Manage a private hire or private party

A birthday, a company party, a rooftop hired for a few hours: these events are short but dense. The client expects a fast reply, everything happens in one evening, and the slightest vagueness about the hours, the scope or the security deposit costs you on the night.

This guide follows a private party in Joinways, from inquiry to balance. The event holds the slot, the quote and its options, the deposit, and the evening's team and vendors. Each step links to the article that details the screens.

What you'll learn

• Hold the slot, for the entire venue or a single space.
• Price the hire with a minimum spend, drinks options and an extra hour.
• Get it signed, collect the deposit and frame the security deposit.
• Prepare the evening's team and vendors with the BEO.

Prerequisites

• The Pro plan or the 30-day trial: quotes, e-signature and invoicing aren't included in the Free plan.
• Your spaces with their capacity and "Set-up and tear-down", and a "Minimum spend" if needed: see Create your spaces.
• A ready catalog: hire package, drinks, catering, and an item of the "Extra hour" type: see Manage your catalog and pricing.
• The deposit and the "Security Deposit" set in "Settings" > "Venues" > the venue > "Proposals & invoicing", "Financial options" tab: see Billing settings.

1. Qualify the inquiry

Four pieces of information shape the whole booking: the occasion, the budget, the guest count and the time slot.

1. Open the inquiry in "Inquiries" and check the "Extracted data". A budget can be incl. or excl. tax, total or per person.
2. Spot what's missing and ask for it in your reply, with the reply arrow (or R). Restate the request in writing: occasion, guests, hours.
3. The inquiry isn't a fit for the venue? "Reject" (or E) moves it to "Rejected" and offers a reason, such as "Not enough capacity" or "Not a fit for the venue".

See Process an incoming inquiry.

2. Hold the slot

1. Look at the badge next to the date: "Available", or "1 conflict" with the details on hover.
2. Click "Convert" (or C). The form opens as an "Option". Enter the evening's real hours: an end before the start finishes the next day, up to 06:00 (for example 19:00 → 01:00).
3. For a full private hire, leave the spaces empty: the event takes the "Entire venue" and conflicts with any other event at the venue at that time. For a single space (the rooftop, the lounge), choose it.
4. Click "Convert to event". The option shows as dashed on the calendar.

Each space's "Set-up and tear-down" counts in conflicts: an evening often ties up the room longer than the hours shown. A venue that is never rented by space can turn on "This venue is only rented whole" in "Venue & spaces". See Manage availability and avoid double-bookings.

3. Price the private hire

1. In the "Proposals" tab, click "New proposal", then "Empty proposal", or "Generate with AI".
2. Add the hire package: use of the venue for the slot, the base line of the quote.
3. Add drinks and catering. A per-person item takes the guest count as its quantity.
4. Set as "Option" the open bar or the DJ the client can add themselves on their page. Add the extra hour as an "Option" too: its rate is known in advance, without counting in the total.
5. If the spaces or the venue have a "Minimum spend", a warning shows what's missing. It doesn't block sending.

The deposit and security deposit set on the venue appear in the quote's terms, with their amount. Write the end time in the package description: it will be on the signed quote. See Create a professional quote.

4. Get it signed and collect the deposit

1. Click "Send". The client opens the link, ticks their options, clicks "Sign proposal" and enters the code received by email.
2. The quote moves to "Signed" and the event to "Confirmed".
3. On the quote, click "Invoice" > "Create deposit". With Stripe, the client's page shows "Pay the deposit"; otherwise, the bank transfer block gives the IBAN and the reference.
4. When a transfer arrives, click "Mark as paid".

For this kind of event, prone to cancellations, the deposit separates an intention from a booking. With the "Event venue" stages preset, "Deposit received" sets itself when the deposit is collected. See Get a quote signed online and Invoice a signed quote.

5. Organize the evening

1. Open the "BEO" tab and carry over the quote from the "Proposal" view with "Add all to the BEO".
2. Build the schedule: welcome, start of service, highlights, end of the evening, clear-up.
3. Add the vendors (caterer, DJ) under "Vendors" and send them their link with "Notify": they confirm with "Got it, I confirm".
4. Under "Staff", add waiters, bartenders and the floor manager with "Add a staff member", their role and their arrival and departure times.
5. Click "Share" and send the "Team" link to the evening team.

For the preparations (set-up, sound check), create assigned tasks. See Prepare a BEO, Assign staff to an event and Tasks and follow-up.

6. On the night

• The team follows the "Team" link; on a phone, the mobile app opens the BEO: see The Joinways mobile app.
• Remind the client of the agreed end time when they arrive: it's on the signed quote.
• The party runs over? The signed quote is locked: add the extra hour through an amendment, which the client signs with a code. See Manage amendments to a signed quote.

7. After the party

1. Check the venue's condition, then release or keep the security deposit according to the quote's terms.
2. Click "Create balance": it uses the updated total, amendment included. Click "Mark as paid" when payment arrives.
3. Leave the event "Confirmed". With stages, "Done" sets itself once the event is over.

To thank the client automatically, create a workflow on the "Event ended" trigger. See Workflow examples to copy.

Example: a 60-guest birthday on a rooftop

On a Tuesday, an inquiry comes in for a 60-guest birthday the following Saturday, 19:00 → 01:00, budget €7,500 incl. tax. The badge shows "Available" on the rooftop. The manager replies to confirm the occasion and the budget, then converts the inquiry into an option on the rooftop alone.

The quote includes the hire package, the buffet for 60 and soft drinks, with the open bar and the extra hour as options. The client ticks the open bar and signs that evening; they pay the deposit from their page the next day. The manager adds the DJ as a vendor, two waiters and a bartender under "Staff", and shares the "Team" link. On the night, the party runs an hour longer: an amendment signed on the spot adds the hour, and the balance picks it up.

Troubleshooting

The private hire doesn't show as conflicting with an event in another space

Cause: the party has spaces chosen, so it only takes those. Solution: remove the party's spaces so it takes the "Entire venue".

The client doesn't see the security deposit on their quote

Cause: the security deposit isn't set in the venue's financial options, or the venue keeps its terms in a separate contract. Solution: set the "Security Deposit" in "Proposals & invoicing", or generate the contract from the accepted quote.

I can't add the extra hour to the quote

Cause: the quote is signed, so its items are locked. Solution: click "Edit through amendment #1" and get the amendment signed.

Frequently asked questions

How do I invoice an overrun?

Include the extra hour as an option in the quote. After signature, add it through an amendment: "Create balance" uses the new total.

Do I need a deposit for a private party?

The signature is enough to confirm the event, but the deposit commits the client and limits last-minute cancellations. Invoice it right after signature with "Create deposit".

Does Joinways collect the security deposit?

No. The security deposit appears in the quote's terms, with its amount, but Joinways doesn't issue a security deposit invoice: collecting and returning it follow your own terms.

How do I avoid a double-booking?

Hold the slot as an "Option" as soon as the inquiry is serious. A private hire with no space chosen takes the entire venue: any other event at the same time is flagged as a conflict.

See also

• Manage availability and avoid double-bookings
• Create a professional quote
• Assign staff to an event
• Work with vendors
• Which industry guide should you follow?