Glossary
What is a Pre-Order in Hospitality Events?
A pre-order is a guest’s food and drink selection submitted before an event, together with their allergies and dietary requirements. Pre-orders let kitchens prep against confirmed demand and let service teams know exactly what each guest receives.
Modern pre-ordering is guest self-service: each guest receives a branded link or QR code and submits their own choices, with automatic reminders for non-responders. Read the complete guide to event pre-order management.
Pre-orders in practice
Three weeks before a 90-guest birthday dinner, every guest receives a branded link: they pick a starter, main and dessert, note allergies, and the table adds two prosecco packages. The kitchen sees live counts build, purchasing matches real demand (venues report around 20% less food waste), and on the night the food pass shows exactly who gets what. At Christmas 2025, over 2 million festive dishes were pre-ordered through Creventa, with 99.2% of guests responding to invitations and orders arriving an average of two weeks after invite.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should event pre-orders be collected?
Invite three to four weeks out with automatic reminders; Creventa data shows guests submit an average of two weeks after invitation, comfortably ahead of kitchen deadlines.
Do guests actually complete pre-orders?
With a branded link, no login and automatic reminders, yes: 99.2% of guests responded through Creventa at Christmas 2025.
What do venues do with pre-order data?
Everything: chef reports, food pass, place cards, purchasing, bar prep and deposits all derive from it, which is why accuracy at the source beats any amount of checking later.
Last reviewed
Reviewed July 2026. Creventa results such as wet-spend uplift, time saved and reduced food waste are typical outcomes reported by customers and vary by venue and event.