Banquet Function Plan
In this article we will discuss all about Banquet Function Plan that includes Planning of a Function, Reservations, Filing Systems, Function & Event Organization, Follow-Ups, Coordination, Proposal by Email, Letter or Fax, what is Function Order, how to calculate Cancellation Charge, Step by step Menu Selection, what is Banquet Expressions, Guaranteed Number of Person for booking, Forecasts, Client History Card, Banquet Event Order, Banquet Function prospectus, Banquet Function plan Sheet and formats
Planning of a Banquet Function
A large part of the business is concerned with selling banquet functions. This direct source of revenue and intends to increase revenue from other hotel facilities such as guest rooms, bars and restaurants. It ensures greater utilization of kitchens, engineering plant and manning. Rooms intended for this purpose are usually designed to the multi-functional to ensure frequent use and justify the high cost of providing the space.
A large room may be adapted as a ball room, banquet hall, and convention or exhibition hall. To provide even further flexibility the room may be divided by separate partitions into smaller area (or break-out rooms) providing accommodation for a number of meetings or banquet functions held at the same time.
In planning for multi-functional use of rooms, the following is to be considered:
– Additional car parking space/lots.
– Access and circulation routes, including fire safety requirements.
– Toilet, shower and changing-room facilities.
– Entrance foyer, coffee break areas etc.
– Room-allocation for different use and purposes.
– Method of dividing rooms, standards of sound installation.
– Separation of public access for each area.
– Service facilities and associate access to each area.
– Storage of furniture, carpets and special equipment.
– Stacking and handling feature of chairs and tables
– Storage of china utensils, serving equipment and trolleys.
– Engineering plant services, environmental control.
– Comm. Equipment, telephone and internet connection, music and paging.
– Construction features and acoustic design.
– Dance floor provision, security and protection.
– Exhibition and projection services.
– Water, drainage, gas and electricity services.
– Music and amplification control, local sand system.
– Closed circuit television and cine projection.
– Band stand and stage provisions (permanent or temporary).
– Changing rooms, access for speakers or performers.
– Translation, press and reporting facilities (Business centers, I-net usage, conference calls etc).
– Access for exhibition or other equipment such as vehicles, etc.
– Legal requirement for fire and user safety.
– All law regulations in conjunction with the specific events hold which are required.
Reservations
All reservations for the banquet function allocation is made through the Sales Office/Department/assigned personnel which confirms allocation availability with the Food & Beverage or Catering Manager/Banquet Manager.
Each reservation must contain the following details:
– Date and Time of Call
– Title: Name and Telephone number of client
– Person in charge, contact person from client
– Name of Banquet Function
– Banquet Function Type; indicate type of banquet function such as, business, leisure, conference etc.
– F&B Services requested; Western dinner, cocktail, luncheon, coffee break etc.
– Estimated number of guaranteed participants, speakers, relatives, wives, children of the entire banquet function period and group.
– Date and Time of banquet function / event
– Details described in brief. This section will be kept blank as the details are shown in the
‘ Banquet function order ’.
– Booked by, name of person making the contact with the client and initiate the reservation.
Telephone
– Many enquiries are made through telephone. Therefore, proper telephone etiquette is essential to ensure that all telephone calls to the Sales Department or Food & Beverage Department are answered correctly and courteously.
– DHR greeting phrases are used to answer all telephone calls.
– Address of guest name if known.
– Transfer of calls to the person concerned; let him/her know the guest name so that he/she can address the guest his/her name right away.
– Write-down of guest name and contact details if the person concerned is busy. Do not keep the guest waiting for an unreasonable amount of time. Call back as soon as possible.
– End all telephone calls as per DHR standard.
Letter/Fax/Email
Whenever letter/fax/email of enquiry is received, telephone/email to the client is essential:
– Telephone calls can reach the client faster than by correspondence and hence a higher chance of securing the business is possible as clients might approach other hotels/resorts at the same time.
– Letter/fax is only recommended for written confirmation, not as a communication device.
– Nowadays, email correspondence is very common and most enquiries come through this channel. Proper writing etiquette is essential and emails shall be handled in a timely manner (within 3-4 hrs.) and forwarded to the concerned person(s) immediately.
– Emails shall only be used for confirmation if forms/confirmations/agreement forms etc. are sent as attachments and converted in a read-only format (i.e.: .pdf files). Otherwise, fax must be used.
After the preliminary contact with the prospective client, the person concerned has to follow-up by either visiting (or emailing/telephone conversation etc.) the client or inviting the client to the (Name of DHR property) to show him/her (prospective client) the facilities to provide supplementary information and further planning for the event.
Reservation Status
Every entry into the Banquet Record Book/Reservation Log shows as “TENT” or “CONF”.
– “Tent”
Any reservation marked “TENT” is a tentative booking. To clear or confirm allocation, the person mentioned under “Booked By” is to be contacted to approach the client to finalize its status. A reasonable cut-off date is to be given further.
– “Conf”
Any reservation marked “CONF” is a confirmed booking. A reservation can only be confirmed when the contract is signed or a deposit is received.
Filing System – Function/Event Organization
Banquet Function File
A banquet function file shall be opened when a tentative booking has been made. It is used to collect and keep all correspondence and information pertaining to each banquet function.
It can also act as an information centre where any details shall be referred to before any actions are taken. Every banquet function file has a code/number and is marked with the name of the company/organizer, event date and type of banquet function for easy identification.
