Banquet event order template for Australian venues and caterers
Australian venues use different names for it, function sheet, event order, run sheet, but the job is the same: one document that tells the chef, the bar and the floor team exactly what happens at a function. Two Australian rules shape what goes on it. Plain English allergen declarations from Food Standards Australia New Zealand, and responsible service of alcohol, which every state regulates and every licensee is judged on.
Checked against Australian Taxation Office guidance · last reviewed 2026-09-25
Free banquet event order template for Australia
What goes on a BEO and who uses it
The client never sees the BEO. It is written for the people who deliver the function. The kitchen needs final numbers, the menu, service style and dietaries. The bar needs the beverage package, its start and finish time and the tab limit. The floor team needs the room set, table numbers and run sheet. The duty manager needs contacts, supplier arrivals and anything unusual, like a surprise speech or a drone at the ceremony.
Keep the layout identical across every BEO. When a casual who works three venues a week picks it up, they should find the dietaries in the same box every time.
Plain English allergen declarations
Food Standards Australia New Zealand requires allergen information for food that is not packaged to be displayed with the food or given to the purchaser on request. The names follow the plain English allergen labelling rules that became mandatory for labels in February 2024: milk rather than whey, and each tree nut by name, such as almond, cashew, macadamia or walnut. The list also covers wheat, barley, oats and rye separately, plus fish, crustacean, mollusc, egg, lupin, peanut, soy, sesame and added sulphites at 10 mg/kg or more.
Put an allergen matrix on the BEO for every dish, completed and signed by the head chef. Then list every guest with an allergy or intolerance by table and seat. Servers at a 200-guest alternate drop are carrying two different mains to alternating seats; the person with the peanut allergy needs to be identified before the plates leave the pass, not while they are being put down.
BEO 26-0915 (version 4, final)
Product launch cocktail event for 150 guests in a harbourside function room in Sydney
| Item | Qty | Rate | Tax | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue hire, 6pm to 10pm | 1 event | $2,500.00 | GST 10% | $2,500.00 |
| Canapé package, 3 hours, 10 pieces per guest | 150 guest | $52.00 | GST 10% | $7,800.00 |
| Three-hour beverage package | 150 guest | $38.00 | GST 10% | $5,700.00 |
| AV package: screens, lectern mic, technician | 1 package | $1,800.00 | GST 10% | $1,800.00 |
| Cloaking | 150 guest | $4.00 | GST 10% | $600.00 |
- Subtotal
- $18,400.00
- GST 10% on $18,400.00
- $1,840.00
- Total
- $20,240.00
- Deposit (30%)
- $6,072.00
- Balance due
- $14,168.00
- Dietaries: 12 vegetarian, 4 vegan, 5 gluten-free, 1 peanut (guest list flag), 1 sesame (guest list flag).
- Bar staff: 6, all RSA cards sighted by bar manager.
- Last drinks 9:45pm, bar close 10:00pm per licence.
What your banquet event order must show in Australia
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Event name, date, room, BEO number and version | Staff must work from the latest version. |
| Final numbers and service style | Drives food orders and rostering. |
| Allergen matrix per dish using plain English names | Allergen information for unpackaged food must be displayed or provided on request.[1] |
| Dietary and allergy list by table and seat | Lets servers identify guests before plates leave the pass.[1] |
| Bar times and RSA-qualified staff | Staff selling or serving alcohol need RSA training and, in NSW, a competency card.[2] |
| Run sheet with kitchen fire times | The kitchen cooks to its own cues. |
| Room set, equipment and supplier times | Floor staff and suppliers work from this block. |
| Sign-off by chef, bar manager and duty manager | Records who approved allergens and alcohol service. |
Responsible service of alcohol and bar timings
Every state requires staff who sell or serve alcohol to hold a responsible service of alcohol qualification. In New South Wales, Liquor & Gaming NSW requires an approved course and a competency card, valid for five years, which staff must produce when asked by police or inspectors. Record on the BEO who is working the bar and that their RSA is current, because the licensee answers for it.
Write the exact bar times: package start, last drinks and bar close, all inside the licence conditions. Include the water and food plan for long packages, since responsible service is also about what you serve alongside the drinks. For 18th birthdays, add the ID-check arrangement and the number of guests under 18 who will be wristbanded.
