Banquet department uses various pieces of equipment that are necessary to conduct different types of functions. While booking the function, the banquet manager or in-charge should discuss with the host and find out the facilities required and make the host clear what are the facilities available free of cost and what will be provided with extra charges. The banquet department has a store room which is used for storing the banquet equipment. It should be remembered that these equipment occupy the function space. More the equipment in use, more the space utilized. Facilities may be outsourced if they are unavailable in the property.

1. BANQUET ORGANIZATION
STRUCTURE
Pankaj Chandel
MBA TTM – DSVV –
Hospitality Management

2. FOLLOWING ARE THE PRINCIPAL
MEMBERS OF BANQUETS:
Banquet Manager is the overall in charge of meeting banquet sales
targets, developing banquet business, customer contact, banquet
administration and supervising all arrangements.
Banquet Sales coordinator prepares sales kits, fact sheets layouts and
proposed menus, visits potential guests to solicit business, conducts
FAM tours of the facility.
Banquet Supervisor coordinates the resources for functions including
table layouts staff scheduling and banquet setup.

3. Waiters and casual staff make the actual arrangement including
carrying the furniture, setting table appointments and providing the
service and clearance during and after the function.
Barman and sommelier run the mobile bar to provide alcoholic and
non-alcoholic beverages with wine service.
Porters There are generally two or three porters on the permanent
banqueting staff. They are essential staff as there is a great deal of
heavy work to be carried out
The banquet secretary handles all correspondence and filing take
bookings on phone and assist in FAM tours.
Sub-Contractors are outsourced experts to prepare a variety of
services like photography, music, sweets, etc.

4. CATERING EQUIPMENT FOR
BANQUET PLANNERS
Organization is the key word banquet planners must keep in mind. There are a
lot of plates to keep spinning when you plan and host a banquet, but waiting too
long to look into what kitchen supplies and catering equipment you’ll need can
cause a serious bottleneck.
Pots and Pans
Anytime you cook for a large group of people, you’ll use several pots and pans.
How many you need depends on a number of things:
1) The menu you’ve planned
2) How many guests you’ll serve
3) What cooking equipment (ranges, ovens, etc.) you have
4) Your capacity to wash everything
A Range
There are two broad categories of ranges, heavy duty and medium. Heavy-duty
ranges will be able to handle your heavier pots, and it will likely be welded
together, not held together by bolts. Whichever category you go with, you’ll find
a stovetop on top of an oven, which makes this a versatile piece of equipment
for cooking several dishes at once. Larger ranges might even have griddles, prep
areas and other additional features, but these extra features begin to quickly
affect the price.

5. Refrigeration
Most caterers will need to keep their food — especially meat and fish — as
fresh as possible, which usually requires storing it in a space no warmer than
40 degrees Fahrenheit. Any basic or commercial-grade refrigeration unit will
be able to handle that.
Dishwasher
Cleaning up after a banquet is one of the least fun parts of the job, but it’s
among the most important. The size and scope of the banquets you host will
determine how large and how powerful you’ll need your dishwasher to be.
Three things to explore before purchasing a dishwasher: How long is the
wash time? How hot can the water get? How much water pressure is it
capable of producing?
Also, consider the space in which you’ll install the dishwasher. A compact
washer might not require too much room, but it will require adequate
ventilation because it will produce a lot of heat.

6. A Grill
Grilled meats, fish and vegetables are a big hit with any crowd, so
consider incorporating one into your kitchen setup. Most grills use
flame or induction heat. If you need to broil dishes, salamander grills
are an excellent way to do this. They don’t take up much space, and
because they heat from above, they let your dishes — particularly
meats — retain all of their moisture.
A Microwave
Microwaves are the quiet workhorses of commercial kitchens.
However, be aware that microwaves for everyday home use lack the
capacity for prolonged use in a busy kitchen. Get a commercial-grade
microwave.

