Free template
BEO Template for Private Clubs
A free banquet event order (BEO) template for private clubs: header, timeline, menu counts, dietary needs, beverage, room set, AV, staffing and billing.
By Tim Lenahan, Founder, Bubs · Updated
This BEO template gives a private club's catering office a complete banquet event order: the header, the timeline, the menu with counts by selection, dietary requirements, beverage service, room set, audio-visual, staffing, billing and sign-off. It's laid out the way kitchen, banquet, bar and setup teams actually read a BEO, and it's filled in with an example event so each section is clear. Copy it into your own document, replace the example, and keep the section order so every department knows where to look.
A banquet event order is the single document that tells every department what to deliver for an event. For the process around it (when to issue, how to handle revisions, and who signs), see the banquet event order (BEO) guide.
1. Header
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Event name | Harlow–Bennett Rehearsal Dinner |
| BEO number | 2026-0418 |
| Revision | 3, issued May 12 |
| Event date and day | Friday, June 5 |
| Host | Member: J. Harlow (account 1142) |
| Client contact | M. Bennett, phone, email |
| Catering manager | Club catering manager, phone |
| Event type | Plated dinner |
| Room | Main dining room |
| Access time for setup | 2:00 p.m. |
| Guest arrival | 6:00 p.m. |
| Event end | 10:00 p.m. |
| Expected count | 96 |
| Guaranteed count | 92 (due June 2, 12:00 p.m.) |
| Set count | 96 |
The guaranteed count is the number the client will be billed for, even if fewer guests attend. The set count is how many places are set; clubs commonly set a small percentage above the guarantee.
2. Timeline
| Time | Activity | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| 2:00 p.m. | Room access; tables and chairs set | Setup crew |
| 3:30 p.m. | Linens, place settings, centerpieces | Banquet team |
| 4:30 p.m. | AV check with client's speaker | AV / banquet captain |
| 5:30 p.m. | Staff pre-shift meeting | Banquet captain |
| 6:00 p.m. | Guests arrive; passed hors d'oeuvres and bar open on the terrace | Banquet, bar |
| 7:00 p.m. | Guests seated; welcome remarks | Banquet captain |
| 7:15 p.m. | First course served | Kitchen, banquet |
| 7:45 p.m. | Toasts (15 minutes) | Client |
| 8:00 p.m. | Entrées served | Kitchen, banquet |
| 8:45 p.m. | Dessert and coffee | Kitchen, banquet |
| 9:45 p.m. | Last call | Bar |
| 10:00 p.m. | Event ends | Banquet captain |
| 10:00–11:00 p.m. | Breakdown | Setup crew |
3. Menu and counts
Reception (6:00–7:00 p.m.)
| Item | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Passed: crab cakes with remoulade | 150 pieces | Contains shellfish |
| Passed: tomato and burrata crostini | 150 pieces | Vegetarian |
| Passed: beef tenderloin on crostini | 150 pieces | |
| Displayed: cheese and charcuterie | For 96 | Gluten-free crackers on the side |
Plated dinner
| Course | Selection | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Mixed greens, citrus vinaigrette | 96 | Dressing on the side for 4 |
| Entrée | Filet, potato purée, asparagus | 52 | Temperatures on place cards |
| Entrée | Salmon, wild rice, haricots verts | 34 | |
| Entrée | Mushroom risotto | 10 | Vegetarian; 2 vegan (no butter or cheese) |
| Dessert | Chocolate torte | 96 | 3 gluten-free alternatives |
| Coffee and tea service | 96 |
Entrée counts should total the set count. Place cards or seat markers tell servers which entrée goes to which seat; see the banquet seating chart template.
Children's meals and vendor meals
| Item | Count |
|---|---|
| Children's chicken and vegetables | 4 |
| Vendor meals (photographer, musicians) | 3 |
4. Dietary requirements and allergies
List each guest with a requirement, by seat where possible.
| Guest | Table / seat | Requirement | Substitution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guest A | 3 / 5 | Tree nut allergy | Check all components; torte made without nuts |
| Guest B | 6 / 2 | Celiac | Gluten-free bread, dessert alternative |
| Guest C | 8 / 7 | Vegan | Vegan risotto, fruit plate for dessert |
| Guest D | 2 / 1 | Shellfish allergy | No crab cakes offered at reception |
The kitchen and the banquet captain both sign off on this section.
