My tray™, a unique appetizer/cocktail tray that allows partygoers to neatly eat, drink, mingle and network while standing, has been introduced by my tray, llc, of Middlebury, Conn. My tray is constructed from lightweight, rigid Fome-Cor® graphic display board by 3A Composites USA.
My tray was designed in answer to the age-old networking dilemma presented by business and social functions in which food- and drink-laden plates and glassware hindered guests from freely moving and mingling without spills. My tray allows partygoers to carry food-laden plates and drink-filled glasses in one hand, while shaking hands or distributing business cards with the other. My tray marks the end to marinara sauce flowing down colleagues’ business shirts, ties and silk blouses, according to Gerard Yanuzzi, partner, my tray, llc, who still recalls the inspiring moment at an alumni meeting of public accountants when he decided to create this unique tray.
“I was talking to a colleague who had loaded his four-inch cocktail plate with baked ziti covered with marinara sauce,” said Yanuzzi. “He was attempting to balance his plate on top of a wine glass in a very congested room. Someone bumped him and the ziti plate fell on his white, starched shirt. … That was the day I decided that there had to be a better way to eat, drink and socialize.”
My tray’s patented ergonomic design allows users to carry filled appetizer plates and glasses in one hand while shaking hands and distributing business cards with the other. Additionally, my tray is printable, allowing party hosts to share customized company logos and/or product and party-specific messages with guests on a reusable promotional giveaway. My tray also can be imprinted with wedding memorabilia and given as a commemorative souvenir from the event.
My tray is perfect for a wide range of social functions from business networking events – including sales meetings, trade shows and conventions – to formal weddings and banquets.
My tray measures 13.5 inches by 10 inches and features two die-cut and embossed openings to hold the majority of standard 6-inch cocktail, appetizer, hors d’oeuvre and dessert plates, as well the majority of glasses used in social gatherings, including long-stemmed wine glasses and coffee mugs. My tray is reversible, making it easy to balance food and drink with either hand.
My tray is created from white Fome-Cor board in the 3/16-inch thickness, which is then die-cut and embossed with beveled edges around the outer edge of the tray and around plate and glass openings. The die-cut and compressed Fome-Cor board produces a tray with an approximate 1/8-inch depth.
“The beveled, concave effect produced by die-cutting Fome-Cor board not only looks better, it helps plates and glasses to sit better on my tray,” says Dan Riedel, managing partner, my tray, llc. “Fome-Cor board is the ideal substrate for my tray. Rather than creating an expensive permanent-ware product from plastic, Fome-Cor board allows our customers the flexibility of imprinting new messages for each of their events. They’re able to create a customized advertising and specialty-item giveaway at a reasonable price point. With Fome-Cor board, my tray is strong enough to be reused but inexpensive enough to dispose of after one use.”
Fome-Cor board, the original foam-centered graphic display board, consists of extruded polystyrene foam bonded between various high-quality papers that feature a smooth surface for decorating. Fome-Cor board is lightweight, rigid, warp-resistant and easy to cut. Fome-Cor board can be die-cut and embossed for a pillowed effect. Fome-Cor board’s edges can be closed completely and will stay closed permanently.
For more information about my tray, contact Dan Riedel by telephone at (203) 758-8108 or email info@mytray.com. Visit my tray on the web at www.mytray.com.
® my tray is a trademark of my tray, llc. United States Patent D.359,885-741995. Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.