Prepare a function sheet (BEO)

Turn a confirmed event into an operational roadmap: timing, spaces, covers, services and instructions for your teams.

The BEO (Banquet Event Order), or function sheet, is the document that aligns all your teams on the day: who does what, where, at what time, for how many people. It's the bridge between sales and execution.

Where the quote describes what was sold and invoiced, the BEO turns that commercial agreement into an operational roadmap. It takes the validated services and orders them in time and space, so the kitchen, the floor, the technical crew and the welcome desk all work from a single shared reference.

Built well, the BEO removes last-minute questions and improvisation: every team knows in advance what to prepare, when, and for how many attendees. It's the tool that moves an event from "confirmed" to "ready to be delivered".

Prerequisites

A confirmed event with its services (ideally from the signed quote).
A signed quote attached: it's the source of the services, attendees (Pax) and amounts the BEO carries over.
The key details filled in: date, booked space, attendees (Pax), associated services.

What you'll learn

Generate a BEO from a confirmed event
Fill in timing, spaces, attendees (Pax) and services
Add instructions and on-site contacts
Share the BEO as a PDF with your teams and vendors
Keep the BEO up to date after an amendment

Generate the BEO

The BEO is built from an already-confirmed event. Rather than starting from a blank page, you let the event feed the sheet: the information already captured on the sales side is carried over, and all that's left is to order and refine it for the floor.

Open the relevant confirmed event.
Open the function sheet (BEO) attached to that event.
Key details (date, space, attendees, services) are carried over automatically from the event and the quote.

Pre-fill with AI

To save time, the AI can pre-fill the BEO from the signed quote and the event brief. It proposes a run sheet, spreads the services across the timeline and carries over what it knows; you keep control to adjust every operational detail before sharing the sheet.

Launch the AI pre-fill from the BEO.
Review each proposed section (timing, spaces, services, instructions).
Correct and complete the details only the floor knows before finalizing.

Fill in the sections

The heart of the BEO is its sections: they describe the event from an execution angle. Fill them in the order of the run sheet so the document reads the way the day will unfold, from welcome through to the end of service.

Fill in the timing hour by hour, from arrival to the end.
Specify the spaces used and their setup.
State the exact number of attendees (Pax) and, if needed, the seating plan.
List the services: menu, drinks, equipment, vendors.
Add the instructions: allergies, special requests, on-site contacts.

Once the BEO is finalized, it becomes the day's reference document. You download it as a PDF and share it with the teams that need it, then keep it in the event file. If the event changes, you go back through the BEO to realign it before any new distribution.

Download the BEO as a PDF for your teams (kitchen, floor, technical).
Update it if the event changes (an amendment may impact the BEO).
Keep it in the event file for traceability.

The sections of a BEO

A complete BEO is organized around a few key sections. Here is each one and what it describes, so nothing is missing on the day.

Timing: hour-by-hour run sheet of the day (arrival, cocktail, dinner, end).
Spaces: rooms used and their setup (theater, banquet…).
Attendees (Pax): exact attendee count and seating plan if needed.
Services: menu, drinks, equipment and the vendors involved.
Instructions: allergies, special requests and on-site contacts.

How it works

The BEO is attached to a confirmed event: it's its operational extension. The key details (date, space, attendees, services) flow from the event and the quote into the sheet, which avoids double entry and gaps between what was sold and what will be executed.

Once filled in, the BEO can be downloaded as a PDF to share with the teams — kitchen, floor, technical. It stays kept in the event file, which ensures traceability: you always know which version the service was delivered against.

Edge cases

If the event changes after the BEO is created — for example through an amendment to the signed quote — the sheet does not reliably update on its own: you should always review it and realign it with the latest validated version of the event.

If the BEO doesn't carry over the right services, it's usually because the signed quote isn't attached or isn't up to date: fix the attachment, then regenerate or adjust the sheet.

💡 Tip: let the AI pre-fill the BEO from the quote and brief, then adjust the operational details only the floor knows.

Best practices

Always start from a confirmed event and an up-to-date signed quote before building the BEO.
Review the BEO after every amendment so it reflects the latest validated version.
Download and share the PDF with every team involved (kitchen, floor, technical).
Keep the BEO in the event file for traceability.
Be explicit about sensitive instructions (allergies, contacts): they prevent mistakes on the day.
Fill in the timing in real chronological order: a readable run sheet avoids overlaps between teams.
Double-check the attendees (Pax) right before the event: it's the number the kitchen and seating plan depend on.

Troubleshooting

The BEO doesn't show the right services.

— Cause: the signed quote isn't attached to the event, or it isn't up to date.

— Solution: check that the signed quote is attached and current, then regenerate or adjust the BEO.

The BEO no longer matches the event after a change.

— Cause: an amendment changed the event, but the BEO wasn't revised.

— Solution: reopen the BEO, compare it to the latest validated version of the event and fix the impacted sections.

Teams don't have the right version on site.

— Cause: an older PDF was shared before the latest update.

— Solution: re-download the up-to-date PDF from the BEO and re-share it with the teams involved.

Real-world example

For a 60-person seminar, the BEO specifies: coffee welcome at 8:30am, theater setup, buffet lunch at 12:30pm (3 vegetarian, 1 gluten-free), break at 4pm. Teams know exactly what to prepare.

The kitchen prepares the buffet and anticipates the special diets; the floor sets up the theater configuration; the welcome desk knows when to receive participants. A single sheet, read by everyone, is enough to frame the day.

Another example

For a gala dinner of 120 attendees, the BEO lays out a different run: a welcome cocktail at 7pm, a seated banquet dinner at 8:30pm, with a seating plan to respect and a technical vendor for sound and lighting.

Here the attendees (120) and the setup (banquet, seating plan) matter more than timing alone, and the vendors section becomes central. The same document adapts to very different events while keeping the same logic.

FAQ

Does the BEO update automatically after an amendment?

Always review the BEO after a change: it must reflect the latest validated version of the event.

What is the BEO generated from?

From a confirmed event and its services, ideally from the attached signed quote.

Can I let the AI fill in the BEO?

Yes: the AI pre-fills the BEO from the quote and brief, then you adjust the operational details.

How do I share the BEO with my teams?

Download it as a PDF and share it with the teams involved (kitchen, floor, technical).

What exactly does a BEO contain?

The timing, spaces, attendees (Pax), services and instructions for the event.

Why doesn't the BEO show the right services?

Most often the signed quote isn't attached or isn't up to date; fix it, then regenerate the sheet.

Should I keep the BEO after the event?

Yes, keep it in the event file for traceability.

Which teams use the BEO on the day?

Mainly the kitchen, the floor and the technical crew; the PDF serves as their shared roadmap.