What to buy for an election results evening

An election results evening needs more than drinks and chairs. Guests will move between registration, refreshments and screens, while press visitors may need reliable Wi-Fi, power and printed materials. Use this shopping list to cover catering, serving equipment, presentation technology and room lighting before the event starts. Plan quantities from your confirmed guest list, then add a small buffer for late arrivals and extra cups, plates and drinks.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Furniture

Tablesqty 8
Chairsqty 70
Registration desk
Buffet tablesqty 3
High tablesqty 6
Coat racksqty 2
Bollardsqty 8

Equipment

Laptopsqty 3
Screensqty 3
Projector
Projection screen
Wireless microphonesqty 3
Audio mixer
Speakersqty 2
Webcam
HDMI cablesqty 5
Extension cordsqty 8
Power stripsqty 8
Power banksqty 4
Wi-Fi router
USB sticksqty 4

Lighting

LED lightsqty 6
Table lampsqty 4

Tableware

Drinking glassesqty 80
Coffee cupsqty 50
Platesqty 80
Cutlery setsqty 80
Coffee potsqty 4
Teapotsqty 2

Kitchen

Coolersqty 4
Thermos flasksqty 4
Serving plattersqty 12
Serving traysqty 8
Serving tongsqty 8
Cutting boardsqty 3
Chef’s knives and bread knivesqty 4
Ice packsqty 16
Can openersqty 2

Catering

Water jugsqty 6
Drink dispensersqty 3
Coffee machinesqty 2
Kettlesqty 2
Cookie tinsqty 4
Groceries
- Coffee - 3 packs
- Decaf coffee - 1 pack
- Tea bags - 2 boxes
- Herbal tea - 1 box
- Sugar - 2 kilos
- Mints - 1 box
- Milk - 6 liters
- Oat milk - 3 liters
- Still water - 8 bottles
- Sparkling water - 8 bottles
- Cola - 6 bottles
- Cola Zero - 6 bottles
- Sinas - 4 bottles
- Tonic - 3 bottles
- Alcohol-free beer - 3 cases
- Beer - 3 crates
- White wine - 6 bottles
- Red wine - 4 bottles
- Alcohol-free wine - 4 bottles
- Sparkling wine - 4 bottles
- Ice cubes - 10 bags
- Baguettes - 12 pieces
- Mini rolls - 100 pieces
- Wholemeal bread - 6 loaves
- Butter - 4 packs
- Young cheese - 3 kilos
- Aged cheese - 2 kilo
- Cream cheese - 8 tubs
- Hummus - 8 tubs
- Chicken breast slices - 2 kilos
- Ham - 2 kilos
- Egg salad - 6 tubs
- Cucumbers - 8 pieces
- Tomatoes - 3 kilos
- Bell peppers - 2 kilos
- Carrots - 2 kilo
- Grapes - 4 kilos
- Apples - 50 pieces
- Bananas - 30 pieces
- Cherry tomatoes - 2 kilos
- Paprika chips - 8 bags
- Plain chips - 8 bags
- Tortilla chips - 6 bags
- Salted nuts - 5 bags
- Olives - 6 jars
- Toast rounds - 8 packs
- Crackers - 8 packs
- Cookies - 8 packs
- Brownies - 80 pieces
- Mini muffins - 80 pieces
- Mayonnaise - 2 bottles
- Ketchup - 2 bottles
- Mustard - 2 jars
- Pesto dip - 3 jars
- Garlic sauce - 2 bottles
- Salt - 1 pack
- Pepper - 1 jar
- Olive oil - 1 bottle
- Aluminum foil - 2 rolls
- Cling film - 2 rolls
- Baking paper - 2 rolls
- Napkins - 300 pieces
- Paper towels - 8 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Trash bags - 3 rolls
- Blue trash bags - 2 rolls
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- Dishwasher tablets - 1 box
- All-purpose cleaner - 2 bottles
- Glass cleaner - 1 bottle
- Disinfectant wipes - 4 packs
- Nitrile gloves - 2 boxes
- Hand sanitizer - 4 bottles
- Sponges - 2 packs
- Tea towels - 12 pieces

Decorations

Municipal flagsqty 2
Dutch flagsqty 2
Tableclothsqty 8
Name badge holdersqty 70
Photo backdrop
Directional signsqty 8
Program standsqty 4

Office

Registration formsqty 100
Name badgesqty 80
Pensqty 30
Clipboardsqty 10
Notepadsqty 20
A4 paperqty 2
Printers
Printer toner cartridgesqty 2
Presentation foldersqty 40
Paper tapeqty 4
Scissor setsqty 3
Rolls of tapeqty 6
Whiteboardsqty 2
Whiteboard markersqty 12

Cleaning

Waste binsqty 8
Cleaning bucketsqty 3
Mopsqty 3
Dustpan and brushqty 3
Toilet brushesqty 2
Hand soap dispensersqty 4
Towel dispensersqty 4

Safety

Flashlightsqty 4
Safety vestsqty 6
First aid kits
Fire extinguishersqty 2

Tips

Plan two to three drinks per person for the first hour, then one drink per person for each additional hour. Chill the first batch in coolers and keep a second batch ready to replace it.
For snacks, allow four to six portions per guest if food is served informally throughout the evening. Buy clearly labelled alternatives once dietary requirements have been collected.
Match tableware to the confirmed attendance, then add 10% extra glasses, coffee cups, plates and cutlery sets. These are often used faster than expected when guests return for seconds.
For every screen or projector, pack the correct HDMI cables, one spare cable and at least one power strip. Add extension cords early; presentation equipment is frequently placed farther from wall sockets than planned.
Prepare one power bank per key registration or press device, plus USB sticks for presentation files and result graphics. Test the Wi-Fi router, microphones, speakers and webcam before guests arrive, not during the first results update.

Frequently asked questions

How many drinks do I need for an election results evening?: Allow two to three drinks per person during the first hour and one per person for every hour after that. Buy extra water and keep at least 10% more drinks than the confirmed guest count.
How much food should I buy for an election results evening?: Plan four to six snack portions per guest when food is available throughout the evening. Add labelled options for every recorded dietary requirement and keep a small reserve for late arrivals.
How many glasses, plates and cutlery sets should I buy?: Provide one set per confirmed guest, plus a 10% buffer. For 50 guests, that means at least 55 glasses, 55 plates and 55 cutlery sets, with extra coffee cups if coffee is served regularly.
What technical equipment should I prepare for election results coverage?: Prepare one laptop or playback source for each presentation position, plus the required screens or projector, HDMI cables, power strips and extension cords. Test all equipment at least two hours before doors open and keep a spare cable available.

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