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mocktails

The 2020 Catering + Event Trend Report for the 502

February 5, 2020 by icehouse Leave a Comment

Photograph by Avistoria

The teams of Ice House and Crushed Ice Catering are in high gear for a year of fantastic events in Louisville, Kentucky and beyond. Continue reading below to learn how they are planning for 12 months of successful catering and special events:

The world of event planning and catering is one with many moving parts and is consistently influenced by the surrounding culture. At the pace of today’s culture, a key characteristic necessary of any business looking to succeed is their ability to anticipate their client’s needs and wants. For the Ice House and Crushed Ice Catering teams, their ability to intuitively anticipate their client’s needs is what sets them apart from the competition. 

As we move further into 2020, while dutifully working for our corporate clients and brides, we are anticipating what this year will hold and what details and trends that you can expect to see in the coming months. Read below to find the 11 catering and event trends that we anticipate making a big splash in 2020.

REACHING BEYOND THE SOUTHERN COMFORT ZONE

“I am expecting to see people more and more choose menus filled with flavors from the eastern hemisphere. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing like digging into the comfort of classic southern dishes, but I certainly am anticipating the opportunities to showcase Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine for our 2020 clients. We already have a handful of weddings and events that we are creating Indian menus for. It’s a lot of fun.” – Laurence Agnew, Executive Chef

MEATLESS BEYOND MONDAY

I predict that as meatless meals are gaining popularity in daily food culture, menu designers will have the opportunity to explore options that not only provide alternatives for vegetarian and vegan guests but also shine as brightly as meat-centered dishes.  Ingredients like jackfruit and parsnips can create the heft of meat in a dish with an entirely new flavor profile, I love that. – Darci Stuhlman, Client Experience Manager

CHARCUTERIE FOR EVERY TIME + EVERYONE

2019 proved that the charcuterie board is here to stay, which I am personally very excited about. But for 2020, we will certainly see a creative expansion on this crowd favorite, both literally and figuratively.  I am excited to see the physical evolution as well. Rather than solely building the charcuterie out we’re going to see more boards featuring height varying elements to shake it up a bit! Expect to see charcuterie boards that cater to various dietary needs such as vegan boards with tons of veggies, crackers, meatless protein options, and vegan cheeses. Along with this, there certainly will be an expansion in the offering of sweet charcuterie boards such as a waffle board and fondue as well!  – Lindsay Brough, Director of Catering Sales

CBD INFUSED COCKTAILS

Thanks to the legalization of CBD, Louisville saw a large spike in the consumption of CBD food and beverage products in 2019. Because of this, I am looking forward to seeing clients and couples wanting to feature CBD in their 2020 bar menus. With wide variations of cannabis flavor to use, the combinations are endless. – Laurence Agnew, Executive Chef

COMPLEX MIXOLOGY

I am excited to watch adventurous culinary energy inspire bartenders to develop cocktails with more complex profiles. This winter, I had a cocktail that was more bitters than spirit or juice (The Sawyer, a brainchild of Don Lee at WD-50 in NYC), and it was so refreshing to not be able to put my finger on what I was tasting!  I would like to see more of that. – Darci Stuhlman, Client Experience Manager

HEALTHFUL OPTIONS TO SIP

Clients and couples who prefer serving more healthful options to their guests will have plenty of options to choose from. At this point in time, almost everyone is aware of the health benefits of kombucha, so why not treat your guest to a healthful hard kombucha such as June Shine? Between the 6% ABV and bubbling probiotics, you’re sure to have a good time.  – Laurence Agnew, Executive Chef

DRINKS FOR ALL

I’m anticipating seeing clients looking to feature more non-alcoholic beverages like Phocus water for example! Infused teas and creative mocktails that incorporate local, in-season ingredients will be a great addition to any bar package. – Spencer Freeman, Catering Sales Manager

PEARL ACCENTS

If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, can we suggest that pearls are a bride’s bestie? This soft and timeless gemstone gives a dose of nostalgia when incorporated into modern designs. I predict that we will be seeing these little beauties more and more, from delicate embroidery details on wedding dresses to brides donning striking hairpieces solely made of the gemstone. – Morgan Blake, Brand Manager

ALTERED FLORALS: SPRAY PAINTED, DRIED, + DYED. OH MY!

