What is Tafelschikken.nl?
Perhaps you call it a Running Dinner, Walking Dinner, Rolling Dinner, or Diner Rouler, for an association, a neighborhood, or the entire village. Each course is eaten somewhere else, with different table companions. And each time, it's a surprise who's at the table. This can take place at the participants' homes, where everyone cooks one course, or in restaurants.
Tafelschikken.nl helps you create the seating plan and inform the participants.
How does it work?
It all starts with collecting registrations. You can share the registration form as a link or embed it on your own site. Here, participants can enter their information and preferences, such as dietary requirements and the course they'd like to cook. As an administrator, you can see who has registered, edit information, and mark who has paid.
Creating a seating plan
Once registrations are complete, you can easily generate a seating plan. This ensures that participants are never seated with the same people twice. It takes into account the course preferences people have indicated and the number of guests per table. You can also set rules for who sits together and who doesn't. You can generate multiple seating plans and select the best one.
Inform participants
Once the seating plan is finalized, you can inform your participants by email. The email will state which course they've been assigned, the number of people, and any dietary requirements. It will also include their address for confirmation.
Print cards
On the day of the dinner itself, participants naturally need to know where to go. Cards can be generated for this purpose. For example, participants receive a card for the first course at a collective starting point. For each subsequent course, they receive a card from their host or hostess. Envelopes containing cards are provided at the starting point. Tafelschikken.nl ensures that the correct information is printed on the cards, and with the sorting guide, everyone receives the right cards at the right time. This way, it remains a surprise until the very end where and with whom you'll be dining.
Tips
For a nice seating plan, a minimum of 18 participants is required. At a collective starting location, you can distribute the cards and envelopes and provide explanations. At the end, you can organize a drinks reception together.
Last-minute cancellations are very difficult. By charging participants a small fee, you reduce the risk of no-shows. This can cover drinks and supplies like cards and envelopes.
Participants will arrive at their own home at the same time as their guests. Therefore, emphasize that they prepare the food in advance.
Example of a schedule, with the addresses within a maximum of 15 minutes cycling distance: 5:30 PM joint start, 6:15 PM first course, 7:15 PM second course, 8:30 PM third course, 9:30 PM joint drinks.
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The site is still in beta. Need a login? Send an email to info@tafelschikken.nl.
This site was built by Marion de Groot of Pick my Brain as a hobby project for the Running Dinner in the village. Creating the seating plan is always a real challenge, so the site was born out of that need. It's great that others can benefit from it too!