Spice Up Your Event with an Interactive Cooking Show - Tips and Ideas!

[jenniferp417]

Great ideas here! Thanks!

 

[MGG]

The notes are posted on #18

 

[Joelen]

I've done quite a few interactive cooking events for my cooking group at a professional kitchen I rent out. Since I'm still a new PC consultant, I plan on incorporating PC in my events and will be doing an interactive PC show sometime in August.

How I've done my cooking events in the past is to have everyone bring in prepped ingredients and assemble their dishes at the kitchen. However with PC, I'll be setting a menu, bringing the ingredients and giving each person something to prep using PC products.

 

[[email protected]]

Love the ideas. I am at wits end trying to come up with new ideas, I am not a creative person, and these are great. Thanks for posting them.

 

[missydivine]

Thanks for posting your notes!

 

[DizziePixie]

I have done interactive shows where I have stations set up in the kitchen, and as the guests arrive, they each do a piece of the recipe. Instead of the demo, I ask them to talk about what products they used and what they thought about them. It helps to tell them ahead that they will be talking about it so they are paying more attention when they use the products.

Another idea, some girls had at our last meeting was to set up station and put the party in groups at each station- that sounded fun, too. you would need to type up some instructions for each station, though. They said those shows were a hit.

 

[love2cook05]

Could you just post the notes so we don't have ten million people asking for them? Thanks!!!

Kate,

I love coming across a post from you. You are always saying what I am thinking at the time and it always makes me laugh!

 

[pchefinski]

My director has switched to doing nothing but intractive shows. She offered those of us in her cluster a "course" that she called PC Boot Camp. It lasted 3 months and we learned how to completely re-do our shows. I tried it for a while, but I think I prefer the more traditional form of show.

Anyway, basically she asks for a volunteer to come try some of the products and if no one volunteers, she draws a name or just picks someone. That person has the choice of staying up there the whole time, or passing the apron to someone else. The consultant stands by the guest doing the cooking and talks about each of the products just like she usually does and she helps the volunteer if needed (if she tries to put half an onion in the chopper, the consultant stops her).

My director really enjoys running her shows this way. She thinks she sells more because the guests get to "play" with the tools.

Good luck.

this is what made me want to be a consultant! i remember my first show, i really liked the products in the catalog but when i went up and used them, i totally fell in love! when i start back up with my shows again (either this fall or winter) i'm definitely doing this type of show. i feel like it would take away some of the pressure too - i always get stage fright up there in front of everyone. when people are interactively involved, it loosens up the mood of the room - not soo much pressure!

 

[HockeyLover]

At my last cooking show, I had a guest thank me at the end for letting her play with the mandoline. She said that any DS show she had ever attended, no one would let her actually use the products. I didn't have an interactive show (it was only my second show), but I had an orange and potato with me to demo a few things, and we chopped, sliced, zested, and cut the daylights out of them! I sold the Forged utility knife (she couldn't wait until August, she wanted it now!), the Food Chopper, and have a few Mandolines on wish lists. I definitely plan on having more guest interaction at my shows in the future.

If they try it, they'll want to buy it!

 

[pchefinski]

some of our products may look intimidating to some - like the mandoline, as hockeylover mentioned. but if they can get up there and use them, they'll see they aren't as overwhelming as they thought.

 

[Momma23boys]

I had a great time doing an interactive show with the BBQ chicken pizza w/ pineapple.. goodness~ can't remember the name of that recipe.. the one from the tropical theme of last season.. the older ladies were a touch annoyed at having to "do" something.. but I roped them in eventually.. it was a pretty large group, lots of talkers.. I personally thought it was one of the more fun ones i have done..

 

[Angie Jensen]

Here's my "Interactive Tip" that I have been using since February and it works AMAZING!!!! When everyone arrives, fill out a name tag for them and ask them to come up and pick out a product they would like to try during the demo. Stick the label on the product and when you get to that item, call up the person who wants to try it! I have NEVER had anyone say "No" to this! It makes the show so much more fun and gets EVERYONE involved! I usually line up all the products I am going to use for the recipe so they can see them all in order to pick. If I don't need a lot for that recipe, I put extra names on the cheese grater, food chopper, etc. During the show I used to ask "Who would like to come try out the...." and for one, sometimes you didn't have anyone come up and secondly, the shy person who wants to try it out would never volunteer in front of a crowd. Doing the shows this way has really boosted my show average and I always get 2-3 bookings!!!

 

[jenniferp417]

That is *great*! Thanks!

 

[peichef]

Angie, I love that idea. I'm goignt o try that at my next show! Thanks.

