Guide · Event orders
Multi-function and multi-day BEOs: read each function as its own event
Written by a hotel banquet operations manager ·
A multi-function BEO is one event order that holds several functions, such as a breakfast, a coffee break, a lunch and a reception over one or more days, and the way to read it is to take the header once and then read each function as its own event, with its own date, room, times, counts and service style.
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What one order can hold
| Layout | Example (fictional) |
|---|---|
| One order, one function | A Saturday plated dinner in the Garden Room |
| One order, several functions on one day | A club meeting: breakfast, AM coffee break, lunch, PM coffee break |
| One order, several days | A three-day conference: daily breakfast and lunch, one evening reception |
| One order, several rooms | A conference with a general session room and breakout rooms |
Some properties call the combined order a master BEO or master order, and the function pages the function BEOs. Use your property's words.
How to read one
- Header once. Order number, client, contact, and the revision date or version. Check the revision first.
- List the functions. Write one line per function: date, name, room, start time.
- Read each function in full. Its own setup, start, end and strike times, expected, guaranteed and set counts, service style, courses, menu, bars and notes. Do not assume the counts on one carry to the next.
- Check the room on each line. A function that moves to a breakout room is easy to miss when the order is long.
- Look for the odd one out. The reception that has a bar when the other functions do not; the day with a different set count.
Staff each function, not the order
Crew is calculated per function. A coffee break at 100 guests per server and a plated dinner at 20 per server on the same order are two different crews. Work each out from its own count and service style, then join them when you build the day. See servers per guest.
Counts move per function
A client may confirm the guarantee for the reception while the other functions stay expected. Track each function's guarantee and cut-off separately. See the guaranteed guest count.
When a multi-function order changes
A revised order usually changes one function and leaves the others alone. Compare it function by function and tell the people on the function that changed, not everyone on the order. See the BEO change order guide.
How Hotelwright handles it
- One order, several events. An order that holds several functions becomes several events, each with its own date, room, times, counts and crew. Each keeps the order number.
- Review beside the page. Each event sits next to the page it came from. Anything the reader was not sure of is highlighted, and nothing counts until you confirm it.
- The day reads in time order. The Daily Event Sheet lists each function on its day in time order. A page that belongs to two events prints in both packets.
- Changes by function. A revised upload is compared field by field. A field you or a notice set is never quietly overwritten; it shows as a conflict with every value and who set it.
- A page that cannot be read is marked unread; the rest of the file carries on, and you can enter that event by hand.
FAQ
What banquet managers ask.
What is a master BEO?
Many properties use the term for a single order that covers several functions or days. Others use it differently, so check your property's use.
How do I read a BEO with several functions?
Read the header once, then read each function as its own event: date, room, times, counts, service style, menu and bars.
Do I staff a multi-day BEO as one event?
No. Staff each function from its own count and service style.
Can the guarantee be different for each function?
Yes. Each function has its own counts and, in practice, may have its own guarantee date. Follow your property's policy.
How does Hotelwright handle a multi-function order?
It turns each function into its own event, keeps the order number on each, and lets you review each beside the page it came from.