5. Beverage service
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bar type | Hosted, on consumption |
| Bar locations | Terrace (6:00–7:00 p.m.); dining room (7:00–9:45 p.m.) |
| Offerings | Premium spirits, house wine, two local beers, non-alcoholic options |
| Wine with dinner | One red and one white, poured by servers; approx. 1 bottle per 3 guests |
| Champagne toast | 96 flutes at 7:45 p.m. |
| Bartenders | 2 on terrace; 2 in dining room |
| Last call | 9:45 p.m. |
| Restrictions | No shots; valid ID for anyone who appears under 30 |
6. Room set
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Setup style | Rounds of 8 (11 tables); head table for 8 |
| Linens | Ivory floor-length; navy napkins |
| Place settings | Charger, three forks, two knives, dessert spoon, water, red, white and champagne glasses |
| Centerpieces | Provided by client's florist; delivered by 3:00 p.m. |
| Other tables | Gift table, guest book table, cake table |
| Dance floor | None |
| Stage or riser | Small riser for toasts |
| Terrace | High-top tables (8) with linens |
| Floor plan | Attached |
7. Audio-visual
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Microphone | One wireless handheld at the riser |
| Speakers | House system |
| Music | Client's playlist from a phone; club provides the cable |
| Screen and projector | Slideshow at 8:30 p.m. (client supplies file by June 3) |
| Lighting | Dimmed after 8:00 p.m. |
8. Outside vendors
| Vendor | Service | Contact | Arrival | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florist | Centerpieces | phone | 3:00 p.m. | Access to service entrance |
| Photographer | Photos | phone | 5:30 p.m. | Vendor meal |
| String trio | Reception music | phone | 5:15 p.m. | Three armless chairs on terrace; vendor meals |
9. Staffing
| Role | Number | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Banquet captain | 1 | 4:30–11:00 p.m. |
| Servers | 8 | 5:00–10:30 p.m. |
| Bartenders | 4 | 5:30–10:15 p.m. |
| Bussers | 2 | 5:30–11:00 p.m. |
| Setup crew | 3 | 2:00–4:00 p.m. and 10:00–11:00 p.m. |
| Kitchen | Per chef |
10. Billing
| Item | Quantity | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room fee | 1 | ||
| Reception hors d'oeuvres | 450 pieces | ||
| Cheese and charcuterie display | 96 | ||
| Plated dinner | 92 (guarantee) | ||
| Children's meals | 4 | ||
| Vendor meals | 3 | ||
| Bar, on consumption | Billed after event | ||
| Champagne toast | 96 | ||
| AV | |||
| Subtotal | |||
| Service charge (per club policy) | |||
| Sales tax | |||
| Total estimate | |||
| Deposit received | |||
| Balance due |
Billing to: member account 1142, or client invoice. Payment terms: per the event contract. Consumption charges are billed after the event.
State clearly whether the service charge is a service charge or a gratuity, because the two are treated differently for payroll and tax. See service charge and service charge vs gratuity.
11. Policies
- The guaranteed count is due 72 hours before the event. The club will bill for the guarantee or the actual attendance, whichever is higher.
- Changes after the guarantee deadline are subject to availability.
- Outside food and beverage is not permitted, except a celebration cake from an approved bakery.
- The event must end by the contracted time.
12. Distribution and sign-off
| Department | Copy sent | Reviewed by | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | ☐ | ||
| Banquet captain | ☐ | ||
| Bar | ☐ | ||
| Setup crew | ☐ | ||
| AV | ☐ | ||
| Accounting | ☐ | ||
| General manager | ☐ |
Client approval: name, signature, date
Catering manager: name, signature, date
BEO checklist
- Header complete, with the guarantee deadline
- Timeline agreed with the client
- Entrée counts total the set count
- Every dietary requirement listed with a seat and a substitution
- Beverage service, bar type and last call confirmed
- Room set and floor plan attached
- AV needs tested before guests arrive
- Vendor arrival times and needs listed
- Staffing confirmed
- Billing, service charge, tax and deposit shown
- Revision number updated and all departments re-sent after every change
- Client and catering manager have signed
Keeping BEOs current
Most BEO problems are version problems: the kitchen works from revision 2 while the client approved revision 3. Put the revision number and date on every page, re-send the whole BEO to every department after each change, and collect the outdated copies at the pre-shift meeting. When BEOs are generated from the event booking in the club's system, the counts, seat assignments and billing stay in step automatically.
Bubs events produces BEOs from the booking, including floor plans, per-seat meal selections, chef production counts, allergy reports and guaranteed-count billing to the member's account or an outside client.