Conference catering is not a steady trickle. It arrives in short brutal spikes when the halls empty at once, then goes quiet for an hour. A setup staffed for the daily average is understaffed four times a day, and the queue at the first coffee break is what delegates remember. Send the vendor your session schedule, not just a start time.
Plan against the breaks rather than the headcount. For drinks, a useful rule is about 1.7 servings per delegate across a full day, so 300 delegates needs roughly 500 cups rather than 300.
Not necessarily. Coffee bars and full catering are separate package types and often separate vendors. Booking both for the same date is normal and each is confirmed against its own availability.
Anything made to order gives people a reason to stand somewhere between sessions, which is where conversations and photographs happen. Espresso bars and alcohol-free drinks bars both do this, and both work for events where alcohol is not served.
17 vendors

Buffets · Meal Boxes

Buffets

Live Stations · Refreshments

Dessert Tables · Refreshments· +1

Meal Boxes · Refreshments· +1

Buffets · Meal Boxes

Buffets · Meal Boxes· +1

Meal Boxes · Refreshments

Meal Boxes · Dessert Tables· +1

Food Trucks

Carts & Booths · Live Stations

Meal Boxes

Live Stations · Carts & Booths

Meal Boxes · Dessert Tables

Meal Boxes

Meal Boxes

Buffets · Meal Boxes· +1