Should You Serve Alcohol at Your Event?

When planning any type of event, one of the first questions to consider is whether or not to include a bar during your function.

While people generally expect there to be a bar at most social functions, they are not always expected during corporate events.

Including alcohol service to your event can add to the expense, but it can also encourage people to relax and enjoy themselves more.

Event Planning Fort Lauderdale —  Cost of Adding a Bar

Most banquet facilities can accommodate alcohol service as part of the event package, but it will always increase the price. Generally, the cost of adding a bar is calculated on a “per guest” figure. So the more guests you are expecting at your event, the higher the cost of adding a hosted bar.

Generally, the cost of adding a bar is calculated on a “per guest” figure. So the more guests you are expecting at your event, the higher the cost of adding a hosted bar.

Another option is to offer a cash bar, which would require anyone wanting to order alcohol to pay for it themselves. This generally does not add to the event planner’s cost, but can get some guests upset, especially if they were expecting an open bar, such as at a wedding or an inclusive package social function.

Event Planning Fort Lauderdale — Limiting Your Bar Expenses

If you want to offer limited alcohol service without absorbing the entire cost of an open bar, one option is to offer guest drink tickets. Each guest gets a pre-determined number of drink tickets — usually one or two — that they can use in exchange for an alcoholic beverage.

Guests who choose not to drink can give their tickets to those who want more than a drink or two. In either case, the event planner’s expense is limited only to the number of tickets distributed.