Guide · Event orders
The guaranteed guest count (GTD), from the operations side
Written by a hotel banquet operations manager ·
The guaranteed guest count (GTD) is the number of guests the client commits to by the cut-off date, and it is the number the kitchen preps to and the banquet office staffs from. It is not the same as the expected count (the sales estimate) or the set count (the seats put out), and this page explains which number to use, and when.
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Expected, guaranteed, set: three numbers, three jobs
| Count | What it is | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Expected (EXP) | The sales estimate, written when the order is booked | Early planning, and staffing only until the guarantee arrives |
| Guaranteed (GTD) | The number the client commits to by the cut-off | The kitchen's prep and the staffing |
| Set | How many seats are put out in the room | The setup crew. It can be a little over the guarantee |
On a BEO they sit side by side, for example "EXP 190, GTD 180, Set 186". Read all three. A set count far above the guarantee, or a GTD still blank a few days out, is worth a call to sales. See how to read a BEO for the rest of the page.
The cut-off
The guarantee has a cut-off because the kitchen has to order and prep, and the floor has to be scheduled, before the day. The cut-off is the last moment the client can give you a number to work from. Some banquet offices set it a fixed number of days before the event.
In Hotelwright the starting point is noon, three days before the event, counted in calendar days. A hotel can change the number of days and the time, and can count business days only (Monday to Friday) instead. An event that still has no guarantee once the cut-off has passed is flagged.
Before the GTD arrives
Until the guarantee comes in, staff off the expected count and flag the event. That keeps you from being short on the day, and keeps the open question visible on the schedule instead of in someone's head. Once the guarantee is in, switch to it and re-check the crew.
If the count is likely to move, watch the cut-off date, not the number on the first estimate.
Overset
Some banquet offices set a few seats above the guarantee, so a handful of late guests are covered. That extra is the overset. Hotelwright shows a set count of the guarantee plus an overset percentage when the order doesn't print one: by default 3 percent, rounded up, so a guarantee of 180 shows a set of 186. A set count that is on the order, or that a person types, is never replaced by the calculation, and the percentage is a setting the hotel changes.
When the guarantee moves
Say the guarantee for a plated dinner goes from 180 to 200. At 1 server per 20 guests, the crew goes from 9 servers to 10. Call someone now, not at the cut-off.
When it drops from 180 to 160, the crew falls from 9 to 8 servers on paper. Don't cut anyone already scheduled by reflex. Decide who to release, and say so. On the Team plan, the count never drops below the people already assigned; the slot shows "1 over" and you decide who to release. A count a person typed in is kept as typed.
Tell only the people on that event, and reprint what changed. See how to handle a BEO change.
Which number drives staffing in Hotelwright
Staffing is part of the Team plan. By default, Hotelwright staffs from the guarantee and falls back to the expected count until a GTD is in. A hotel can switch the basis to expected, to set, or to the highest of the three. The event screen always shows which number is driving the crew and why, so nobody staffs a 300 off an old 250. A count you type yourself locks, and re-running the plan never touches it. See banquet staffing that follows the guarantee.
What the guarantee commits the client to
What the guarantee commits the client to is set by your contract and your sales team. This page is about the operations side only: which number to prep and staff from.
FAQ
What banquet managers ask.
What does GTD mean on a banquet event order?
GTD is the guaranteed guest count: the number the client commits to by the cut-off date. Banquet offices staff and cook to the guarantee, and use the expected count until it arrives.
What's the difference between the guaranteed and the expected count?
The expected count is the sales estimate, written when the order is booked. The guaranteed count is the number the client confirms by the cut-off. The expected count helps plan early; the guarantee is the one the kitchen and the crew work from.
Do you staff to the guarantee or the set count?
To the guarantee, once it is in. The set count is the seats put out, which can be a little over the guarantee, so it is a setup number rather than a service number. Some hotels choose to staff off the set count or the highest of the three, and that is a house decision.
What is overset?
The extra seats set above the guarantee, so a few late guests are covered. Hotelwright shows the guarantee plus an overset percentage (3 percent by default) when the order has no set count.
What happens if the guarantee drops after the schedule is out?
The crew requirement can fall, but the people already scheduled stay on the schedule until you decide who to release. In Hotelwright the slot shows how many are "over", and nobody is removed automatically.
When is the guarantee due?
It is set by your contract and sales team. Hotelwright's starting point is noon, three days before the event, and the hotel can change it.