In-House Function Run Sheet: From Confirmed Booking to Post-Event Debrief

An in-house function run sheet is the venue’s controlled plan for delivering one confirmed event. It converts the customer agreement into times, owners, dependencies, service instructions, safety checks, payment steps and escalation points for the team.

It should not replace the booking contract, food-safety procedures, emergency plan, liquor licence or staff roster. Its job is to bring the approved operational details together so the kitchen, bar, floor, setup and manager work from the same current information.

Start after the booking is confirmed

Do not build the final run sheet from an early enquiry. First confirm:

• event name or internal reference;
• date, access time, guest arrival, service and finish;
• agreed spaces and capacity;
• package, menu, drinks and inclusions;
• price, deposit, minimum spend and payment timing;
• cancellation and change terms;
• accessibility and approved customer requirements;
• speeches, entertainment, AV or suppliers;
• responsible customer contact; and
• version of the signed or accepted agreement.

Record unresolved matters separately with an owner and due date. Do not hide “TBC” items inside long notes.

Appoint one event owner

The event owner maintains the current run sheet and controls changes. Department leads still own their tasks.

Nominate a deputy. A run sheet without decision authority can describe a problem but not resolve it.

Control the document

Show:

• event reference;
• version and issue time;
• author and approver;
• distribution list;
• status of earlier versions; and
• location of the current copy.

When a customer changes guest numbers, menu timing or AV, update the master, record the change, reassess affected areas and issue a new version. Remove or clearly mark superseded copies. Follow the principles in How to Write and Control Hospitality SOPs.

Keep personal information to what the team needs. Detailed payment, health or customer correspondence should remain in the restricted booking record.

Build the event summary

The first page should let a manager understand the event quickly:

• guest numbers, including children or support people where operationally relevant;
• room and approved layout;
• customer contact and venue contact;
• arrival, meal, speech and finish milestones;
• menu and beverage package;
• confirmed dietary and allergen process;
• accessibility requirements;
• external suppliers and access;
• payment status and authority for extras;
• licence, noise or finishing limits; and
• top three risks or dependencies.

Use clear descriptions. “Normal function setup” is not useful to a relief manager.

Complete the operational reviews

Food and allergens

Confirm the approved menu, quantities, service style, preparation sequence, holding controls and customer information. Dietary requests must enter the venue’s allergen-management process. The run sheet should identify the escalation contact and service method without copying sensitive detail unnecessarily.

Check:

• final number deadline;
• recipe and supplier availability;
• special meals and identification;
• shared platters or buffets;
• cake or customer-supplied food policy;
• delivery, storage and return arrangements;
• service and clearing times; and
• leftover or disposal rules.

Beverages and liquor

Confirm the package, inclusions, exclusions, start and finish, cash-bar or account process, stock, glassware and responsible-service plan. Liquor requirements vary by jurisdiction and licence. Check trading hours, minors, intoxication, approved areas, security and entertainment conditions with the relevant authority and venue licence.

WHS and emergency arrangements

Assess guest flow, floor changes, cables, lighting, carrying routes, hot equipment, temporary structures, contractor work and emergency access. Keep exits and equipment accessible. Brief external suppliers on site rules and escalation.

The venue’s emergency plan remains the controlling document. The run sheet should show the duty manager, assembly arrangements and any event-specific accessibility or crowd consideration.

Capacity and service impact

Check how the function affects ordinary trade:

• shared kitchen or bar capacity;
• toilets and access routes;
• parking and deliveries;
• noise and neighbouring areas;
• staff meal and break timing;
• security and closing workload; and
• equipment shared with other services.

Do not sell the same capacity twice.

Create the timeline backwards

Start with non-negotiable guest milestones, then work backwards to prep, setup and supplier access.

Include buffers. A timeline with every task ending exactly when the next begins is a wish, not a plan.

Control external suppliers and technical cues

Florists, entertainers, photographers, celebrants, cake suppliers and AV technicians can affect access, safety and timing even when the customer engaged them directly. Record:

• supplier business and on-site contact;
• arrival, setup, soundcheck and removal window;
• approved entry, parking and loading route;
• power, data, rigging or space requirement;
• equipment supplied by the venue;
• insurance or licence evidence where required;
• waste, packaging and storage responsibility;
• venue induction and emergency contact;
• person authorised to approve changes; and
• dependency on the event timeline.

Do not allow a run sheet to authorise electrical, rigging, gas or other specialist work beyond the venue’s competent control. Stop and escalate unapproved equipment, blocked exits, overloaded circuits, unsafe cables or late setup that would expose workers or guests.

For speeches, entertainment and AV, create a cue sequence: who confirms readiness, who operates the device, what happens if the speaker runs late, and how the kitchen is told to hold or release the next course. A technical failure plan may be as simple as moving to the venue microphone and adjusting the service sequence, but it must have an owner.

Prepare for changed numbers and weather

Set decision deadlines for guest-number increases, reductions and layout changes. A late increase can affect capacity, chairs, staffing, food, allergens, glassware, toilets and emergency access. The event owner should confirm what can still be delivered and obtain customer approval for any commercial change.

