Use this checklist
Run through this checklist 72 hours before the event, 24 hours before, and the morning of. Each window has different risk factors and different remediation options.
72 Hours Before the Event
- ✅ Confirm all confirmed workers: Call or message every confirmed worker to verify they have the correct date, time, and location. Do this at 72 hours — not day-of — so you have time to find replacements.
- ✅ Verify worker count by position: Servers, banquet captains, food runners, BOH (prep, line, dishwashers, porters). Write it down with names.
- ✅ Confirm arrival times by team: Prep cooks (4–6 hours early), setup servers (2–3 hours early), service team (1 hour early).
- ✅ Review dietary and allergen requirements: Confirm which tables have allergen accommodations and ensure BOH has written documentation with table assignments.
- ✅ Confirm equipment and supply inventory: China, glassware, linens, serving equipment. Shortfalls at 72 hours are recoverable; shortfalls at 2 hours are not.
- ✅ Identify your no-show contingency: Know which platform or contact you'll call if someone doesn't show. Have DishwasherHero+ already contacted for any event over 50 guests.
24 Hours Before the Event
- ✅ Reconfirm all workers: Second confirmation call or message. Workers who don't respond in 24 hours should be replaced now, not day-of.
- ✅ Send event briefing to all staff: Venue address, parking, dress code, arrival time, contact name on-site. This eliminates day-of confusion.
- ✅ Confirm BOH has received the menu and allergen sheet: The kitchen needs the full menu with course timing, table counts, and dietary accommodations at least 24 hours ahead.
- ✅ Confirm transport logistics for off-site events: Who is loading, what time, which vehicles, what's the route to the venue.
- ✅ Verify kitchen equipment at the venue: For off-site events, confirm that the venue kitchen has the equipment you planned around (ovens, warmers, dish machines).
Day of the Event (Morning)
- ✅ Third confirmation for critical positions: Banquet captain, expo, head prep cook. These positions cannot be improvised.
- ✅ Check weather for outdoor events: If there's any outdoor component, confirm your contingency plan is in place.
- ✅ Assign stations and sections on paper: Every server needs a section assignment, every BOH worker needs a station. Don't wait until the team arrives to make these decisions.
- ✅ Set up a communications chain: Who is the on-site coordinator, who handles worker issues, who calls for replacements if needed. Document it.
During Setup (T-3 to T-1 Hours)
- ✅ Account for all workers as they arrive: Check off every person against your list. Anyone not present 2 hours before service for a large event needs a replacement call immediately.
- ✅ Run a team briefing: 15–20 minutes covering menu, timing, special guests, allergen tables, and communication protocol during service.
- ✅ Walk the floor and kitchen together: Banquet captain and head cook should walk the full setup together at T-1 hour to catch any gaps before guests arrive.
- ✅ Verify BOH is on schedule: At T-1 hour, confirm mise en place is complete for the first course. If it's not, resolve it now — not during service.
Need banquet staff for your next event?
DishwasherHero+ places W-2 banquet servers, banquet captains, line cooks, and dishwashers for events across 30+ US and Canadian cities — with a 30-minute no-show replacement guarantee.
Need banquet staff for your next event?
DishwasherHero+ places W-2 banquet servers, banquet captains, line cooks, and dishwashers for events across 30+ US and Canadian cities — with a 30-minute no-show replacement guarantee.
Also see: Gala dinner staffing guide → · Large-format catering staffing →
