Private Event types should match the inquiries the venue wants to receive and the way staff follows up.
Start small. Add more types only when the distinction changes how staff triage, quote, or operate the request.
Restaurant Starting Set
A restaurant can usually start with:
| Type | Use when |
|---|---|
| Private Dining | Guests want a room, section, or planned meal for a group. |
| Full Buyout | Guests want exclusive use of the venue or a major area. |
| Large Party | The request is bigger than normal online booking but may not be private. |
| Corporate Event | The guest is planning work-related hospitality. |
| Celebration | Birthday, anniversary, retirement, or similar social gathering. |
| Rehearsal Dinner | Wedding-adjacent dinner or welcome event. |
If the venue only handles a few private-event formats, use fewer types.
Bar Or Cocktail Venue Starting Set
A bar may use:
- Large Group
- Semi-Private Area
- Full Buyout
- Cocktail Class
- Corporate Event
- Celebration
If cocktail classes are sold as ticketed public programming, use Events for those. Use Private Events when the guest is asking staff to plan something custom.
Winery Starting Set
A winery can usually start with:
| Type | Use when |
|---|---|
| Private Tasting | Guests want a hosted tasting outside normal public booking. |
| Large Group Tasting | Party size exceeds normal online booking limits. |
| Vineyard Tour | The group wants a guided tour or special access. |
| Club Event | Wine club members are planning a private gathering. |
| Corporate Event | Company offsite, client event, or team gathering. |
| Full Buyout | Exclusive venue use or a major private event. |
| Wedding Weekend Event | Welcome party, rehearsal, brunch, or related event. |
Use Events instead for release parties, pickup parties, and ticketed dinners that guests can register for directly.
Tasting Room Starting Set
For cideries, breweries, distilleries, meaderies, and similar venues:
- Private Tasting
- Group Tasting
- Tour
- Corporate Event
- Celebration
- Full Buyout
Use language guests already understand. If your guests say group tasting, use that. If they say
private flight, use that.
When To Add A New Type
Add a new type when it changes staff behavior.
Good reasons:
- Different staff owner
- Different response template
- Different minimum spend
- Different room or space
- Different lead time
- Different menu or package
- Different operational setup
Weak reasons:
- Slightly different guest wording
- One unusual request
- Internal reporting curiosity
- A type that staff will handle exactly like another type
Keep An Other Option Only If Needed
Some venues want an Other or Custom Event type. That can be useful, but it can also become a catchall.
Use it when the venue genuinely accepts custom requests. Review it regularly. If many guests choose it for the same reason, create a clearer type.
Review Monthly At First
After launch, review requests each month:
- Which types are used most?
- Which types never get used?
- Which types convert to booked business?
- Which types create confusion?
- Are staff adding the same note repeatedly?
Use those answers to refine the list.