Business Block Catering Tab

To access the Business Block screen, select Reservations>Blocks>Business Block from the main menu. The Business Block Search screen appears. When the OPS<version number> OPERA Sales and Catering license is active, select Business Management> Business Block from the main menu to display the Business Block Search screen. To create a new Business Block from the Business Block Search screen, select the New button to display the Business Block screen. To edit an existing business block, highlight your choice and select the Edit button.

The Catering tab allows specification of catering requirements for the booking.

Note: The Catering Tab is not available in S&C (Sales and Catering) or SFA (Sales Force Automation) for Master Allocations when the Master Allocation check box has been selected on the Business Management>New>Business Block screen.

Important! In an integrated environment, when either the property (local or remote) or central is externally locked, the Business Block Catering Tab is not available for editing even when users have the permission Blocks>Edit Locked Blocks. Changes to the Catering Tab remain disabled as well as changes to the booking status of existing events. This information will always remain editable with the entity that created the Business Block in order to protect function space inventory.

business_block_catering_tab_v50403

Note: When using the Diary Function in SFA (Sale Force Automation), it is possible to view the Function Diary of remote OPERA properties and to book events into function spaces of remote properties (The Diary and Events for properties in the same schema as SFA are also available) with event information being transported between SFA and the remote properties via OXI-OPERA. Resources, apart from the function space, are NOT exchanged and NOT available in SFA.

Additionally Catering Packages and Templates, while visible in SFA when booked from the remote property, are not available for application in SFA when booking events.

Fields

Status. A drop down list used to specify the status of the Catering section of the booking. This is generally available when the Blocks>Use Single Block Status application parameter is set to N. This field will default based on the value in the application setting Blocks>Default Block Catering Status. If the business block is being created from the Inquiry (Shift+F4) screen and there is no value in the application setting Blocks>Default Block Catering Status, then the Catering Status will default based on the value in the application setting Blocks>Default New Block Status.

When a single status code is used for both the rooms and catering portions of a booking the Status is not shown on the Catering tab, and the single status shown in the Header portion of the screen applies to the entire block.
When the Blocks>Diary application function is set to Y, the Blocks>Use Single Block Status application parameter is automatically set to Y. The Diary feature is only available when the OPS<version number>Sales and Catering license is not active. When separate events are set up for the business block, these events may have event statuses that are different from the block status. As events are created for a block their status will be inherited from the catering status of the booking, but can be changed for each event. When single block status is not in use and the catering status of the business block is changed, the user will be prompted that the status of each event should also be updated (see Function Diary for more details). However, when the catering status of a block gets changed to a return-to-inventory status (e.g., Cancelled), all events will also be automatically updated to their respective return-to-inventory status. The event update selection screen is automatically checked for 'All Events' and all other selections are disabled.
If the business block is saved with no Catering Status, the user will not be prompted to copy the Event grid from Inquiry (and an Event will not be created).
Note: When the application parameter Blocks>Update Cat Status With Block is set to Y, the business block catering status will be automatically updated with the business block status when Save is selected. If there are events under the booking with a status that can also be changed to the new catering status, the Save Choice(s) screen appears where the user can select options for event status changes (see below).

When the application parameter Blocks>Update Cat Status With Block is set to N, the user will be prompted to update the business block catering status when the business block status is changed.
Please see Business Block Header for more information.

Attendees. The maximum number of attendees for Catering events. Each time a new Event is created for this Business Block, the number in this field will be the default in the Attendees field. There MUST be a value in this field for the Events button to be enabled. When the attendees field is changed, the user will be prompted if the attendees field on each event should also be updated.

Guaranteed. Select this check box to note that the number in the Attendees field is the minimum guaranteed by the client. When this field is selected and saved, the user will be prompted if the Min. Guaranteed number on the Events screen should also be updated. "Do you want to update events minimum guaranteed number?

If "Yes," the Min. Guaranteed field in the Events screen is populated with the number of attendees.
If "No," the Min. Guaranteed field in the Events screen is not populated.
If "Cancel," another prompt appears asking "Do you want to save the changes you made?"

- If "Yes" is selected, the Guarantee check box on the Catering Tab remains selected, but the Min. Guaranteed field in the Events screen is not populated.

- If "No," no change is made to the Guaranteed check box (unselected) in the Catering Tab nor to the Min. Guaranteed field in the Events screen .