Couples who are looking to tie the knot are likely to bring a bit more color to their floral pieces this year. Rather than choosing the classic winding greenery that beautifully accented the beloved neutral palettes of past wedding seasons, we are anticipating to see brighter fauna in the future. The possibilities are endless with various bleaching, dying, and drying techniques. – Erica Outlaw, Director of Business Development

A COOL 2020

We’re feeling blue but in the best way! The sleek look of a black suit just may be fading into cooler blue hues in the coming 2020 wedding season. While grey and black suits may be getting the pause, we see cobalt, navy, and Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year, Classic Blue, taking center stage at the end of the wedding aisle. – Lindsay Brough, Director of Catering Sales

OFFICE MORAL

Corporate Events are shifting outside of the traditional holiday party and annual meeting, and with good reason: studies show that gathering your teams outside of the office encourages them to think outside of the box.  The benefits do not end there: Off-site celebrations are perceived as more validating, while off-site team-building exercises boost employee engagement. For these reasons, corporations are seeing the financial rewards of events and are hosting more creative functions to recharge and reward their teams.  – Darci Stuhlman, Client Experience Manager

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2016 Event Trends

January 5, 2016 by icehouse Leave a Comment

2016 Event Trends: What will the future hold?

The 2016 Event Planning Season is upon us here at the Ice House and Crushed Ice Catering. With every passing year, we reflect on the trends of that year’s previous events and weddings and look forward to what the New Year will bring. We don’t claim to be psychic, but we typically have a knack for predicting trends for the New Year. Here are the Team’s predictions for 2016:

Erica’s Predictions

The Big Bucks are Back

Luxury. Spending is on the rise again for Weddings and Corporate Events. Clients are willing to spend more money now, than in the previous years. What does this mean? For Weddings, it means more Champagne, longer parties and extravagant amenities. For corporate, it means entertainment, entertainment, entertainment – bands, lighting, audio/visual. Corporate Clients are looking to deliver that “wow” factor that is bright, bigger and louder than ever.

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Pop the Bubbly for 2016!

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Bigger Budgets = Brighter Lights

Lindsay’s Predictions

Say Goodbye to the Southern Theme

The Southern Theme is taking a backseat to the Earthy/Woodland/Bohemian trend.  Expect to see more earth tones and elements such as wood, stone, garland, lanterns – the list could go on and on. Need inspiration for this concept? Look no further – our Friends over at Ruffled Blog (ruffledblog.com) seem to nail this trend on their Blog and their Instagram page.

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The Ruffled Blog nails this upcoming trend

Derek’s Predictions

Classic Cocktails are the Crowd Pleasers

Gone are the days of the Grape-Apple-Cherry-Flirtini-Martini-Whatevertini. The Classic Cocktails are back. You’ll see the bartender’s serving up more of the originals such as a good Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Moscow Mule – just to name a few.  These tried and true cocktails eliminate long lines at the bar – consisting of few ingredients.

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Bar Trends: Classic Cocktails are Back

Lauren’s Predictions

Don’t let the Sun Go Down on Me

Daytime Weddings are increasing in popularity now more than ever. Couples could be utilizing this option as a budget-saving tactic – or it could be that daytime wedding food and drinks are just more fun. There is so much more variety you can offer your guests in the cuisine department (breakfast, lunch, brunch, light appetizers or hor d’oeurves) as well as beverage services. Daytime Weddings give you the perfect opportunity to showcase that pinterest-inspired Champagne, Bloody Mary Bar, or creative “mocktail” station.

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Mocktails are a hit at Daytime Weddings

Chef and Zach’s Predictions

Eat Your Veggies

No one ever said Popeye was a genius, but he did have something behind that whole “spinach” concept. Our Chef and Sous Chef at Crushed Ice Catering predict that we’ll be cooking, and eating, a vast variety of vegetable focused dishes this year. Our Clients’ palates are more adventurous – and health conscience in 2016.

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Vegetables Rule in 2016

In just 12 short months, we’ll be able to reflect back on 2016 and all it had to offer. Here’s to hoping we are on-point with our predictions!

Cheers!

Erica

Filed Under: Additional Amenities, audio, Bar, Brunch Wedding, Cocktails, Corporate, Event Planning, Louisville Catering, Louisville events, Louisville Wedding, mocktails, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception, Wedding Trends Tagged With: additional amenities, bar, bohemian, champagne, cocktails, corporate, Crushed Ice Catering, event planning, Louisville catering, Louisville events, Louisville Wedding, mocktails, seated dinner, stations and bars, The Ice House, up lighting, vegetables, wedding planning, wedding reception

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The 2020 Catering + Event Trend Report for the 502

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