Banquet Event Order

A Banquet Event Order, or as commonly referred to as the “BEO,” is a guideline for the Event Managers on site on the actual day of the event. Event managers and captains are the individuals hired by an event production or catering company to work the actual events. Even though event planners do attend their own events, it becomes important to have someone else present during a busy season or if they are unable to attend. The event managers and captains do not necessarily participate in every step of the planning process so the event planner uses the BEO to specifically lay out every detail of the event for the person to follow. The BEO can be used in different ways by anyone working the event. The Chef might have a copy to:

• Determine what food should be in the truck
• How long his preparation time should be
• When his team should go on break
• When to begin closing his kitchen

The BEO is not necessarily in lieu of the presence of the event planner, but it does allow someone else to run the show. The BEO lists:

• The time of the event
• The schedule including setup and breakdown
• The Client’s contact information
• The Event Planner’s contact information
• How the truck should be loaded
• All items that are need at the event
• A map of the event layout
• The time the vendors are scheduled to drop-off and pick-up, their contact information and exactly what they are to bring
• It lists the food items to be served and how and when they should be set up.
• Basically everything one would need to know about the event from the floral arrangements, to the tenting, to the food is written in detail on that sheet.

The weeks leading up to the event are a busy time for the planner because they are adjusting last minute details and making sure everything is on track. They conduct meetings with the event manager who is going to be working the event to go over all things verbally and give them a sense of the overall event. Many things can go wrong at an event if expectations have not been communicated effectively. A BEO cannot really be put together until the end of the planning stage. A BEO will typically have a map of the venue and will show where the tables, chairs, buffet line and any other set up items belong. Basically, without a BEO the only person who can run an event effectively is the event planner but even then, the BEO is effective for maintaining all details during an event.

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