I have been planning and executing events for the past fifteen years. I've planned 650-seat formal dinners, weddings, seminars, conferences and family events. Outside of weddings, one of the most challenging events to orchestrate is the last-minute, in-office VIP lunch. The operative words here are, LASTand MINUTE.

Your boss is expecting you to set up a luncheon that reflects favorable on him or her. You are responsible for making your boss look good and ensuring that his or her guests enjoy the food and atmosphere. And you have less than two hours and thirty minutes to make it happen.

Under normal circumstances, you could just call a restaurant or caterer to deliver some food, beverages and essentials; specify restaurant-style if you want to impress. They will deliver and set up everything, including table decor. But what do you do when it is too late to call for delivery?

Here's how to plan a last-minute VIP office luncheon with a few bells and whistles.

Planning the Event.

All events have similar components:

• Goal(s)
• Organization
• Communication
• Time/Schedule
• Attendees
• Budget
• Location
• Food
• Decor
• Audio-visual
• Logistics (vary by type of event, i.e. travel, transportation logdging, registration)
  
• Labor

Goal. Always be sure you clarify the goal of the lunch. If it is intended as a working lunch, you may need to set up some audio-visual equipment, provide flip charts, or other supplies. For this occasion the goal is lunch, nothing more than a nice mid-day meal.

Organization. Now that you know the type of event, you need compile a list of items needed and tasks to be performed. (See Last-Minute Event Planning Checklist.)

Event Staff. You will need help. Pull together a team to help you. I recommend you have at least one person besides yourself, preferably two.

Communication. Clearly communicate what tasks are to be performed and by whom. Clearly communicate the time table.

Location: Most offices have very few areas large enough for a lunch for 10 or more. You may find the conference room of choice is already booked, or that a meeting is scheduled up until the time of your lunch. You won't have time to set up.

Take charge. Your boss does not expect excuses, he or she expects lunch to be served on time. Either you or your assistant have to clear that room or find another suitable location for the luncheon.

• Check the meeting calendar for another location.
• Talk with the competing meeting organizer, explain that you need the room, and ask if they can move their meeting elsewhere.
• If the weather is nice, consider an outdoor luncheon.
• Check with the property manager's office to see if there is a common meeting room you can reserve.
• Be resourceful, and if all else fails pull rank.

The menu: Because of the last-minute notice, it's risky to call a caterer and hope they can deliver the food on time. And since it's a VIP luncheon, I'd skip the pizza, sandwiches or deli platter. A hot, on-time, well-prepared meal is a superior alternative to cold meat sandwiches. (Depending on the manager and guests, cold-cuts may be fine, but personally, I'd take it up a notch.) If you are having trouble deciding, discuss it with others on your team or review catering menus.

One option I discovered when faced with a last-minute lunch was the grocery store deli. Most major grocery stores are full-service. Their deli selections can be impressive. If you are unsure of the quality of the food, don't take a chance, but I ordered a lunch menu of wild rice, lemon chicken, vegetables and salad from QFC and my boss was thrilled. Another option is to order a Chinese buffet. Terriyaki is always a popular choice.

With the menu decided. Assign someone to call in the order and to go pick up the food. If you are planning to use the corporate credit card, be sure the store or restaurant accepts your type of card. If you are in a crunch, use petty cash or pay for it and have your boss reimburse you later. If you are really in a bind, get hold of another manager's card or cash.

Decor: Now, how can you transform the conference room into a dining room? Creativity. Most executive conference rooms have appropriate art on the walls and beautifully-appointed furniture. The credenza makes a perfect buffet table. (If the conference room is poorly-appointed, see Do-it-Yourself Luncheon Decor for more suggestions on decorating.)

Take a quick inventory of what you have in the office: dividers, table cloths, floral arrangements, candles, plates, cups, silverware. What is readily available? If nothing, you will really have to move quickly and on the run to your local party store, fabric store, or both.

Back at the office, assign someone to lay out the food on nice serving trays just before it is time for lunch. Set up the coffee and tea service, along with water and soda; use some sort of ice bucket. While the food and beverages are being organized, cover the credenza or table with either the table cloth(s) or fabric you purchased. Place floral arrangements and accents. Set out the tables, silverware and napkins. As the food is placed on the newly-decorated credenza or table, turn on some background music, light the candles and welcome your guests. Stand by until everyone is seated and enjoying their meal. Check in every 15 minutes.

As for the cost, the food expense is quite comparable to ordering a restaurant-style lunch. Admittedly, you'll probably spend a hundred dollars for decor, but now you have the benefit of having some event supplies in-house. This expense can be negated by saving the cost of a three-martini lunch.