 

[Dawn4]

Hi Linda,

Yes I took a lot of notes. As soon as I can get them organized enough to send you some ideas I will e-mail them to you.

Amy

I would love a copy too. Thank you in advance!!! [email protected]

 

[ChefNic]

Here's my "Interactive Tip" that I have been using since February and it works AMAZING!!!! When everyone arrives, fill out a name tag for them and ask them to come up and pick out a product they would like to try during the demo. Stick the label on the product and when you get to that item, call up the person who wants to try it! I have NEVER had anyone say "No" to this! It makes the show so much more fun and gets EVERYONE involved! I usually line up all the products I am going to use for the recipe so they can see them all in order to pick. If I don't need a lot for that recipe, I put extra names on the cheese grater, food chopper, etc. During the show I used to ask "Who would like to come try out the...." and for one, sometimes you didn't have anyone come up and secondly, the shy person who wants to try it out would never volunteer in front of a crowd. Doing the shows this way has really boosted my show average and I always get 2-3 bookings!!!

I do like that idea!! I had questions about this type of show...Do you have any problems with the products getting dirty before the guest comes up to use them? I'm thinking...say the Mix 'N Chop...should I put it in a plastic bag, not the ziploc kind...just a Glad plastic bag, they come with twist ties.. so it's clean? I don't have much Lem/Rosemary soap left...but I guess I could use Hand Sanitizer... I'm always overly conscious about washing hands and products...cooking in front of people, they are too! I'm thinking I could put several products in a basket and pass that basket around...

Also, do you think it takes longer for the demo...getting people to come up?

I've done a few interactive shows, where I have stations set up, and index cards with instructions, they all cook, I mingle to help...then have everyone gather around the table and eat, and while they eat, I ask them how they liked each product they used, and we play a game...It makes a bigger mess in the kitchen than when I just do a demo...but getting the products in hands is always a good idea.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

My favorite recipe for hands on shows is the baked potstickers I bring 4 bar boards (loved it when we offered 2 colors)
I mix it all in the SS bowl having some one drain, chop etc. then divided into SA bowls put out small SS scoops and prep bowls taught them the 4 folding techniques and sent someone to the stove to make the sauce in a piece of cookware.

The pineapple upside down cake in the skillet is another great hands on thing before they know it is is ready for the oven but they've touched lots of products.

 

[Jennie4PC]

I have done a few shows were the guests make the recipe. I decided to do it with this one group since they have been haing so many shows with me and the last demo I did they talked through the whole thing. They told me they really liked doing it that way.

 

[VeronicaW]

My director has switched to doing nothing but intractive shows. She offered those of us in her cluster a "course" that she called PC Boot Camp. It lasted 3 months and we learned how to completely re-do our shows. I tried it for a while, but I think I prefer the more traditional form of show.

Anyway, basically she asks for a volunteer to come try some of the products and if no one volunteers, she draws a name or just picks someone. That person has the choice of staying up there the whole time, or passing the apron to someone else. The consultant stands by the guest doing the cooking and talks about each of the products just like she usually does and she helps the volunteer if needed (if she tries to put half an onion in the chopper, the consultant stops her).

My director really enjoys running her shows this way. She thinks she sells more because the guests get to "play" with the tools.

Good luck.

Amy, I would love to receive a copy of your notes too!

I totally encourage "hands on" at my shows! Guests get to "try before they buy!"

Thank you!
Veronica
[email protected]

 

[VeronicaW]

Thanks for the post! Got it!

I agree for interactive shows that I've done the Ice Cream Social and Potstickers are Great for 'hands on!"

The brownie bites are terrific for kids' shows too!

I bring my cutting boards and set up stations, Food Chopper; Forged Cutlery; Ultimate Mandoline; etc. Between Prep Bowls and SA the ingredients are taken from one and put into the other.

The Tapas are also Fabulous!

I can't wait to try the New Brie recipes!

Oh! Cookie Shows! :balloon: I set up at my dining table (I have a galley kitchen :cry: ) stones, cooling racks, cookie presses, scoops, toppings, spatulas, and various cookie dough. Guests tried out the products, baked their treasures and took them home too! I did the Mystery Host drawings.

I'll be making the Caesar Chicken Wraps at a Scrapbooking Workshop next month.

I still find it hard at some shows to encourage interaction, I have good times and I have not-so-good times!

But, I Love what I'm doing, and I'm hoping it shows!

 

[feather18]

Thank you for posting those!! YAY!! im excited to go to hands on!!

 

[yourchef23]

Hi - I am just getting my PC business kicked off again after a year of travelling for work. I would really appreciate it if you could send me the notes also Thanks so much in advance!

Elisa