For courtyards, rooftop areas or outdoor access, record forecast review times, heat, wind or rain triggers, shade and water, wet-weather capacity, furniture movement and customer communication. Do not move an event indoors if the alternative exceeds approved capacity or blocks normal routes.

Prepare department checklists

Room and access

Confirm layout, table numbers, furniture, linen, signage, accessibility, lighting, temperature, toilets, exits, storage and wet-weather arrangement.

Kitchen

Confirm production list, staff, equipment, special meals, service vessels, temperature checks, waste plan and backup for unavailable equipment or product.

Bar

Confirm package buttons, tabs, stock, ice, glassware, water, RSA roles, non-alcoholic options, account process and close.

Floor

Confirm briefing, sections, guest greeting, sequence, special-meal handoff, clearing, speeches, customer liaison and complaint authority.

Payments

Confirm deposit allocation, balance, approved extras, who may authorise customer changes, invoicing details and end-of-event sign-off. Do not display payment data on copies used widely.

Run a focused pre-event briefing

Hold the briefing close enough to service that details are current. Use the restaurant pre-service briefing checklist and add event-specific points:

• event purpose and tone;
• current guest number;
• top milestones;
• staff roles and call signs;
• allergens and special-meal handoff;
• beverage and payment limits;
• speeches, AV and supplier cues;
• customer contact and manager authority;
• emergency and incident escalation; and
• changes since the last version.

Ask staff to repeat critical handoffs. Do not read the entire run sheet aloud.

Control changes during the function

Customers may request extra guests, altered timings, additional drinks or a room change. Use a quick decision path:

1. Clarify the request.
2. Check safety, food, licence, staffing, capacity and commercial impact.
3. Identify who can approve it.
4. Explain any price or timing consequence.
5. Record the approved change and tell every affected lead.
6. Verify the change at the next milestone.

If a request cannot be delivered safely or lawfully, the duty manager should decline it calmly and offer an available alternative.

Record incidents and service recovery

Use the venue’s normal incident and complaint systems. The run sheet can note that an event occurred and who owns follow-up, but sensitive details belong in the appropriate restricted record.

For injury, aggression, suspected food illness, allergen concern, equipment failure or emergency, protect people, stop affected work, contact emergency services or authorities where required, preserve the scene or evidence where applicable and follow Hospitality Incident and Near-Miss Reporting.

Close, reconcile and debrief

The function is not complete when guests leave.

• complete account and extras;
• return customer or supplier property;
• isolate lost property securely;
• store or dispose of food under the approved procedure;
• count and secure beverage stock;
• remove temporary equipment safely;
• check damage and maintenance issues;
• close rooms, doors, alarms and systems;
• record incidents, complaints and unfinished actions; and
• transfer anything open to the next manager.

Debrief within one or two working days while evidence is available. Compare plan with actual numbers, timing, labour, food, beverage, waste, customer feedback, incidents and profit. Assign improvements to the booking process, package, staffing model or run-sheet template.

Common mistakes

• Building the sheet from an enquiry instead of the confirmed agreement.
• No version or change owner.
• Copying sensitive data onto every staff sheet.
• Leaving dietary requests as unverified customer notes.
• Ignoring licence, access, emergency or ordinary-trade constraints.
• Scheduling without setup and recovery buffers.
• Letting the customer change scope without operational and commercial approval.
• Recording incidents only in the event notes.
• Ending the plan at guest departure.
• Debriefing without actions, owners or due dates.

Function run-sheet checklist

• ☐ Confirm agreement, numbers, package, payment and key times.
• ☐ Appoint event owner, deputy and department leads.
• ☐ Issue a controlled version and remove superseded copies.
• ☐ Complete food, allergen, beverage, licence and WHS reviews.
• ☐ Assess impact on ordinary trade and shared capacity.
• ☐ Build a timed sequence with owners, dependencies and buffers.
• ☐ Confirm room, kitchen, bar, floor, supplier and payment checks.
• ☐ Brief the team using the current version.
• ☐ Define authority for customer changes and extras.
• ☐ Use normal incident, complaint and emergency systems.
• ☐ Complete pack-down, account, stock, security and handover.
• ☐ Debrief and assign improvements.

Take the next useful action

Take the next confirmed function and highlight every “TBC”, unnamed owner and task without a time. Resolve those gaps before distributing the run sheet.

Use the Free Hospitality Checklists for consistent checks and handovers. The Restaurant Operations Pack provides editable operating tools.

General-information limitation: General operational information only. Confirm the event’s contract, food-safety, allergen, WHS, liquor, security, noise, accessibility, council, insurance, privacy and payment requirements with the relevant authorities, licence conditions and qualified advisers. A run sheet does not replace those requirements.

References

• Food safety for food businesses, Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Accessed 25 August 2026.
• Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks, Safe Work Australia. Accessed 25 August 2026.
• Emergency plans and procedures, Safe Work Australia. Accessed 25 August 2026.
• Contracts, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Accessed 25 August 2026.

Source review date: 25 August 2026