Banquet Event Order template:
everything to include.

The Banquet Event Order (BEO) is the single most important document in event operations. Sales close the deal. The BEO runs the event. When something goes wrong on the floor, nine times out of ten it's because something was missing from the BEO — or because someone was working from a different version.

This is a field-by-field walkthrough of what should be on every BEO, organized into the eight sections that cover an event's operational needs. Plus a real example, the omissions that cause the most trouble, and a note on when to update a BEO vs. issue a new one.

What a BEO actually is

A BEO — also called a function sheet in UK, European and South African venues — is a one-page document that tells the kitchen, bar, and floor team exactly what an event needs: timing, headcount, menu, room setup, dietary requirements, staffing, and any special requests.

It's distinct from the proposal (what won the booking) and the contract (what makes it binding). The BEO is the operational artifact — what your staff carry in their hands on the night.

If the proposal says what the client is paying for, and the contract says terms, the BEO says how the team will execute.

The eight sections every BEO needs

1. Header — who, what, when, where

The identifying information. If this section is missing or unclear, the rest of the BEO is useless.

• BEO number — a unique identifier you use to refer to the document
• Event name — e.g. "Tremblay Wedding" or "Acme Corp Year-End Gala"
• Date — the event date (not the BEO's print date)
• Venue / room — which space, including which room if you have multiple
• Client name — and the client's on-site point of contact with phone number
• Account manager / sales lead — who closed the booking, so floor staff know who to call with sales-specific questions

2. Timing — every step, with times

The most-referenced section during the event. Your captain will look at this every 30 minutes:

• Staff call time — when your team arrives
• Vendor load-in window — when florist / cake / DJ etc. arrive
• Setup complete by — the room ready time
• Doors / arrival — when guests start arriving
• Service start times — cocktail hour, dinner, dessert, etc.
• Service end / bar close — when food and bar stop
• Event end / strike begin — when guests leave and breakdown starts
• Strike complete — when staff are released

The cleanest BEOs include a small run sheet as a sub-section with minute-by-minute moments (first dance, speeches, cake cut). The kitchen doesn't need that detail; the captain does.

3. Guests — headcount, guarantee, and dietary breakdown

• Headcount — the working count
• Final guarantee — the locked billing number
• Dietary breakdown — vegan: 3, gluten-free: 1, nut allergy: 2 (with specific table/seat numbers where critical)
• Children's meals — count + dish
• Vendor meals — if you're feeding the DJ, photographer, etc.
• Seating arrangement — assigned or open; if assigned, link to or include the floor plan

The dietary breakdown is the single most omitted item that causes real problems. Aim for explicit counts, not just "some vegetarians".

4. Menu — every course or station, every plate

For a plated dinner, list each course with the protein, side, and any garnish or sauce. For a buffet, list each station with the dishes. For passed canapés, list each item and the per-guest count.

Include allergens (or the lack of them) per dish where relevant. "Salmon (contains: dairy, gluten)" tells the kitchen and the floor everything they need.

5. Bar — package, hours, and inventory

• Bar package — premium, house, beer/wine only, consumption
• Bar hours — when it opens, when last call is, when it closes
• Bartender count — and the server-to-guest ratio rule used
• Specialty cocktails — if any (signature drink for a wedding, branded cocktail for a corporate event)
• Bring-your-own / corkage — if client is bringing wine, note the corkage fee and where it'll be stored

6. Room — setup style, floor plan, AV

• Setup style — rounds of 8, banquet rows, cocktail-style, theatre, U-shape
• Table count + chair count
• Linens — colour, runner, chair covers if any
• Decor — centerpieces (who's providing), candles, signage
• Dance floor — size and position
• Stage — for speeches, performances, DJ
• AV — mics, speakers, projector, screen — who's providing and who runs them

Attach or reference the floor plan diagram. If you're using event-management software, the floor plan should be one click away from the BEO.

7. Vendors — who's coming, when, and where

The vendor list. Every outside vendor the client has booked, with:

• Vendor type (florist, photographer, DJ, cake, decor, etc.)
• Business name and on-site contact name + mobile number
• Load-in time and which entrance / dock
• Notes about access (power needs, table needed, vendor meal, etc.)

8. Staff — who's working, who's leading

• Banquet captain — named, with mobile number
• Server count — and the ratio rule
• Bartender count
• Kitchen team lead — for kitchen-floor coordination
• Special assignments — who's on cocktail station, who's bridal table, who's coordinating with the photographer

A real example: 90-guest gala BEO

That's compact enough to print on one page. Every team member who needs information can find it in under 10 seconds.

The omissions that cause the most problems

• Vendor mobile numbers. When the florist is late, "call the florist" doesn't help without a number.
• Dietary table/seat numbers. "1 nut allergy" with no location means the server has to ask the whole table.
• Strike time. Without an explicit strike-complete time, staff drift home or get over-paid.
• Bar close time. Bartenders and clients tend to disagree on what "close" means without an explicit time.
• Setup style + table count. "Rounds" can mean 8 or 10; if you don't specify, setup is slow.
• Account manager name. Without it, the captain has no one to escalate a sales-related question to.
• Children's meal count. Frequently caught only when the family arrives.

When to update a BEO vs. issue a new one

Minor edits — a server count change, a name correction, a timing tweak — are fine to update in place. Track the change in your audit log so you have a record, but the BEO number stays the same.

Issue a new BEO when:

• The headcount changes by more than 10% (kitchen prep, server ratio, bar package all affected)
• The menu changes structurally (plated to buffet, or vice versa)
• The room changes
• The date or venue changes

A new BEO gets a new number and a clear "replaces BEO #X" note at the top so nobody works from the wrong sheet.

The five-minute version

A BEO should answer eight questions, plainly: who, when, where, who's coming, what they're eating, what they're drinking, what the room looks like, and who's running it. If any answer takes more than 10 seconds to find on the printed page, the BEO has too much fluff or the wrong layout.

Get those eight answers right and your Saturday nights get a lot quieter.