Site Management: Space, Safety, and the BEO
Selection and inspection
Site management turns a floor plan into a safe, workable operation. Selection begins with an RFP stating dates, space, capacity, technology, food and beverage requirements and accessibility needs. An inspection verifies what the proposal claimed: ceiling height, rigging points, power, loading dock, freight elevator size, door widths and back-of-house routes.
Capacity is layout-dependent
Theatre-style packs far more people into a space than classroom or rounds, and a reception differs from a banquet. Use planners' rules of thumb (roughly 15 square feet or 1.4 square metres per person for rounds, less for theatre) but always confirm against the venue's certificate of occupancy and the fire marshal's egress requirements. Exclusivity clauses covering in-house AV, catering and rigging change both budget and schedule.
The BEO
A banquet event order is the operational contract: times, room sets, counts, menus, AV and billing. Guarantee counts are due by a stated deadline and late additions may carry fees.
Traps to expect
Treating maximum occupancy as comfortable capacity; forgetting load-in and load-out time on the dock; and assuming a venue described as accessible has every session room usable. Wayfinding, security and medical coverage are part of site management too.
Rule of thumb
Contract only after the operative layout has been checked against certified capacity.
Worked example
A 600-guest gala at 1.4 square metres per person needs around 840 square metres of clear floor before adding stage, dance floor and buffet lines. If the room is certified for 700 theatre-style, it may not legally hold 600 at rounds.