A BEO (banquet event order) is the working document for one event at a hotel, venue or caterer. It lists guest count, timeline, food and beverage, setup, AV, staffing and billing on one sheet, and the client signs it before the event so every department works from the same details.

What does BEO mean in a hotel?

In hotels BEO stands for banquet event order. The catering or events team issues one per function; kitchen, banquet service, bar and AV use it as their instructions, and accounting bills from it. Outside hotels the same document is often called a function sheet.

Which format do I get?

An editable Word file (DOCX) to fill in and a PDF to view. Both download directly without sign-up and also work in Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice.

What is the difference between guaranteed and expected guests on a BEO?

The guaranteed count is the number the client pays for at minimum – it is the billing basis. The expected count is what kitchen and service plan for. A BEO shows both, plus the deadline until which the guarantee may still change.

BEO Template (Banquet Event Order) – Free Download

Banquet event order to fill in: header with event, client, venue and room, guaranteed and expected guest count, setup and times, plus timeline, food and beverage with allergens, bar, setup and equipment, AV, staffing, billing and signatures – as a Word file and PDF.

Download Word template (DOCX)View as PDF

BEO template: structure, example, download

A BEO – banquet event order, also called a function sheet – puts every detail of one event on one document: who is coming, when what happens, what is served, how the room is set and what it costs. Kitchen, service, bar, AV and the client all work from the same version. This template is a ready-made BEO as a Word file (DOCX) in portrait format, plus a PDF to view – pre-filled with an example: a corporate dinner for 120 guests in a hotel ballroom.

What a BEO is, what it means in hotels and catering, and how teams use it is explained in the function sheet and BEO guide. The template here is the download to get straight to work.

What belongs on a BEO

Header. Event, event type, date, client and contact, venue and room, event manager, guaranteed and expected guest count, setup/seating and times (access, start, end). Plus a BEO number and version – otherwise the kitchen cooks from version 1 while service sets tables from version 2.

One block per department:

Timeline: time, item, owner, notes.
Food & beverage: course and time, dish, quantity, allergens and dietary needs (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free), service style.
Bar & beverages: time window, drinks, billing (per person, package, on consumption).
Setup & equipment: rounds, cocktail tables, stage, place settings – with quantity and room.
AV: microphones, projector, music, supplier.
Staffing: role, count, shift time.
Billing: price per person, flat fees, surcharges, service charge, deposit and balance. In the example six lines add up to a subtotal of 19,010.00; a 20 % service charge adds 3,802.00 and the 30 % deposit is 6,843.60.
Approval: signatures of client and venue or caterer.

How to use the template

Replace the fields in [square brackets] with your details.
Adapt, delete or copy the sample rows; remove blocks you do not need.
Delete the grey note box at the top.
Save with BEO number and version, have the client sign it and share it with every department.

The guaranteed guest count is your billing minimum – state on the BEO until when it may still change.

BEOs that fill themselves from your bookings

A template has one catch: every change to menu, headcount or timeline has to be carried over by hand. In Univents the function sheet (BEO) is generated straight from the event’s bookings – with quantities, allergens, room and timeline – together with the kitchen production list. More on the kitchen and production page.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a BEO?: A BEO (banquet event order) is the working document for one event at a hotel, venue or caterer. It lists guest count, timeline, food and beverage, setup, AV, staffing and billing on one sheet, and the client signs it before the event so every department works from the same details.
What does BEO mean in a hotel?: In hotels BEO stands for banquet event order. The catering or events team issues one per function; kitchen, banquet service, bar and AV use it as their instructions, and accounting bills from it. Outside hotels the same document is often called a function sheet.
Which format do I get?: An editable Word file (DOCX) to fill in and a PDF to view. Both download directly without sign-up and also work in Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice.
What is the difference between guaranteed and expected guests on a BEO?: The guaranteed count is the number the client pays for at minimum – it is the billing basis. The expected count is what kitchen and service plan for. A BEO shows both, plus the deadline until which the guarantee may still change.

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