Catering for a corporate seminar in Paris comes to about €50 excl. VAT per person for a standard day: €49.90 excl. VAT of products, plus two deliveries at €29 excl. VAT. That is €1,056 excl. VAT for 20 people, €2,553 excl. VAT for 50 and €5,048 excl. VAT for 100. Here is the budget item by item, four versions of the day and the levers for adjusting it. For the overall organisation (welcome, breaks, dietary requirements), see our guide to the corporate seminar caterer in Paris.

What is the budget for a seminar day, item by item?

The standard day adds up a welcome breakfast at €8 excl. VAT, two afternoon breaks at €6 excl. VAT and a lunch tray at €29.90 excl. VAT: €49.90 excl. VAT of products per person, plus two deliveries at €29 excl. VAT.

ItemPrice per person excl. VAT20 people50 people100 people
Welcome breakfast (Classique)€8.00€160€400€800
Morning break (afternoon break package)€6.00€120€300€600
Lunch: lunch trays€29.90€598€1,495€2,990
Afternoon break€6.00€120€300€600
Products subtotal€49.90€998€2,495€4,990
Deliveries (2 × €29)2 × €29 excl. VAT€58€58€58
Total excl. VAT€1,056€2,553€5,048
Per person, deliveries included€52.80€51.06€50.48

Lunch accounts for nearly 60% of the products budget (€29.90 out of €49.90). The lunch tray is charged €28.90 (vegetarian), €29.90 (chicken) or €30.90 (salmon): the difference from the price used here stays at one euro per person. The menus are detailed on our lunch trays page.

How many deliveries should you count for a seminar?

Allow two deliveries at €29 excl. VAT, so €58 excl. VAT, for a standard day: one in the morning with the breakfast and the morning break, one at midday with lunch and the afternoon break. This is the assumption used in every table in this article.

If you want the afternoon break delivered just before 4 pm, add a delivery: €29 excl. VAT more. With a closing cocktail reception, a third delivery brings the total to €87 excl. VAT. Delivery is charged €29 excl. VAT in Paris and nearby towns, other areas are on quote, and it includes neither set-up nor collection of equipment.

Which version of the day should you choose for your budget?

The standard day at €49.90 excl. VAT of products per person comes in four versions, from €43.90 to €79.80 excl. VAT per person before delivery. The totals below include deliveries: two at €29 excl. VAT for versions A to C, three (€87 excl. VAT) for version D.

VersionCompositionProducts per person excl. VAT20 people50 people100 people
A. LightWelcome, lunch tray, one break€43.90€936€2,253€4,448
B. Standard dayWelcome, two breaks, lunch tray€49.90€1,056€2,553€5,048
C. Sharing lunchStandard day, sharing menu at €37.50 instead of the tray€57.50€1,208€2,933€5,808
D. With a closing cocktail receptionStandard day plus L'Invitation, 8 canapés at €29.90€79.80€1,683€4,077€8,067

Worked example for version A with 50 people: €43.90 × 50 = €2,195, plus 2 × €29 delivery, so €2,253 excl. VAT.

Should you add a closing cocktail reception, and for what budget?

An L'Invitation closing cocktail reception adds €29.90 excl. VAT per person for 8 canapés, plus €29 excl. VAT for delivery: €627 excl. VAT for 20 people, €1,524 excl. VAT for 50 and €3,019 excl. VAT for 100. The extra delivery is included in these three totals.

PackageCanapés per personPrice per person excl. VAT20 people50 people
L'Invitation8€29.90€598€1,495
La Réception12€40.90€818€2,045
La Célébration16€51.90€1,038€2,595

Prices exclude delivery, which adds €29 excl. VAT. For end-of-day drinks, 6 to 8 canapés per person are enough; for a cocktail reception that replaces dinner, allow 16 to 18 canapés. Our packages are on the cocktail receptions page. Three guides complete the subject: the corporate cocktail reception for 50 people, canapé ideas and the alcohol-free cocktail reception.

Lunch trays or a sharing lunch: what is the budget difference?

A sharing menu costs €7.60 excl. VAT more per person than a lunch tray at €29.90 excl. VAT: €37.50 for Le Méditerranéen against €29.90, so a difference of €152 excl. VAT for 20 people, €380 excl. VAT for 50 and €760 excl. VAT for 100.

Sharing menus are priced at €34.90 (Le Jardin, 100% vegetarian), €37.50 (Le Méditerranéen) and €37.90 (Le Parisien). The lunch tray is eaten in the meeting room without getting up; the sharing menu is placed in the centre of the table. To decide, see the complete guide to the corporate lunch and the quantity calculation in how many lunch trays to order.

