Banquet event order software that starts from the signed quote
The BEO is the one document your kitchen, floor and vendors all read on the big day. Joinways generates it from the event's signed quote, so you spend your time orchestrating, not copying line items into a template.
The short version: what a banquet event order is
A banquet event order (BEO) is the operational document for a single event: it states who does what, at what time, with which equipment and services, so kitchen, floor, technical staff and external vendors all work from the same sheet. Joinways generates the BEO from the event's signed quote or an imported document, and you review, complete and share it.
- One BEO (also called a function sheet) per event, generated with AI from the signed quote or an imported PDF
- Three blocks pre-filled: the timeline (arrival, service, end), the line items and services, and the operational notes for the teams
- Per-day data for multi-day events: a seminar with different rooms and menus each day gets a sheet that reflects it
- Sharing by PDF export or public link: the caterer sees the operational content, never your financials or CRM
- Included from the Basic plan ($49 per venue/month billed annually); inbox, events and CRM are on the free plan
Expert methodology: producing BEOs that hold up on event day
Venues whose event days run smoothly treat the BEO as a managed document, not a formality: it starts from a validated source, it goes out on a schedule, and every change is reflected before the teams execute.
Start from the signed quote, not from memory: the quote is the validated agreement, so its line items are the sheet's line items. Anything added by hand should be operational detail, not a new service
Distribute on a schedule: a working version to internal teams about a week out, then a final version confirmed with kitchen and operations in the last days before the event, once numbers are locked
Version discipline: one current sheet, updated whenever the quote or the headcount changes, redistributed to everyone who received the previous version. A stale BEO is worse than none, because teams trust it
What to check before every event
- Every key line item has an owner and a time, not just a description
- The BEO matches the latest signed quote and headcount, verified in the final days before the event
- Every executing party (kitchen, floor, technical, external vendors) has the current version, and knows it's the current one
What separates venues that master their function sheets
The difference isn't the template, it's the process: a single source of truth per event, a known distribution schedule, and the reflex to update the sheet the moment the agreement changes. Tooling helps because it removes the re-typing step where errors are born, and gives every reader the same current version. That's the discipline the BEO feature in Joinways is built around.
The BEO exists, but it's a copy-paste job that's stale by event day
Most venues already produce some form of function sheet. The problem is how: someone re-types the signed quote into a Word template, the client changes the menu, the document doesn't follow, and on the day the kitchen works from version 2 while the floor prints version 3. A BEO is only useful if it's accurate and everyone reads the same one.
- The sheet is re-typed by hand from the quote: every service copied line by line, with the transcription errors that come with it
- Quote amendments don't reach the sheet: the client moves the cocktail hour or adds twenty guests, and the BEO still shows the old numbers
- Several versions circulate: one in email, one printed, one on a shared drive, and nobody is sure which one is current
- External vendors get the full internal file, financials included, because there is no clean way to share just the operational content
- Multi-day events get squeezed into a single-day template, so the per-day differences (rooms, menus, headcounts) live in someone's head
One BEO per event, generated from a source that's already validated
In Joinways the BEO lives inside the event, next to the emails, the quote and the schedule. You generate it with AI from the signed quote or an imported PDF, review the pre-fill, complete times and owners, then share it as a PDF or a public link. When the quote changes before the event, you regenerate or correct the lines.
Related product pages: Clients & companies
- AI pre-fill from the signed quote: its line items already match your catalog, so there is nothing to re-type
- Three editable blocks: timeline, line items and services, operational notes. Everything stays editable after generation
- Per-day data for multi-day events: different menus, rooms or headcounts per day are captured as such
- Controlled sharing: PDF export for internal teams, public link for external vendors, with no Joinways account needed and no financial data exposed
What changes for your event days
What the BEO feature is built to change. Judge it on your own events during the free trial.
No re-typing
The signed quote becomes the sheet's line items. You review and adjust instead of copying services one by one into a template.
Multi-day events
A three-day seminar gets three days of data: rooms, menus and headcounts day by day, instead of one averaged sheet.
Everyone reads the same sheet
PDF for internal teams, a public link for the caterer. One current version, not three competing printouts.
Figures are illustrative: they describe what a structured process is designed to make possible, not measured Joinways customer results. Actual results vary by venue.
Built for the events venues actually run
Weddings, corporate seminars, productions: the same sheet logic, different content.
Related product pages: Inquiries · Quotes & Signatures
Weddings and private celebrations
Cocktails at 6pm, dinner at 8pm, band setup, catering and sound line items: the BEO turns the signed quote into a timed run sheet the maître d' and the caterer follow.
Multi-day corporate seminars
Plenary, workshops, breaks and lunches change every day. Per-day data keeps rooms, menus and headcounts accurate for each day instead of averaging them.
Film shoots and productions
Productions send their own day schedule. Import the PDF and the AI extracts the slots and equipment line items, then you assign owners on the technical side.
A reception venue that stopped re-typing its quotes
Starting point
A reception château hosts weddings and corporate dinners. Each function sheet was re-typed from the signed quote into a Word template: about an hour per event, plus corrections whenever the client changed the menu. Vendors received the full internal file by email.
What they put in place
The team generates the BEO in Joinways from each signed quote. The AI pre-fills the timeline and line items; the coordinator adjusts two or three times, assigns the maître d' and the kitchen lead, then sends the PDF internally and a public link to the caterer.
What it looks like
In this scenario, the sheet is produced in minutes instead of an hour, follows the quote when it changes, and the caterer reads the operational content without seeing prices or client history. The gain isn't just time: it's the same version in everyone's hands.
Event coordinator
Illustrative scenario: reception venue
Illustrative scenario based on typical venue outcomes, not an actual named customer.
Frequently asked questions
What is a banquet event order?
What should a BEO include?
Who receives the BEO?
Can AI generate the BEO?
How does it work for multi-day events?
Is the BEO shared automatically? Where is the data hosted?
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