When the user unselects the Guaranteed check box and selects Save, after it had been previously marked, the user will be prompted if the Min. Guaranteed number on the Events screen should also be removed. "Do you want to remove events guaranteed number?"

If "Yes," the value in the Min. Guaranteed field on the Events screen is deleted. The Guaranteed check box remains unselected on the Catering Tab.
If "No," the value in the Min. Guaranteed field on the Events screen remains populated. The Guaranteed check box remains unselected on the Catering Tab.
If "Cancel," another prompt appears asking "Do you want to save the changes you made?"

- If "Yes" is selected, the Guarantee check box on the Catering Tab remains unselected, and the Min. Guaranteed field in the Events screen is still populated.

- If "No," no change is made to the Guaranteed check box (selected) in the Catering Tab nor to the Min. Guaranteed field in the Events screen.

Important! The Attendees field and Guaranteed check box cannot be updated simultaneously. You must first change one field, select the Save button, then change the other.

Info-Board. Enter the name by which this group wishes to be identified in the hotel. This information is used in the Readerboard report and may provide information for door cards and electronic information boards.

Follow-up Date. A Date field with a calendar attached. A Catering Manager or Coordinator may want to use this field to systematically follow up on this Event Group. This field can be used in the Filter section of the Business Block Search screen.

Decision Date. A Date field with a calendar attached. Indicates the date by which the client has agreed to make a decision on the booking. A Catering Manager or Coordinator may want to use this field to systematically show when Event Groups must make a decision. This field can be used in the Filter section of the Business Block Search screen.

Function Type. A free typing field where you can define in more detail the type of function this is. For example, Trade Show, Meeting, or Annual Convention. This field is not displayed if the Sales & Catering license (OPS <version number>) is not active.

Contract No. View only. As the BEO is run and the user opts to increase the revision number, this field adds a decimal to the Business Block ID. The number increases every time the revision number is increased.

Quote ID. Visible when the application parameter Blocks>Use Quote ID is set to Y. This field is View Only and is populated on block creation. The Quote ID defaults to the first three letters of the Block ID and the creation date of the block in YYMMDD format (i.e. 243010112). Whenever subsequent S&C Quotes are run for the block, you have the option to add an increment to the Quote ID, i.e. 243010112.01.

Onsite Name. A free typing field. Enter the name of the client's in-house representative or contact on the day of the event. This may be the same as the primary contact on the Business Block or it may be an alternate contact. This field will appear on the Banquet Event Order.

Track Changes. Checking the Track Changes box will switch on the detailed catering change logging for the booking. Any change made to catering events and resources will be logged when this flag is checked. The flag will be automatically checked when saving a booking with a status that has the Log Catering Changes flag checked. Once this option is checked, either manually or automatically it cannot be un-checked.

Pkgs/Tmplt. Visible when the application functions Catering>Event Packages and/or Catering>Event Templates are active. If this option is checked and the Event Search screen is opened by selecting the Events button, you are prompted to apply a package, a template or neither. Upon making your selection, the event will be created.

Note: The label of this field will stay Pkgs/Tmplt when the application functions Event Packages or Event Templates are disabled, and also in S&C Express, where event packages are not available.

Distributed. Select this check box to indicate if the Banquet Event Orders have been distributed. It also may be used as a Filter to list all bookings which do not have BEOs distributed.

Distributed Date. This field specifies which exchange rate date will be used for blocks when printing Banquet Event Orders. The options available on the BEO include Booking Creation Date, Booking Distributed Date, and a free selection date that can be manually updated (this date is defaulted with the current business date). When the Distributed flag is checked this field is populated with the date/time stamp of when the flag is checked. When flag is unchecked, this field is left blank. This field will always display the last date the Distributed flag was selected. This date can also be taken into consideration as the 'Exchange Rate Date' when, for instance, converting catering revenue to base currency - if configured in different currencies.

This conversion date selection is available on the Business Block Revenue Type Consolidation screen, which can be accessed by selecting the Details button underneath the catering revenue grid on the Business Block screen. When the flag Distributed Exch. Rate is selected, the exchange rate between base currency and catering currency, as it was on the distributed date, is used to calculate catering revenue in base currency. If the Distributed Exch. Rate flag is unchecked, the current business date's exchange rate is used.

Tax Amount. For purposes of printing on the merged contract, enter the tax amount that will be added to this business block.

