Free template
Free banquet event order (BEO) template, with a full example
A banquet event order (BEO) turns the signed proposal into instructions for your kitchen, your floor, your AV team, and your vendors. Download the blank BEO and the filled example of a corporate dinner for 120, in Excel or PDF.
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Download the free BEO template
One Excel file with two tabs: a blank BEO and the corporate dinner example from this page. The PDF is the same document, ready to print.
- DownloadBEO template, Excel (.xlsx)
BEO template, Excel (.xlsx)
Two tabs: a blank BEO and the filled example below. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
- DownloadBEO template, printable PDF
BEO template, printable PDF
The filled example, then a blank BEO to print. US Letter.
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BEO example: a corporate dinner for 120
The final BEO a Chicago event space sends six days before Talvenor's annual dinner. Names and figures are made up; the sections are the ones every BEO needs. The same example opens the Excel file.
| Item | Detail | Qty | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event header | |||
| Event | Talvenor annual dinner (corporate) | Venue: Mia Turner | |
| Date and hours | Thursday, November 12, 2026. Guests 6:30 PM to midnight. Venue access 2:00 PM to 1:30 AM | ||
| Signed proposal | Proposal #P-2026-0412, signed October 1, 2026 | ||
| Guaranteed headcount | 120 guests, confirmed November 2. Kitchen and floor set for 125 | 120 | |
| Spaces | Main Hall (seated dinner), Terrace (cocktail hour) | 2 | |
| Contacts | |||
| On-site client contact | Sarah Chen, Head of People, Talvenor. Decides on the day | Client | |
| Venue coordinator | Mia Turner, event manager. Owns this BEO | Venue | |
| Kitchen | Executive chef. Confirms the allergy list at the 5:30 PM briefing | Kitchen | |
| Vendors | Florist (arrives 3:00 PM), DJ (arrives 5:00 PM) | Venue coordinator | |
| Timeline | |||
| 2:00 PM | Venue access. Tables, linens, AV build | Floor captain, AV | |
| 3:00 PM | Florist delivery, 12 centerpieces | Florist | |
| 5:30 PM | Staff briefing: timeline, table plan, allergies | Venue coordinator | |
| 6:30 PM | Doors open. Cocktail hour on the Terrace | Floor captain, bar | |
| 7:30 PM | Guests seated in the Main Hall | Floor captain | |
| 7:45 PM | Welcome speech, 5 min (Sarah Chen) | AV: mic 1 | |
| 8:00 PM | First course served | Kitchen, floor | |
| 8:40 PM | Main course served | Kitchen, floor | |
| 9:30 PM | Dessert and coffee | Kitchen, floor | |
| 9:45 PM | Award presentation and toast, 10 min | AV: slides, mic 2 | |
| 10:00 PM | DJ set until midnight | DJ | |
| 11:15 PM | Last call. Bar closes 11:30 PM | Bar | |
| Midnight | Music off, house lights up, guests leave | Venue coordinator | |
| 12:15 AM | Damage walk-through with the client contact | Venue coordinator | |
| 1:30 AM | Teardown done, vendors out, doors locked | Floor captain | |
| Room setup | |||
| Main Hall | 12 rounds of 10 (60-inch), black linens, stage with lectern, 16 x 16 ft dance floor | 12 tables | Floor captain |
| Terrace | 8 high-top cocktail tables, heaters on at 6:00 PM | 8 | Floor captain |
| Welcome table | At the entrance. Name badges supplied by the client | 1 | Client |
| Rain plan | If it rains after 4:00 PM, cocktail hour moves to the Main Hall foyer | Venue coordinator | |
| Food, by service | |||
| Cocktail hour, 6:30 PM | Passed hors d'oeuvres, 6 pieces per guest: tuna tartare, short rib slider, burrata crostini (V), mushroom arancini (V) | 720 pcs | Kitchen |
| First course, 8:00 PM | Roasted beet salad, goat cheese, candied pecans | 120 | Kitchen |
| Main course, 8:40 PM | Beef tenderloin, potato gratin, green beans | 108 | Kitchen |
| Main course, vegetarian | Wild mushroom risotto | 12 | Kitchen |
| Dessert, 9:30 PM | Chocolate torte, raspberries. Coffee and tea service | 120 | Kitchen |
| Service style | Plated, served table by table, 8 servers | Floor captain | |
| Beverages | |||
| Hosted bar | 6:30 PM to 11:30 PM: beer, wine, two signature cocktails, soft drinks. No shots | 120 guests | Bar |
| Wine with dinner | One white, one red, poured at the table. Included in the bar package | Floor captain | |
| Toast | Sparkling wine poured at 9:40 PM. Sparkling cider for non-drinkers | 120 glasses | Bar |
| AV and technical | |||
| Sound | House PA, 2 wireless handheld mics, 1 lectern mic | 3 mics | AV technician |
| Screen | Projector and 10 ft screen behind the stage. Client slides on USB by 5:00 PM | 1 | AV technician |