7. ADDITIONAL CATERING EQUIPMENT
SUPPLIES TO KEEP IN MIND
It goes without saying that you’ll need glassware, plates and silverware in abundance
to accommodate all of your guests. But here are a few other commercial catering
equipment supplies for your checklist:
An Ice Machine
Guests always need ice, and if you have a bartender the need for ice gets
exponentially higher.
Beverage Dispensers
Beverage dispensers are a great way to both wow guests while giving them the
freedom to serve themselves as needed.
Display
Attractive risers, chafing dishes, food warmers, serving dishes and utensils, and good
lighting go a long way to making sure the food presentation matches the care and
creativity that went into the food preparation.
Food Preparation Tools
Cutting boards, spatulas, whisks, food processors — what you’ll need and in what
quantities will depend on your menu. So, once you have the menu planned out, make
a separate list of every single tool you’ll need to make your dishes.

8. FUNCTION EQUIPMENT
Banquet department uses various pieces of equipment that are
necessary to conduct different types of functions. While booking the
function, the banquet manager or in-charge should discuss with the
host and find out the facilities required and make the host clear what
are the facilities available free of cost and what will be provided with
extra charges. The banquet department has a store room which is
used for storing the banquet equipment. It should be remembered
that these equipment occupy the function space. More the equipment
in use, more the space utilized. Facilities may be outsourced if they
are unavailable in the property.

9. BANQUET TABLES AND CHAIRS
No function can be thought of without these pieces of furniture. These are the
most basic of all the function equipment
Banquet tables
They are used for making different types of table plans, food service, buffet set-
up, display, registration, reception, etc. They are available in quarter round, naff
round, round, square, rectangle, oval, and serpentine shapes of different
dimensions, and the height being 30". These tables of different
They are used for making different types of table plans, food service, buffet set-
up, display, registration, reception, etc. They are available in quarter round, half
round, round, square, rectangle, oval, and serpentine shapes of different
dimensions, and the height being 30". These tables of different shapes are used
for different purpose. The banquet tables are collapsible for easier storage.
Banquet chairs
It is the most important piece of furniture for all kinds of functions. The chairs
used for the function must be comfortable. Most chairs do not have armrest, but
some do. These chairs should be sturdy and made of light weight aluminum.
They should be stackable and transported easily with the help of trolley.

10. RISERS
These are pieces of furniture that are joined together to make a stage of
required size. The size of an individual riser is commonly 4' x 8' with the
height ranging from 9" to 24". However, a hotel may have risers of 2' x 8', 3'
x 8' depending on its need.
It is always advisable to have one in the size of 3' x 8' riser to make the
stage of odd number size. Most functions need a stage and the size of the
stage should be calculated considering the number of persons and/or the
equipment to be accommodated on the stage.
The surface area of the built-up stage should be adequate to accommodate
the persons and/or equipment. The minimum area required on the stage
behind the chairs is 4'. To make up the stage of 16' x 24', one needs 12
risers of 4' x 8' and if the hotel wants to make the stage of 11' x 16', then
the hotel needs four risers of 4' x 8' and two risers of 3 x 8'.
Risers may also be used to create tiered stage for effective display of
products.
A small raised platform either on a stage or on the floor, with or without a
mic, from which a presenter may deliver.

11. Lactern
It is a stand upon which a speaker may rest notes or books. It may be placed on
the floor, or tabletop. This is generally used by speakers or singers.
Dance Floor
Dance floors may be made by joining the wooden pieces of 3' x 3' that are
rimmed with reinforced steel with interlocking clamps.
Outside edges of the dancing floor should be slanting. The determination of the
appropriate size of a dance floor is very important as a too large floor reduces
the dining area while a too small a dancing floor will become over-crowded. It is
important to roughly estimate the percentage of participation in dancing.
However, it is very difficult to predict because of many factors, such as mood,
music preference, age group of participants, ability to dance, etc. The dance
floor area allowance per person is approximately about 3 sq. feet for 50 per cent
participation. For a 'dine and dance' party of 300 guests, assuming 50 per cent
participation for the dance, the area requirement for the dance floor is 450 sq.
feet.

