Any tips on organizing a work potluck?

At school, we post a large poster board in a common area and have people sign up for categories. Usually the group organizing pick a theme like soups. Then they have categories on the poster and draw lines to indicate how many of each thing we need. We have some people that will always cook and then some that never cook and always sign up for things they can buy like paper goods, chips, crackers etc. We usually do not include drinks either. Everyone just brings their own.

I would skip the appetizer. Have an entree, sides/salads and desserts.
Unless you are going with a theme of some kind that might need different catagories.

Don't have a column for condiments, drinks or chips
Otherwise that is what you will get.
I worked with a woman, who would bring a bottle of ketchup and then take it home with her. We never had anything that needed ketchup!

It is better to provide the meat and let everybody bring a side and a dessert

We have about 60 people in my company. Admin usually sends out a mass email and puts a sign up sheet in the kitchen. The sign up sheet has categories, and the goal is to have about 3 items per category. It's worked well for us, and there's usually plenty of food to go around.

ETA:
Our categories are main dish, sides, drinks, desserts

Our admin sends out a list of needed items and has everyone reply with what they're bringing. Her list is pretty specific (cookies, deviled eggs, potato salad, coleslaw, rolls, etc.), she then compiles it into a spreadsheet and sends it out a few days before the event to remind us all and catch anyone who forgot or was out of town when the original mail went out. We do have drinks on the list, usually the person signed up for drinks will bring a couple gallons of tea and/or a 12 pack of soda.

With that many people I would not assign a theme. There is no way you can do a theme of say, Mexican with that many people. You'll get 10 taco salads.

To me, what's great about a pot luck is that its..a pot luck. You have your plate loaded with mac and cheese with a side of hummus, lasagne and chow mein.

I totally believe in potlucks lasting all day. Why bring in a ton of food, have it smell up the office and no one gets to eat until the designated time?..eat all day. Otherwise half the stuff doesn't wind up getting eaten because there is just too much food.

An office with lots of young people equals: probably not a whole lot of cooks, so encourage people to pick up a box of donuts, a bag of bagels and cream cheese, etc. Suggest people team up for a main dish, i.e. go in on a bucket of KFC. Encourage people to bring a family favorite though, you don't want to wind up with all store purchased food. I went to another group's potluck once and it was awful, nothing but store bought/grocery food.

Have a table set up near an outlet where you can put a power strip for Crock pots and such.

I find it best is to just put out a list with headings and spaces below to sign up for:

Morning goodies
Sides/Salads
Main Dishes
Desserts

Drinks (liters of Coke/Tea/Waters). Hopefully you have ice at work already

Paper Goods: make that only for 3 or slots. They should being in sturdy plates/cutlery/napkins. Coordinate that so you don't wind up with all napkins.

I'm sure it will go well, people love to eat.

We do potlucks all the time at work. 

We list common foods and put a line next to it so people can put their name, and then we leave blanks

We post the list by the break room door and send an email to everyone (sometime have to send a reminder or two as time gets closer) to come sign up on the list that is posted.

This method ensures we have enough and do not get 10 pans of green beans or something like that.

Example (our Thanksgiving Potluck might look something like this):

Deviled Eggs                           ______________________
Veggie Tray                             ______________________
Fruit                                       ______________________
Sweet Potatoes                       ______________________
Corn Casserole                        ______________________
Green Beans                           ______________________
Dressing                                 ______________________
Cranberry Sauce                      ______________________
Rolls                                       _______________________
Other Vegetables (specify)        ______________________
                                              _____________________
                                              ______________________
Other Dishes (specify)              _______________________
                                              _____________________
                                             ______________________
Pie (specify)                             _______________________
                                              ________________________
Other Desserts(specify)             ____________________
                                              ____________________
Tea (sweet)                              _______________________
Tea (unsweet)                          _______________________
Soft Drinks (6 needed)             _____________________
Plates/Cups/Napkins/Forks        _______________________

**Turkey and Ham provided by Management**
               

Wow, most of y'all are WAY more organized than we are for a potluck. We just put up a sign up sheet and people just put down what they are bringing. Not a true potluck, as you can see whatever the people above you are bringing and bring something different. But there are no assigned categories. And people bring their own drinks. Most of the foods end up being snacky finger foods, which is always good. I always do the little caprese salad on skewers because they are fresh, plus vegetarian for our non-meat folks.

Now if we're having a full-on organized MEAL, then the company buys the meat and we do the categories for sides and desserts.

Best potluck we had was a soup and baked potato bar. We posted a sign up sheet for it and broke down the categories. We do them once a month or so. Sometimes we just do a whatever you want potluck and those can be fun too!

Ours is broken down to several categories with suggestions that are general - then put on a sharedrive everyone has access to. We are reminded in staff meetings then by email a few times.

For example:

appetizers (chips, dip, veggies)

Followed by a spot for 3-5 sign ups and what they plan to bring

If there is a theme those spots have names with a number, like 1lb sloppy joe meat.