| Lighting | Dimmed to 40% at 7:30 PM. Spot on the lectern for speeches | AV technician | |
| DJ | Plays through the house PA. Sound limit from 11:00 PM (house rules) | DJ | |
| Staffing | |||
| Servers | 8 servers, 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM | 8 | Floor captain |
| Bartenders | 3 bartenders, 6:00 PM to midnight | 3 | Bar lead |
| AV technician | 1 technician, 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM | 1 | Venue coordinator |
| Venue coordinator | On site 2:00 PM to close | 1 | |
| Allergies and dietary notes | |||
| Vegetarian | 12 guests, tables 3, 7 and 11 (client table plan) | 12 | Kitchen |
| Nut allergy | 2 guests, table 4. Salad without pecans. Dessert checked by the chef | 2 | Kitchen |
| Gluten-free | 3 guests, tables 2 and 9. GF bread and dessert | 3 | Kitchen |
| Billing | |||
| Proposal total | $38,485.10 incl. 22% service charge and sales tax (signed proposal). F&B minimum of $18,000 met | Venue | |
| Deposit | 30% ($11,545.53) paid October 2, 2026 | ||
| Balance | Due November 5, 2026. Adjusted to the final headcount | Client | |
| Changes on the day | Billed at proposal prices on the final invoice. The client contact signs off on site | Venue coordinator | |
| Invoice to | Talvenor accounts payable. PO number required on the invoice | ||
| Signatures | |||
| Client | Sarah Chen, Talvenor. Approved November 6, 2026 | ||
| Venue | Mia Turner, Riverside Hall. Issued November 6, 2026 | ||
| Sent to | Kitchen, floor captain, bar, AV, client contact. DJ gets the timeline only | ||
Prices stay on the signed proposal, and many venues leave the billing section out of the copy sent to vendors.
The eight sections of a BEO, in order
The sections in the order the team uses them on event day, with what most often goes missing when the BEO is copied from the proposal.
Event header and contacts
Start with the BEO number and version, the event name, the date, guest and access hours, the signed proposal it comes from, the guaranteed headcount and the spaces. Then list the people who make decisions on the day: the client's main contact, the venue coordinator, the kitchen and each vendor. The version number is what most often goes missing, and that is how the kitchen ends up working from last week's copy.
Timeline
Give each moment its own line, with a clock time and an owner: access, deliveries, staff briefing, doors, seating, each course, speeches, entertainment, last call, end, walk-through and teardown. The line most often missing is the service time of each course, which is what the kitchen needs and what the client moves most often.
Room setup
For each space, note the table count and shape, linens, stage and lectern, dance floor, welcome table, cocktail tables, and the rain plan for any outdoor area. The rain plan is the usual gap: write it as a time and a place, so nobody has to make the call at 5 PM in the rain.
Food, by service, with quantities
Write one line per service with its time, the menu and the quantity: pieces per guest for the reception, covers per course, and the vegetarian count on its own line. Add the service style and the number of servers. The quantity per line is what most often goes missing, and without it the kitchen has to guess.
Beverages
List the bar format and hours, what is poured and what is not, wine with dinner, the toast and the alcohol-free options. Do not leave out the bar closing time: it drives both the staffing and the invoice.
AV and staffing
Note the number of microphones, the screen and projector, lighting cues, the DJ or band and the sound limit. Then list staffing by role, with start and end times: servers, bartenders, AV technician and coordinator. The end time of each shift is the detail most often skipped, and it is where overtime shows up on the invoice.
Allergies and dietary notes
Record each dietary need with its count and table numbers, and what the kitchen changes on each course. The table number is what usually goes missing: a kitchen that knows two guests have an allergy, but not where they sit, cannot plate for them.
Billing and signatures
Close with the proposal total, whether the F&B minimum is met, the service charge and any gratuity, the deposit received and the balance due date. State how changes on the day are billed, who signs off on them and who receives the invoice. Then add the client's approval, the venue's issue date and the distribution list. The rule for changes on the day is the one most often forgotten, and without it an extra hour of bar service often ends in a dispute.