12. FOOD SERVICE EQUIPMENT
The service equipment used in the banquet department should be suitable for
formal seated service and also for the buffet set-up.
The quality of service equipment chosen for formal dinner and VIP service should
be much better than the ones for informal dinner.
The quality of service equipment for outdoor catering is normally of ordinary
quality. Soup tureen, chaffing dish, ice box, water dispenser, crockery, cutlery,
glassware, linen, service spoons and forks, service tongs, platters, ladles, bowls,
and other miscellaneous equipment, such as water jugs, cruet sets, pickle and
sauce bowls, bread basket, butter dish, etc. are stored in adequate quantity
keeping the maximum floor loads of the banquet facilities in mind.
Suppose a hotel has four banquet halls of maximum capacity of 300, 250, 500,
and 150 each, then the banquet department must have equipment to cater to
1200 people at a given time assuming that all the halls are busy.
It is always better to have 20 per cent stock extra. The equipment for outdoor
catering should be kept separately from the equipment used for indoors for
better control.

13. CANOPY
Canopy is a temporary structure erected over the buffet counter during the
outdoor catering function. The structure is made of aluminum and fabric of
bright colours. It is used for the following
•It acts as the cover for the dishes displayed on the buffet
•It helps the guests in identifying the counter from far.
The colour assignment for canopies of various counters for example, green
canopy for vegetarian, red for non-vegetarian, blue for water, yellow for
sweets, etc. would assist the guests in service.
The name of the dish may be printed and pinned on the canopy so as to
assist the guest to locate a particular dish easily.
Most hotels do not stock the canopies in the department as they occupy
more storage space. They outsource this structure from the local market.

14. PIPE AND DRAPE
It refers to portable draping that can be set up as a divider or as a barrier,
often used during the exhibition, around the performance floor, etc.
Audio Visual Equipment
Audio visual (AV) equipment refers to the equipment, tools, and materials
used in presentations to engage the senses of hearing and sight. There are
many advanced audio visual equipment available in the market and there is
continuous technological improvement over the old equipment. The banquet
staff must be aware of such advanced equipment and update its facilities.
The function organizers must know various kinds of gadgets used, their
terms and uses, space required, etc. When working out the space for
function, the caterers must remember that many types of AV equipment take
considerable amount of usable square footage of a function hall. Therefore,
they must take the list of AV equipment requirement during booking the
function. Some AV equipment set-ups are so extensive that they may take
entire rooms.
Following are the terms often used AV facility which the caterer should
understand.

15. Amplifier- It supports the audio source by intensifying the sound.
Mixer- It is an audio device that mixes multiple audio sources. It is
used whenever multiple microphones are used.
Boom microphone -it is used to capture the audio source from a
distance,
Dimmer Switch- it is used to control the intensity of lights.
Equalizer- it is used to improve the quality of the audio by adjusting
bass, treble, and mid-range frequencies.
Flipchart- it is a large pad of sheets mounted on a stand, used during
interaction of presentation.
Houselights- it is a permanent lighting system of the function room.
House sound- it is a permanent audio system of the function room.

16. Lavaliere microphone- it is a microphone that is attached to the
speaker to allow free hand movement. a lavaliere mic can be cordless
or with cord.
OHP- over head projector is a device in which the contents of
transparencies are directed to a screen in a forward direction by light
through the lens.
LCD- it is a unique device, an improvement over OHP, connected to
the computer and the contents of the selected file from the computer
is displayed on a screen to the audience through light.
PA systemIt is portable audio (PA) system which is used in auditorium
and other large areas. It basically includes microphone (with or
without cord), amplifier, and sound box.
Slide projector- it is a device that project the image of one slide at a
time on to screen. The slides can be moved with the help of a control
device or automatically, according to the time set.

17. Screen- Screens are used when the images are to be projected. it may
be used with OHP and LCD. Screens are used when movies are
screened during the function. Free standing screens are used during
functions in the room and they are folded neatly and kept side when
not in use. Some of me newer banquet and meeting rooms already
have screens permanently set up in the room.
There are various sizes of screens and it should be selected according
to the area of the function hall capacity.

18. PANKAJCHANDEL@HOTMAIL.COM
Thank You !
Content by hospitalitynu