Should you shake up your annual fundraising event?

As I started working on this blog post, I realized that it was getting tl;dr to deliver in one shot, so I decided to try to be more considerate to the reader and write multiple posts.

I am working on my kids' school auction again, and I have come across an organizational attitude about annual fundraising events that I thought deserved a bit more exploration. The organizers of the event have chosen for many years (estimating 10 years at least) to throw the same party for the auction. They change the theme, the graphics and the decorations, but it is the same party, the same format, the same, same, same.

Some organizations have been crazy successful with revisiting the same format year over year for fundraising. A wonderful example is the (formerly Jerry Lewis) MDA Labor Day Telethon. They do the same deal year upon year and have a tremendous following. Success!

What is great about their format? It goes on for hours casting a wide net of prospective givers, varied entertainment and celebrities again pulling in a variety of people, and watchers can pop in and out of the broadcast as needed. The format has changed a bit in the past couple of years, but largely they are still working the same operational plan.

It is considerably more difficult to come up with a new idea, format, food plan and beverage plan yearly for this type of event. I leave you with an important question today — why wouldn't an organization want to stick with a tried and true format for a fundraising event that has been very successful? I have a couple of ideas why to share with you tomorrow, but would love to hear your thoughts on the subject matter! Please share them below.

SliderBarCafe in Palo Alto is perfect for a family meal

My family hopped into the SliderBarCafe on University Avenue yesterday for a late lunch. We are a six person family so it can be a small challenge to get tables at times, but not yesterday -- we were seated immediately. The smaller portion format was perfection for our young family. We sampled sliders, mini Belgian waffles, a basket of fries and side salads. All was delicious!

The mini Belgian waffles were the preferred meal for our vegetarian children (we have two) and the two non-vegetarians ate sliders. The mini waffles tasted more like a "pretzel" than a Belgian waffle per my kid, but they ate them happily (each child even meat eaters ate at least one). We also ordered the Classic American, the Solona Chili Southwestern Chicken, the Bacon and Cheddar and the Mediterranean Lamb sliders. They were yummy.

We rounded out our order with a basket of their "Belgian" fries - no complaints. You can choose three different dipping sauces from the 11 they offer, and between regular or garlic fries. The side salad was awesome — fresh, green and purple lettuces with cherry tomatoes and cucumbers.

Their hours of operation include a 10 am opening (they have breakfast sliders too!) and 10 or 11 pm closing, so it is nice for a late bite. We loved it and will be back!

Have you eaten at the SliderBarCafe? Please let me know your thoughts on this joint!

Need help planning an event or meeting in Palo Alto? Contact me at EventCounselor.

My favorite Mediterranean in Menlo Park

Sultana is a wonderful Mediterranean restaurant in Menlo Park. They serve delicious Turkish-style Mediterranean food. Their restaurant has two distinct areas for dining and events. They have a dining room space which is quite spacious in the front of the restaurant, and a great patio space out back. Planners could host summer events on the patio like a casual company team-building dinner, a personal birthday party or engagement party. They have a full bar, and as an added bonus, they are super nice people too.

Sultana also provides catering for events, and catered a bat-mitzvah event that I helped to plan this past summer. They really over-delivered on their service and product. Their pricing was not only the most competitive of the three restaurants we asked for quotes, but they were extremely responsive to our planning requests. One example was that we originally asked for a quote of only vegetarian items, but my clients wanted to try the chicken kebabs on the fly at the tasting. They whipped the kebabs right up, and then reworked the quote to work with my clients’ budget when they ended up loving them.

If you love Mediterranean food, you should definitely check out Sultana, and if need help finding the right location for your next event in Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto or Redwood City, please contact EventCounselor. Our assistance is always free of charge.

Madera is as good as they say

I just ate at Madera last night in celebration of my 12 year wedding anniversary, and boy was the experience special! I had already done a review of the Rosewood Sand Hill as an event property, but Madera only accommodates parties of up to 12 guests, so I kind of skipped over it in my initial review. Now I am ready to tidy things up and tell you — don't miss Madera!! It was yummy!

I booked the reservation using my very good friend, Opentable, and noted in the reservation that it was our anniversary. Great restaurants definitely pay attention to those notations, and Madera is no exception. They seated us at one of the best tables in the room, right next to a giant, roaring fire with a perfect view of their open kitchen.

They poured us a (complimentary no less) glass of champagne to begin our celebration, and that level of excellent service was delivered throughout the entire meal. While the food and the service are on par with any fine dinning restaurant, the overall atmosphere was very accessible. It wasn't stuffy or overly fancy which tends to make my husband feel out of place. Their service provision rose to meet us where we were, instead of where they were. Nice.

The rolls and the in-house crafted butter that began our meal were delicious (the caramelized onion, bacon, parmesean cheese roll was finger licking good!), the amuse-bouche was perfect, and our entries were spectacular. My husband said the rack of lamb was the best he had ever tasted. We split the appetizer special (crab tortellini in lobster jus) and the meyer lemon tart dessert (pretty darned amazing). Not one flavor disappointed us.

