Case Study: Self-Service Corporate Hospitality for Microsoft
Self-service hospitality for 40 attendees at the Microsoft London Experience Centre — zero on-site staff, full station setup and buffer stock planning.
The brief
Microsoft required a drop-off coffee and tea service for a corporate event at their London Experience Centre. The setup had to support 40 attendees with no on-site staff while maintaining quality, presentation and ease of use.
The numbers
- 40 guests served
- 100% self-service format delivered
- 0 on-site staff required
- Full coffee station setup provided
What made it difficult
Self-service can lose control fast
Without planning, self-service setups run out of stock, become disorganised or lose presentation quickly. The station was structured so it held for the whole event.
- 01
No staff means no recovery layer
With no team on site there is nobody to fix an issue in real time, so everything had to be correct before delivery. The setup was built to operate independently.
- 02
Presentation still affects brand perception
Even unstaffed, the setup reflects the client's brand, so it was treated as a visible part of the guest experience rather than a back-of-house detail.
- 03
Consumption risk has to be managed
Self-service usage is uneven. Buffer stock was built into the plan so later guests were not left short.
- 04
How we delivered it
We supplied coffee, tea, milk, sugar and vegan options for all attendees, arranged the station so guests could serve themselves without instruction, and built in stock headroom to absorb uneven demand across the session.
- 05
Why it matters for event buyers
Unstaffed formats are common inside secure corporate venues where access is limited. Getting them right depends on pre-delivery accuracy: correct counts, dietary coverage, buffer stock and a layout that survives without supervision.