The Patina Group.

Headquarters: Los Angeles

Services provided: Catering

IT'S hard to keep a low profile when you've been selected to cater a reception for 20,000 guests, the largest official event scheduled during the Democratic National Convention. Especially when those guests happen to be many of the most powerful media figures in the world.

That's the contract won by Joachim Splichal's Patina Group, which is catering the media reception that will kick off the confab.

Held on Aug. 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., the party was to span the Performing Arts Center, Hope Street, and the Department of Water and Power property. The Patina Group put together a proposal in early February to cater the event and received official approval from the L.A. Convention 2000 Host Committee in May, leaving just a few short months to get the logistics down pat.

Patina officials wouldn't disclose the size of the contract, but the Host Committee is spending about $1.5 million on the party, and most of that sum is going to the caterer.

"Essentially, we've taken the event and divided it into four divisions, four parties of 5,000 occurring simultaneously," said Stephanie Edens, head of catering and special events for the Patina Group. "It's still big, it's still a lot of people, but that makes it a lot more manageable."

With menus developed by Splichal and executive chef Alec Lestr, each segment will have a different food theme to represent L.A.'s diversity: Hispanic American, Asian American, African-American Southern soul food, and an all-inclusive variety of food.

Food and beverage stations will be scattered throughout the grounds, with minimal seating to allow for mingling. Because the event is not a sit-down affair, the food is "fork-friendly," meaning it can be eaten with fingers or a fork but does not require a knife.

"Everyone knows the implications of the event, the importance of it," Edens said. "Because it's the pre-opening event, it will set the tone in a lot of ways. That pressure is on everyone."