One change of note for our next visit - we had an early reservation, but not early enough at this time of year to take advantage of the spectacular view of sunsets they have from their dining room.

My parents bought us a bottle of John Anthony Cabernet for our meal. Wow!! Try it if you get a chance. We loved it.

Madera is perfect for a small celebratory meal. It is a dining experience that will resonate with your guests for a long time. I can't wait to go back!

San Mateo County History Museum

The Rotunda

Have you been to a public event at the plaza in Redwood City? The Plaza is the central square in downtown Redwood City (across from the Fox Theater) from where free music and many special summertime events emanate. It also happens to be the front entrance to the San Mateo County History Museum which is a very special space for an event. The building is easily recognizable with the large domed roof, and served as the former San Mateo County Courthouse building.

The Rotunda of this historic building is capped off with the most beautiful stained-glass dome, and the floors are covered in gorgeous mosaic tiles. It is simply breathtaking to stand in the center of the Rotunda and look up. Many a wedding ceremony has been held in the Rotunda, and after you take one step into the museum, that won't surprise you.

The main event space is on the second floor (so is the kitchen!), and is located in the former courtroom. It is astonishing how the right caterer can transform this space into a gorgeous event. The museum provides a list of preferred caterers with whom they regularly do business for events. There are many little details about using this space because of its age and historical importance, so working with the perferred caterers makes things easier for all the parties involved. A renter can also pay a fee for using a caterer not on their list.

Looking up at the stained glass dome

I was extremely impressed with the different exhibits and the history of the building and its former operations. These additional components included with renting this space are valuable extras that will have a big impact on your guests. The museum currently has a rotating exhibit dedicated to surfing at Maverick's, and as a part of the exhibit the public can climb onto a real surfboard that looks straight out a window onto the plaza from the second story of the building. When standing on the board, you are able to get a perspective of the height at the top of a wave out at Mavericks — very, very cool!

Did I mention that their rental rates are very inexpensive? If you are a high school aged group looking to host a teenage-focused event, you will have to look elsewhere because those events are not allowed in the space.

One last point about using the museum for an event. The schedule of events held in the plaza is not controlled by nor coordinated with the museum in any way. If there is an event on the plaza on the night of your event at the museum, you will have work around that disruption (like noise or partially obstructing the entrance/frontal view of the museum).

Visit EventCounselor for more information on historic and museum-focused event sites in Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto and Redwood City.

Undiscovered event space gem in Redwood Shores

There is a great, little restaurant tucked away in Redwood Shores that may not be on your radar, but it should be — especially if you are hosting an event soon.

Mistral is located on the same lagoon as the Sofitel in Redwood Shores, and has an outstanding all-seasons patio. The patio wraps around the entire lagoon-facing portion of the restaurant, and comes complete with a giant outdoor fireplace and an adjoining fire pit with hangout space.

The Wine Room at Mistral

After dining at Mistral, I thought the subsequent site visit would be all about the patio, and as great as it is, it wasn't the star of the day. The Wine Room was the space that really surprised me!

This private dining room is decorated like a wine cellar and has its own private entrance. The decor feels rich with beautiful finishes and walls of wine racks, and it can seat up to 42 people. This room would be perfect for a small business meeting or a special occasion meal. Guests can use the separate sound system for this room to customize the music. A luncheon business meeting would be tough in this room because it is adjacent to the kitchen and there is residual noise during their busiest service hours.

The Chalk Room is a second, smaller private room that opens onto the fire pit area on the patio. This room would be perfect for an event that was one part meeting and one part social, renting out the fire pit area too. Such a great match for an event under 20 people. The food was good, and when someone in our party asked for a vegetarian, gluten-free option, the kitchen whipped up a vegetarian risotto that was greatly appreciated.

Visit EventCounselor for other undetected event spaces in Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto and Redwood City.

Looking for a fun Redwood City location for your company holiday party?

Outdoor bar and patio at Milagros

Company holiday parties are right around the corner, and if you haven't locked in a location yet, consider Mliagros located in the heart of the downtown Redwood City. Milagros is one of three restaurants in the Avenir Restaurant Group, parent also to Town in San Carlos and NOLA in Palo Alto. The restaurant is Mexican-themed, has a very fun interior with five large-screen televisions and a big open-air patio bar.

Milagros has a private dining room at one end of the restaurant that seats 50 people, and has a built-in buffet line. Not surprising because if you have more than 25 people in your party, your menu will be served buffet-style. The food is average, but this venue is about merriment and drinking, not haute cuisine. Larger parties can rent larger portions of the restaurant, and restaurant buyouts are also possible.

Milagros offers a cute, semi-private space for 12 people seated that would be a great fit for a baby or bridal shower or a special birthday dinner. This is a venue that is focused on good times. They have a killer Happy Hour, awesome food and drink specials during Monday Night Football and the banquet pricing is quite affordable.

Visit EventCounselor for more fun places to party this holiday season in Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto and Redwood City.