Create and review banquet event orders (BEOs)

We must finalize the banquet event order for the Johnson wedding at The Elmwood, Saturday the 26th, 120 guests, plated dinner with two entree choices, vegetarian option, two hours bar with bartender IDs required. Send the completed BEO to Lisa the catering manager and copy the venue’s events director, in that order, asking for e-signature by Friday and confirming timing for room turnover.

Before I send the BEO to Lisa in catering, make it easy for the venue’s events director to approve: put the guest count and final menu choices up top, list any service timing that affects room turnover, make dietary restrictions and bar limits findable, and flag anything that would make the venue hesitate (late end time, insufficient staffing).

I’m the conference manager; the venue just told me the headcount on the BEO exceeds the guaranteed number in our contract and may trigger extra charges. I can’t tell if the client bumped RSVPs or I misread the contract. What’s the likely diagnosis and the best immediate move to protect budget and timing?

We keep sending BEOs to vendors without locking guest counts, menu choices, or staffing, and then chase changes that cost time and credibility. I want one habit to stop this: what step do I force before any BEO goes to a venue that saves time and prevents these corrections?