What belongs on a BEO, and what does not
A last check before you issue the BEO: for each section, what is always on it, what to add when relevant, and what belongs on another document.
| Section | Always on the BEO | Add when relevant | Never on the BEO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Header and contacts | BEO number and version, date, hours, guaranteed headcount, spaces, the on-site client contact's cell number | Proposal number, PO number, the planner's contact | The client's sales history and past prices |
| Timeline | A clock time and an owner for every moment the venue delivers | The client's program blocks, speaker names and durations | Minute-by-minute technical cues, which belong on the run of show |
| Food and beverages | Menu per service, quantity per line, service times, bar hours | Plating notes, wine names, the reception piece list | Unit prices and your food cost |
| Setup, AV and staffing | Tables and layout per space, AV list, staff count per role with shift times | A floor plan attached, the rain plan, vendor arrival slots | Vendor rates and commissions |
| Allergies and billing | Allergies with table numbers, deposit status, the rule for changes on the day | The proposal total, the invoicing contact | Other clients' prices, discount negotiations |
A BEO proves itself at the staff briefing
Fifteen minutes before doors open, each owner reads their lines aloud. Lines with no owner show up before the guests arrive.
Order on the guaranteed headcount and keep the margin in the kitchen: with 120 guests confirmed, the kitchen and the floor plan for 125
Write the end time for each space, not just for the event: it sets the teardown and the next team's arrival
Set a cutoff for headcount and dietary needs, ten days out for example. After that, the BEO only changes through a new version
To check before you send
- Headcount, spaces and services match the signed proposal
- Every food line has a quantity and a service time, and every line has an owner
- Allergies carry table numbers, and the version number is on the page
Only one version counts
The day two printouts are in circulation, the kitchen and the floor count different covers. Number each version, send it to the same recipients, and pull the old one from the back of house.
Your BEO is copied from the proposal, and it falls behind at the first change
You build the BEO in Word or Excel from the signed proposal, the client's emails, and your notes. Then the client adds ten guests, moves a speech, and sends dietary needs the day before. The kitchen, the floor, and the caterer each work from the version they printed.
You copy the proposal line by line: headcount, spaces, menus, staffing. One service you sold is missing, and nobody prepares it
With JoinwaysThe BEO is drafted from the signed proposal: the spaces, services, quantities, times, and staffing you sold are already filled in. For a format that comes back, you start from a similar BEO and adjust it to the new headcount
Dietary needs and allergies arrive by email, a few at a time, and don't always reach the kitchen
With JoinwaysYou write your questions for the client once (dietary needs, allergies, day-of contacts). They answer from a link, with no account, up to the day before, and you bring their answers into the BEO
The client changes the headcount or a time after you send it: the kitchen keeps the first version, the floor the second
With JoinwaysYou freeze a numbered version and the team is notified. A change after the freeze is flagged, and a change within 48 hours of the event alerts the event team
Your caterer and your DJ get the full BEO, prices and internal notes included
With JoinwaysEach recipient has their own link: the team sees the whole BEO, a vendor sees everything but the internal note. No prices appear, online or in the PDF
You don't know who read the latest version, or whether each vendor confirmed their part
With JoinwaysWith a personal link, you see who opened and read which version. The vendor replies "Got it, I confirm" or "Not available", and the client approves or asks for a change
Related product pages: Proposals & e-signature
The product, screen by screen
What you can check during the trial
On your own inquiries, alongside your current tools.
One section per day for multi-day events
On a two-day offsite, each section can change from one day to the next, staffing and arrival times included.
Room times come from the calendar
A timeline line linked to a space booking shows the room and times from the calendar. Two overlapping lines are flagged, with a suggested fix.
Free trial, alongside your tools
Draft the BEOs for your next events and compare them with the ones you build today. No credit card.
The same template, from one event to the next
The sections stay, the content changes.
A corporate dinner
Cocktail hour, three plated courses, speeches, and a DJ: the BEO gives the service time and cover count for each course, and the tables of guests with allergies.
A two-day offsite
General session, breakouts, breaks, lunches, and dinner: the BEO follows each day's room flips and the next morning's breakfast.
A private celebration
Birthday, family celebration, or wedding: the host or their planner owns the program, and the BEO brings together setup, service, the end of the night, and teardown.
Go further: BEO software · Events
Frequently asked questions
The essentials: what a BEO contains
- One BEO per event, issued from the signed proposal: same headcount, same spaces, same services
- Quantities follow the guaranteed headcount, which is the number the kitchen orders from
- Every line has an owner: kitchen, floor, bar, AV, or vendor
- Each allergy is listed with its table number
What is a banquet event order (BEO)?
BEO, function sheet, tech rider: are they the same document?
What is the difference between a BEO, a proposal and a run of show?
Who writes the BEO, and who approves it?
When should the BEO be sent?
Does my caterer need a Joinways account?
Can I download a BEO template for Excel or Google Sheets?
What is an example of a banquet event order?
Should prices appear on a BEO?
Who receives the BEO?
What is the guaranteed headcount on a BEO?
BEO in Excel or BEO software: which should you use?
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