Pre-Event Preparation and Setup
Review Relevant Documentation
Pre-event preparation and setup involves reviewing relevant documentation.
The most important documents include a Banquet Event Order (BEO), a Run of Show (ROS), a rental list, a staff list, and a floor plan. Below is a review of these documents, as well as their importance to the sanitation captain.
Banquet Event Order (BEO) and Run of Show (ROS)
A Banquet Event Order (BEO) is a comprehensive document that serves as a blueprint for planning, executing, and evaluating an event. It lists specifications, including details on vendors, setup, and staffing. A manager is responsible for creating and circulating the BEO to all relevant departments.
The Run of Show (ROS) is a document that provides the chronology of an event (from setup to breakdown). It lists specifications on how an event will proceed, including transitions between service types and service areas. The ROS may be included in the BEO or may be an independent document.
The sanitation captain uses these documents to understand:
The type of event occuring
The number of guests
The duration of the event for the guests
The duration of time between the event setup and the event start
The duration of, and the time between, course serve-outs.
The duration of time with respect to the event breakdown and the event end
The logistical and operational protocols to consider with respect to service types, service areas, and the transition between them
Rental List
A rental list is a document that provides the inventory of equipment and materials a given vendor supplies for an event. It lists items including furniture, linens, tableware, station equipment, and décor. It details items, item details and/or descriptions, item quantities, vendor information, delivery details, condition notes, setup and/or usage requirements, and return instructions.
The sanitation captain uses this document in conjunction with the BEO and ROS to understand:
The full inventory on the equipment provided
The details related to the sizing of equipment
Equipment needed and it’s placement for each phase of service.
If the equipment is sufficient for the type of event, number of guests, duration of the event, the service types, the service areas, and the transitions between these
Staff List
A staff list is a document that provides the names and relevant details of staff (members of the service professional team) working a given event. It lists information including positions, contact information, start and end times, and total hours.
The sanitation captain uses this document to understand:
The number of sanitation staff members
Floor Plan
A floor plan is a document that provides an architectural plan or diagram of a venue from a bird’s-eye view. A floor plan for an event often lists information including the direction for arranging and placing items during setup, including information on BOH and FOH. For BOH, this often includes sanitation and for FOH this often includes table size, quantity, and guest number.
The sanitation captain uses this document in conjunction with the others to understand:
The layout of the venue
If the layout of the venue is sufficient for or could be modified to account for the location of sanitation and satellite sanitation stations and paths of clean and unclean inventory and equipment that are (1) out of guests’ view and are (2) appropriate for the planned service types, services areas, transitions between service types and service areas, equipment inventory and sizing, and sanitation staff members