ensures that meeting catering is always coordinated with your meeting schedule. It’s easy, fast and significantly reduces the risk of errors. Our meeting room booking system, starting from DKK 180 per meeting room, ensures you have the perfect setting and catering is just a click away.
Managing special needs and allergies
Today, more than ever, it’s important to consider individual needs, including allergies and dietary preferences. MyDesk makes it easy to specify these requirements when ordering catering for meetings. You can add notes to your order that clearly communicate specific requests directly to the catering team. This ensures that all meeting participants feel included and well-catered for, which is an important part of a great meeting experience.
Our dedicated support team (5191 4488, support@mydesk.io) is always ready to help you set up and customize your catering options in the system to match your exact business needs and meeting catering offerings.
Benefits of MyDesk’s integrated meeting catering solution
By choosing MyDesk to manage your meeting catering, you get access to a range of benefits that go beyond simple ordering.
Centralized administration
All aspects of your office management – from desk booking and meeting room booking to guest registration and catering – are brought together on one platform. This provides a complete overview and eliminates silos between different systems. When meeting catering bookings are part of this whole, you achieve unprecedented streamlining.
Data and insights for optimization
The MyDesk platform also includes workplace analytics based on sensors and IoT. While this primarily focuses on desk and meeting room utilization, insights into meeting activity can indirectly optimize your meeting catering. By understanding meeting patterns, you can better plan and budget for catering needs and adjust your offerings to meet actual usage patterns.
For example, if data shows a high number of short morning meetings, you can adjust your offering of light snacks and coffee. If you see a lot of all-day meetings, the need for a more extensive lunch program may be relevant. This data-driven approach helps you make informed decisions and avoid waste, both of resources and food.
Reduced waste and costs
Automating meeting catering with Outlook integration minimizes incorrect orders and no-shows. If a meeting is canceled or rescheduled, the system can automatically adjust or cancel the catering order, reducing wasted food and money. This is especially valuable in large organizations where small mistakes can escalate to significant costs over time.
See how an integrated meeting catering solution stands out:
| Feature | Manual Ordering | MyDesk Integration |
|---|---|---|
| Ordering location | Phone/Mail/Web | Directly in Outlook |
| Margin of error | High Margin of error | Low Margin of error |
| Time consumption | High | Low time |
| Updates | Manually | Automatically |
| At a glance | Fragmented | Centralized |
This table clearly illustrates how MyDesk’s approach to meeting catering transforms a potentially chaotic process into a streamlined and error-free operation.
What should you consider when choosing meeting catering?
When choosing the right catering for meetings, there are more factors to consider than just the food itself. MyDesk helps you think it all through.
Meeting duration and purpose
A short status meeting may only require coffee and water, while a full-day workshop will benefit from a good lunch and continuous snacks. For external customer meetings, a higher standard of meeting catering is appropriate to make a good impression. Our system lets you customize your booking to meet these needs.
Number of participants
Important for both quantity and type of catering. MyDesk automatically updates the number based on the meeting attendees in Outlook to avoid over- or under-ordering. This reduces food waste and ensures there is always enough for everyone.
Budget
Different types of meeting catering come with different price points. MyDesk can help you manage your budget by providing an overview of spend and by offering predefined menu packages.
Special dietary needs
As mentioned before, it’s a key factor. With MyDesk, it’s easy to manage, ensuring that all meeting attendees can enjoy the catering.
Setting up your catering module with MyDesk can be customized to your specific supplier agreements, either with an internal canteen or with external partners. Our goal is to make the process as transparent and manageable as possible when it comes to meeting catering.
The future of meeting catering is digital and integrated
The modern workplace is constantly evolving and with it comes new demands for flexibility and efficiency. MyDesk is helping to define the future of office management and the digital workplace. Our approach to meeting catering is just one example of how technology can improve the lives of your employees and optimize your operations.
We believe that an integrated platform that brings all functions together creates the most productive and attractive workplace. With our solutions, you no longer have to juggle between different systems to book a meeting room, register a guest and order catering for meetings. Everything is under one roof, easily accessible to everyone.
MyDesk was established out of a need to make office life easier and more streamlined. Our address is Struergade 22, 2630 Høje Taastrup – a place close to our customers with our finger on the pulse of the latest technological advances in workplace management. Our company registration number is 41545518, and you can always contact us by phone 6916 0382 or mail@mydesk.io to learn more about how we can help your company with catering for meetings and much more. We look forward to hearing from you!
Frequently asked questions about meeting catering
Here we answer some of the most common questions about meeting catering and how MyDesk can help.
What is the biggest benefit of using MyDesk for meeting catering?
The biggest advantage is the seamless integration with Outlook. You can book all catering directly when you book the meeting room, centralizing the process and dramatically reducing the risk of errors and duplication.
Can MyDesk handle specific dietary needs and allergies?
Yes, absolutely. Our system allows you to add detailed notes to your catering order, so you can easily communicate specific dietary needs, allergies and other preferences directly to your caterer.
Why should I choose MyDesk over a manual order?
MyDesk saves time, minimizes errors, provides a better overview and helps reduce food waste and costs associated with catering for meetings. The automatic update on meeting schedule changes is an invaluable time saver.
Can MyDesk integrate with our existing catering company?
Yes, MyDesk is designed to be flexible. The system can easily be set up to send orders to your preferred internal canteen or external catering partners. Our support team can help you with the configuration.
What data does MyDesk collect about catering orders?
MyDesk collects data about your catering orders, which can provide insights into consumption patterns. This data can be used to optimize your catering offerings, identify popular choices, and help you budget more accurately for your future meeting catering.
How much does it cost to use MyDesk’s meeting catering system?
The catering module is part of our overall platform. The price for meeting room booking starts from DKK 180 per meeting room. Contact us at mail@mydesk.io for a customized solution and a non-binding offer that matches your company’s needs for catering for meetings and other solutions.
