Food is a challenging part of WordCamp.
Everyone has opinions, everyone has different tastes, and everyone gets very vocal when they’re not happy, when the line doesn’t move fast enough, and when there isn’t enough variety, etc. And it’s not just choosing the type of food…
The hardest part about providing food at an event like WordCamp is finding a caterer that can work with us in our budget AND provide good food.
No one associated with WordCamp Sacramento profits from WordCamp Sacramento — not even the organizers. The entire event is planned and managed by volunteers giving their time outside of normal business hours to make the event happen. The entire event is funded by generous sponsors and we’re required to keep ticket prices equal to $20/day. Yes, there is an oversight organization (WordPress Community Support), yes, there are rules we must follow, and no we can’t do anything we want.
We’ve got a budget and we need to stick to that budget. We’ve been lucky in years past:
- In 2015, Art Institute of California — Sacramento donated their location for WordCamp and allowed us to bring in outside food. We catered with Chipotle, which attendees loved. But there were also some hiccups. Chipotle didn’t have the food ready on time, which caused a long wait for lunch, and the room the food was in was small, which made moving through the lunch line very slow.
- In 2016, the Harper Alumni Center required us to use one of their preferred vendors. Our caterer was awesome and worked with us to provide a variety of boxed lunch options in our budget range, including gluten-free, kosher, vegetarian, and vegan options. We had the boxed lunches spread out across multiple tables and the line went fast!
While a few people over the past two years have complained about not enough variety, we do our absolute best to provide as many options as we can with our caterer and our budget. And let’s be honest, we’re never going to be able to perfectly serve 350-500 people the exact perfect meal — but this year we’re going to come close!
Beverages
Just as we have in years past, WordCamp Sacramento will have coffee and iced water available throughout the entire event, and this year we’re adding lemonade! If you’re a soda drinker, there is also a vending machine right outside the ballrooms.
Snacks
For small snacks throughout the event, you can stop by our sponsor tables any time.
We’re also working with the Convention Center caterer to provide an array of heavy small bites and treats during the Sunday afternoon break.
Lunch Options For WordCamp Sacramento
This year WordCamp Sacramento is happening September 16-17, 2017 and the weather is going to be absolutely gorgeous. While you’re going to be inside all day for WordCamp sessions, we’re going to make sure you enjoy some sunshine and the beautiful State Capital Gardens by having a picnic lunch outside! We’re sending you on a short walk to the shady lawn surrounding the California State Capital for lunch because we’re catering lunch through SactoMoFo.
Yes, we’re bringing Food Trucks to WordCamp!
Included with your $40.00 WordCamp Ticket (yes, we know this is insanely cheap), is lunch at one of three different Sacramento Food trucks. You’ll get to choose between:
Each Food Truck will have vegetarian and vegan options, and you can customize your meal as needed for your diet… for example, I have to order my food with no cheese/dairy.
Watch the blog closely because we’ll be featuring each of the food trucks very soon with a full rundown of their menu for WordCamp.
About SactoMoFo
Sacramento Mobile Food (SactoMoFo) is a gourmet mobile food event planning company with a robust track record spanning the production of over 1,500 events in the Northern California region since 2011.
Tasty food is only the beginning. Food Truck business owners buy local produce, meat and bread products, pay local sales taxes, add affordability and diversity to the local food scene, hire local workers, and offer aspiring restaurant owners an entry point into the possibility of the American Dream. Some of the local food trucks are already well on their way there, and have opened local restaurants, created even more Sacramento jobs and have generated thousands of dollars in sales taxes. Additionally, food truck owners are heavily vested in their local communities and generously give back.
In recent years, food trucks working with SactoMoFo raised thousands of dollars for organizations like the Rebuild McKinley Park effort, Toys for Tots Foundation, the California Firefighters Foundation, the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, the Whole Foods Foundation, the Getty Owl Foundation and various others.