Service Charge. For purposes of printing on the merged contract, enter the service charge that will be added to this business block.

Cat Owner. This is the Catering Manager who is operationally responsible, or credited for the Catering Revenue. If you wish to attach additional owners or change the primary ownership, select the ellipsis [...] button. If more than one catering owner has been assigned, the primary owner will be displayed highlighted in yellow.

Res Discount (Resource Discount %). Enter a discount percentage to be applied to resource items associated with this catering event.

When this screen is saved after a Res Discount % value has been entered, the Save Choice(s) screen appears. Select the radio button(s) for the eligible resources that will be discounted at this percentage.

Save Choice(s) Screen

res_discount_save_choices

Options for discount:

All discountable item resources. When selected, all eligible Menus, Menu Items, Items, and Function Space resources will be updated with the discount %. Resource Items are only eligible if they have been configured as Discountable (see Item Class and Item Setup for details).
Item resources with same disc (discount) %. When selected, only eligible Item resources with the same discount % as the business block before the change will be updated with the new discount %. Resource Items are only eligible if they have been configured as Discountable (see Item Class and Item Setup for details).
All menu and details. When this option is selected, only menus and menu items will be updated with the discount %.
Menu and details with same disc % (discount). When this option is selected, only Menus and Menu Items with the same discount % as the business block before the change will be updated with the new discount %.
All eligible function space. When this option is selected, only eligible Function Space will be updated with the discount %. Function Spaces with a CUSTOM Rate Code attached are not eligible for the Discount.
Function space with same disc % (discount). When this option is selected, only eligible Function Space with the same discount % as the business block before the change will be updated with the new discount %. Function Spaces with a CUSTOM Rate Code attached are not eligible for the Discount.
All Resources. When this option is selected, all eligible Menus, Menu Items, and Function Space resources will be updated with the discount %.
None. When this option is selected, no resources will be updated with the discount %.

Dependent Date Behavior When Moving or Copying a Booking

Note: When moving business blocks, the move action will trigger an update of the rate restrictions based on the existing rate strategies (e.g., removing the block rooms from the count of the original date and adding them to the count on the new date). This applies to any system where rate strategies are active.

When moving or copying a booking to another date, dependent dates (i.e. Follow-up Date, Decision Date, Shoulder Dates, Catering Follow-Up Date, Catering Decision Date, and Rooming List Due Date) automatically shift earlier or later by the same number of days that the booking dates have shifted. The value of the new date fields will not, however, be less than the current business date (the current business date is used in this case), and if no date was specified for one of these fields in the original business block, the field will remain null (empty) in the moved or copied business block. The Cutoff Date field will also be adjusted when a business block start date is changed, but the Cutoff Date / Cutoff Days field will not be populated when a new business block is created via the copy process.

Note: An exception to this is selecting the Adjust decision & followup date to new arrival date check box while copying the business block. See Block Copy for further details.

Additional Screen Paintable Catering Tab Fields

See Business Block Main Screen Painting Elements for details.

Status. Select the status of the catering event.

Updating Attendees and Catering Packages

When updating the number of attendees from the Catering tab for a Business Block that has Catering Packages attached an update screen, Save Choice(s), displays.

From here there are several options:

If you select "All Non-Pkg Events" but NOT "Package Attendees on the same block, then the Event Attendees WILL be updated on each non-package event, but the Package Events will NOT be updated.
If you select "All Non-Pkg Events" AND "Package Attendees on the same block", then the Event Attendees will be updated on all events and the Package Attendees will be updated for each event as well as at the Package Level.
If you select "Non-Pkg Events with Same Att. Num." but NOT "Package Attendee on the same block", then the Event Attendee numbers WILL be updated for ALL non-package events that had the same number as the Booking and no updates will be made to Package Event Attendees.
If you select "Non-Pkg Events with Same Att. Num." AND "Package Attendee on the same block", then the Non-Pkg Event Attendee numbers will be updated for every event that had the same number as the Booking and the Package Attendees will be updated for every event that had the same number of Package Attendees as the Booking. The Attendees will also be updated at the Package level for every Package that had the same number of attendees as the Booking.
If you select "None" and also leave "Package Attendee on the same block" unchecked, then NO Event or Package Attendees will be updated.
If you select "None" and "Package Attendee on the same block", then the Event Attendee numbers will NOT be updated but the Package Attendees WILL be updated for each event as well as the Package Level.