The correspondence in the banquet function file should normally consist of:
– Preliminary Room Request Form (Banquet inquiry sheet)
– Proposal letter/fax/email
– Deposit
– banquet Function Order form
– Banquet breakdown form
– Menu
Files for any forthcoming functions should be filed by month, i.e. arranged in chronological order. For regular clients, master files are kept separately and in an alphabetical order. They are used to keep records of all previous functions.
Learn basics of Banqueting ..here
Filing System
– Forthcoming Functions
Any forthcoming banquet function files are kept in a cabinet according to the month of the event in chronological order.
– banquet Function of the Month
Functions files for the month are taken-out from the ‘forthcoming function file’ as soon as the function information has been issued. The function files are then retained in a trace file according to date.
– Cancellation File
Upon cancellation, the function file is to be marked as “cancelled”. Reasons should be briefly stated, and filed in a cancellation cabinet/folder according to chronological order for future reference.
– Past Functions
As soon as thank you letters have been sent-out, any past functions are filed in alphabetical order, i.e.; Ithaca Group; File under ‘I’ / Mr Kasikorn K.; File under ‘K’
– Master File – Birthday
Function information of birthday functions are kept in a master file in chronological order. It is used to trace back the previous record of birthday function in order to trace it for next year’s birthday party.
– Master File-Wedding
Function information of wedding function is kept in another master file in chronological order. It is also used to trace back the previous record of wedding function in order to invite couples to their first anniversary.
– Function Information File
A copy of the function information of each function must be kept in a function information file according to chronological order, helpful on enquiry where details of past function are insufficient.
Follow-Ups
As a rule, all ‘Tent’ function files for functions within the following 6 months are to be taken-out twice a month, reviewed and updated. For functions later than the following 6 months, the function file is to be taken-out once a month. The review and updating of the function files is to be done by the respective sales person.
If any function needs follow-up on a specific date, a trace date is to be issued by the respective sales person.
Coordination
Coordination is critical to the success of any banquets. Coordination is done by means of daily briefings, function information and forecast reports, personal contacts or telephone conversations.
Proposal Email/Letter/Fax
For every function a contract agreement is send to the client containing details such as; prices, setup styles, menus, duration, policies, deposit terms etc. It is important that all details are clearly listed and completely explained to avoid further issues.
Should the proposal email/letter/fax give the client a choice of different priced items, it is to be clearly indicated. Once the client replies, informing the hotel/resort which items are to be chosen, the following options apply:
– Changes are made on the contract (by the client) and the client returns the signed copy.
– Request the client for the all details and propose a revised proposal/contract. This can only be done if the time allows doing so.
To Know more about Banquet Operation and administration ..click here
Function Order
For every function a Function Order is to be issued according to the distribution list. A Function Order is to be sent out 2-4 weeks prior to the event or as soon as all details are available. A Function Order is to contain all relevant details.
The Function Order is numbered consecutively and the numbers are to be recorded in a log book with Function Order number, date, name of client. Every January 01, it starts again with #0001. The Function Order is filed in a function file.
Amendments and cancellation on Function Orders are done by issuing a revised Function Order with indicated amendments.
Cancellation Charge
For functions for which a deposit to confirm the booking has been received, the deposit is only refunded if the cancellation was made (x) days prior to the actual function date (depending on DHR contract/policy). A cancellation clause in the proposal/contract is stated. For any cancelled party a lost-business report is to be filed-in.
Menu Selection
Standard menu selection with a corresponding price list, courses of menus etc is available. Should the guest require additional menu proposals, the Sales person and the Executive Chef proposes new menus accordingly.
Banquet Expressions
Expressions which regularly used in banqueting:
– Podium: The speaker’s stand
– Platform: Stage for head table, band etc.
– Backdrop wording: Wall mounted wording in a function/event room.
– Directional signs: Signs in the lobby, in corridors and in the front of function rooms.
– Cash bar: Every individual guest pays his/her own beverage consumption in cash.
– On consumption bar: Drinks will be charged according to the number of drinks, served and are charged to the master account of the function, or the party who has made previous arrangements to pay for the drinks.
– Open Bar: Sales prices are per hour and not as per individual consumption/item.
Guaranteed Number of Person
For every banquet function plan where a charge per person applies, a guaranteed number of persons (x) days prior to the actual function are required (depending on DHR contract/policy). On the function order, the guaranteed number is to be indicated, and the setup number shall not exceed 10% above the guaranteed number. For a party below 100 persons, the setup number might be up to 20 persons exceeding the guaranteed number.
Every time the client advises of a new guaranteed number of persons, a letter/fax is to be made for the client’s signature to confirm, the function order is each time updated as soon as a new change in the guaranteed number has been confirmed.
Forecasts in Banquet Function Plan
The following forecasts are made by the Director of Service/Assistant Director of Service/Banquet
Manager or Supervisor, F&B Manager or Assistant (depending on organizational structure).
– 10-days forecast: To be made weekly, distributed to all concerned.
– 1 month forecast: To be made by-weekly, distributed to all concerned.
Client History Card and Banquet Function Plan
For every client where future or repeat business is possible a history card is to be created and kept up- to-date, archived in chronological order.
Download Sample format of Banquet Function Plan / Banquet Event Plan from Setup My Hotel .. here