How can you reduce a seminar budget without sacrificing the day?

Four levers bring the budget down without removing lunch or the welcome.

  • Going from two breaks to one: €6 excl. VAT less per person, so €120 excl. VAT for 20 people and €300 excl. VAT for 50.
  • Taking the vegetarian tray at €28.90 for everyone: €1 excl. VAT less per person, so €50 excl. VAT for 50 people. Best kept for groups without particular taste constraints.
  • Ordering for those present: 5 absentees out of 50 registered save 5 × €49.90 = €249.50 excl. VAT.
  • Grouping deliveries: having the afternoon break delivered with lunch avoids a €29 excl. VAT delivery.

What does a seminar day budget not include?

The budget in this article includes neither water at lunch, nor collection of equipment, nor food stations.

  • Water: a 33 cl Evian costs €3.80 excl. VAT, so €76 excl. VAT for 20 people and €190 excl. VAT for 50. A 1 L thermos of coffee or tea costs €19.50 excl. VAT for 6 to 8 cups. The guide how many drinks per person gives the quantities.
  • Equipment collection: €19 excl. VAT on top of delivery to collect reusable tableware.
  • Food station: floor price of €600 excl. VAT, see the food station ideas and their budget.

Which mistakes should you avoid in a seminar budget?

  • Budgeting on registrations: work from confirmed attendance, updated 48 hours before.
  • Forgetting the second delivery: €29 excl. VAT per delivery, two for a day with breakfast and lunch.
  • Forgetting drinks at lunch: water is not included in the price of the lunch tray.
  • Discovering dietary requirements on the day: the whole menu is halal and pork-free; vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are specified in the request. See our halal caterer page.
  • Ordering the day before for 100 people: the rule is 2 pm the day before, but 48 hours' notice is recommended from 50 people.
  • Dropping the afternoon break by reflex: it only costs €6 excl. VAT per person; remove it only if the programme is short.

For a seminar that ends with an end-of-year evening, the calculation continues in the costed guide to end-of-year celebrations. And for the welcome breakfast, see our breakfasts and our afternoon breaks.

Frequently asked questions about seminar budgets

What is the per-person catering budget for a seminar in Paris?

For a standard day (Classique breakfast, two afternoon breaks at €6 excl. VAT, lunch tray at €29.90 excl. VAT), allow €49.90 excl. VAT of products per person, so €52.80 including deliveries for 20 people, €51.06 for 50 and €50.48 for 100, with two deliveries at €29 excl. VAT.

How much does catering for a 50-person seminar cost?

€2,553 excl. VAT for the standard day: €2,495 excl. VAT of products (50 × €49.90) plus two deliveries at €29 excl. VAT. With an L'Invitation closing cocktail reception at €29.90 excl. VAT per person and a third delivery, the total rises to €4,077 excl. VAT. 48 hours' notice is recommended from 50 people.

How many breaks should you plan, and at what cost?

Two afternoon breaks per day, from €6 excl. VAT per person each, so €12 excl. VAT per person and €240 excl. VAT for 20 people. Removing one break cuts the budget by €6 excl. VAT per person, so €300 excl. VAT for 50 people. Allow 1.5 to 2 sweet pieces per person per break.

Lunch trays or a sharing lunch: what is the budget difference?

A lunch tray costs €28.90 to €30.90 excl. VAT per person and is eaten in the meeting room without getting up. Sharing menus cost €34.90 to €37.90 excl. VAT per person: allow €5 to €8 excl. VAT more than a tray at €29.90, so €250 to €400 excl. VAT for 50 people.

Is delivery included in a seminar budget?

No: €29 excl. VAT per delivery in Paris and nearby towns, other areas on quote. A day with breakfast and lunch counts two deliveries, so €58 excl. VAT; with a closing cocktail reception, three deliveries, so €87 excl. VAT. Delivery includes neither set-up nor collection of equipment.

How much notice should you give to order seminar catering?

Orders can be placed until 2 pm the day before, with delivery Monday to Friday from 6:30 am. From 50 people or with several sites, 48 hours' notice is recommended. The quote arrives within 24 hours, with company invoicing and VAT, and purchase orders are accepted.

For a budget based on your programme, your headcount and your venue, request your quote: reply within 24 hours, delivery from 6:30 am in Paris and Île-de-France. L'Écrin Traiteur prices, October 2026.