How to Create a Comprehensive Banquet Event Order

The busy events season is here. From business meetings, weddings, holiday parties and everything in between, you and your team might be handling a new event each day. 

Whether you’re an event planner or a Director of Catering, a Banquet Event Order (BEO) is your best friend.

BEOs outline all the pertinent details of an event. From menu selections to room setup to order of events and everything in between, a BEO is the source of truth for all event contributors.

As you prepare for the hustle and bustle of the fall events season, don’t let important details get forgotten!

Here are all the key details to include in a comprehensive BEO.

Timeline

Perhaps the most important piece of information to include in a BEO, is the timeline of events. A comprehensive BEO should highlight the following:

• Setup time: Specify when the setup team can access the venue or event space to begin working.

• Vendor arrival and departure times: If there are additional vendors servicing the event, clarify what time can they access the venue or event space.

• Event start and end time: Clearly state the agreed upon event start and end time. You should also highlight any fees that come into place if the event goes long.

• Meal service times: For your catering servers or banquet servers, you'll want to denote the exact times that service should begin and when certain courses should come out.

• Breakdown time: Indicate what time your team and any vendors should have the space cleared out -- especially if the room needs to be turned over for another event.

From banquet servers to bar staff to setup and breakdown crew, event staff lives and breathes by the BEO. Sharing timing details is a critical part of ensuring your event runs smoothly and on time.

Food Service

Food is one of the most important parts of events. Depending on the type of event you’re working, the extent of selections and details can vary greatly.

For example, a company holiday party might want passed hors d’oeuvres while a large wedding might request serving stations during cocktail hour, a seated three-course dinner, an endless table of desserts, and food for an after-party.

Outlining the menu selections in advance is also important for the culinary team. It allows them to prepare accordingly by making sure they have enough staff scheduled and have allotted enough time to get things ready.

Your BEO should also make note of any dietary restrictions amongst the guests. This will help banquet servers understand which tables they'll need accommodations made for.

Bar Service

While the bar specifications might not be as obvious to event guests, it’s very important to clarify for your team the type of bar the event needs.

The three types of bars your event can have are:

• Open bar: All drinks are covered by the event host.
• Consumption bar: The event host is only charged for the amount of drinks consumed.
• Cash bar: All guests pay for their own drinks.
  

Within these bar set ups, there are even further specifications that need to be made. Is the bar beer and wine only, or is liquor included? If you’re including liquor, is it top shelf or well? Are guests allowed to order shots? Is there a signature cocktail?

While some of these details might seem minute, it’s always better to communicate every minor detail, otherwise, the guest could end up footing a more expensive bill than they anticipated.

Additionally, when finalizing your bar staffing, you'll want to take into account the number of guests and type of bar to ensure that you have enough bars and bartenders. Adequate bartender staffing will allow guests to get drinks efficiently without missing out on their event.

Room Setup

Event space setup takes time. You'll want to denote any special setup requirements in your BEO. For larger events like weddings, formals, or New Year’s Eve parties, address things like:

• How many attendees will there be?
• How many tables/chairs do you need?
• Do you need a dance floor?
• Does space need to be set aside for vendors?
• Are there AV needs?
• What are the plans for decor?
• What time are vendors arriving to set up?‍

‍AV Needs

AV needs can vary greatly depending on the time of event you’re working. An intimate dinner might just want background music playing over a speaker, while a wedding might require specific power cords for the entertainment, microphones for the speeches, and a projector to display photos of the happy couple.

Whatever the event might require, you’ll want to list it in the BEO. Don’t forget to also include where it should be set up and any technical support you might need handy during the event in case anything goes awry.

Using the Gig Economy for Events

Event staffing isn't easy. You need banquet servers, event bartenders, setup and breakdown crews, AV support, a culinary team, and more.

If you're wondering how to find hourly employees who can fulfill the consistent event needs you have, consider using the gig economy.

Businesses are increasingly using gig economy apps for the multitude of benefits they offer, including:

• Cost-effectiveness: Hiring gig workers can be more cost-effective than maintaining a full-time, permanent staff. Event organizers can reduce labor costs by only paying for the specific hours and tasks they need.
  

• Flexibility: The gig economy allows you to scale your workforce up or down as needed, providing flexibility for events with varying sizes and requirements. You can hire event staff, such as bartenders, servers, security, and tech support, on-demand.
  

• Reduced overhead: By using gig workers, you avoid the overhead costs associated with permanent employees, such as benefits, office space, and training expenses.
  

• Specialized skills: You can easily find qualified candidates with specialized skill sets for specific event needs, such as graphic designers, photographers, or tech experts. This ensures you have the right expertise for your event.
  

• Trial-to-hire: Since gig workers are often contracted on a short-term basis, you have the ability to trial before hiring, allowing you to assess their performance and make changes as needed without the challenges of terminating a full time employee.

If you need to find temporary workers for your next event, shiftNOW can help! Create your Business Account in less than five minutes and start postings shifts.

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From one-time, recurring, or temp-to-hire shift workers, shiftNOW enables businesses to easily control how they resource their business and provides top-tier talent with an easy way to make money on their own terms. The right worker. The right shift. Right NOW.

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