Other states run their own schemes, for example Victoria's and Queensland's liquor regulators set their own RSA training rules, so check with the regulator where the venue is licensed rather than assuming the NSW card is accepted.
A run sheet the kitchen can cook to
A typical Australian wedding run sheet: guests arrive 5:30pm, canapés on the terrace until 6:30pm, bridal party entry 6:45pm, entrée out 7:00pm, speeches between entrée and main, main out 8:00pm, cake cutting 9:00pm, dessert served as a station, dancing until 11:00pm, last drinks 11:15pm. Next to each service time, write the kitchen time: 'mains fire 7:40pm'. The kitchen needs its own cue.
Speeches are the usual cause of overcooked mains. Ask the client for the order of speakers and the expected length, and put a hard cap in writing. If the father of the bride runs long, the duty manager can call the hold rather than the kitchen guessing.
Share the run sheet with the MC or celebrant as well. They control the room, and a copy with kitchen cues marked lets them stretch or shorten a segment when the kitchen signals.
Room set, equipment and suppliers
Describe the room set in words and attach the floor plan: long tables or rounds, bridal table position, dance floor, stage, cake table, gift table. List every item you supply, from lecterns to the number of highchairs, and every supplier who is bringing gear, with arrival and bump-out times.
Supplier meals and power are the two lines forgotten most often. Agree the number of supplier meals and their price at booking. Ask bands and DJs for their power needs in writing, and check them against the room's circuits before the day.
For outdoor ceremonies, add a wet-weather call: who makes it, by what time, and which room the ceremony moves to. Write the decision time on the BEO, often 2pm on the day, so the florist and the chair hire company know when to expect the answer.
Staffing, versions and sign-off
State the staffing plan in numbers: floor staff per table section, bar staff, kitchen, security. Penalty rates on Sundays and public holidays make this the most expensive line of the function, so a clear plan helps the manager roster to the numbers rather than to habit.
Issue the final BEO once numbers and dietaries are locked, commonly 72 hours before. Each change gets a new version number and time. The head chef signs the allergen matrix, the bar manager signs the beverage section and the duty manager signs the whole sheet. After the function, the manager records variations, extra hours, breakages, bar tab overruns, so the final tax invoice and any bond deductions are right.
Keep signed BEOs with the booking for at least as long as the financial records. If a guest later reports an allergic reaction, the signed matrix and the dietary list show what the kitchen knew and when.
Send banquet event orders from one system in Australia
Venura keeps bookings, quotes, invoices, deposits and receipts together for venues and caterers, in AUD with your own tax rates. Plans for Australia are priced on request.
Banquet event order questions from Australia
What is a banquet event order?
A banquet event order, or BEO, is the internal instruction sheet for one function. It gives the kitchen, bar and floor team the final numbers, menu, dietaries, allergens, beverage package, run sheet, room set, suppliers and contacts. Australian venues also call it a function sheet or run sheet.
What allergen information does an Australian venue have to provide?
Food Standards Australia New Zealand requires allergen information for unpackaged food to be displayed with the food or provided on request, using the plain English names: for example milk, and each tree nut named individually. A BEO allergen matrix gives staff the answer when guests ask.
Do function staff need an RSA?
Yes. Every state requires staff selling or serving alcohol to hold a responsible service of alcohol qualification. In New South Wales it means an approved course and a competency card valid for five years. Record RSA status for bar staff on the BEO.
When should the final BEO be issued?
Most venues issue it about 72 hours before the function, once final numbers and dietaries are confirmed. Later changes get a new version number and time, and the head chef re-signs the allergen matrix.
What is the difference between a BEO and a run sheet?
The run sheet is the timeline. The BEO contains the run sheet plus everything else the team needs: numbers, menu, allergens, bar service, room set, equipment, suppliers and contacts. Small venues often combine them into one document.
More templates for Australia
Banquet event order in other countries
Sources
- Allergen labelling for food businesses (FSANZ) (checked 2026-09-25)
- Responsible Service of Alcohol training (NSW Government) (checked 2026-09-25)
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change, so confirm with your accountant or the authority linked above.
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