Table Assignment (Auction Tracker)

Assigning guests to banquet tables at the venue is a critical task that has both financial and political considerations. Auction-Tracker provides several ways of assigning guests to tables.

Seating assignment is accomplished via:

Constituent's Guest Name Record's Guest Tab

The first option for assigning guests to banquet tables is via the Guest data entry form, accessed via the individual or business name data entry window. Here are some considerations to keep in mind when selecting a table:

Any table created has a finite number of seats. Auction-Tracker does not allow a user to over-book a table. If additional guest seating is required at a particular table that is already full, return to Utilities > Configure Application > Configure Auction Event Pick Lists > Guest Pick Lists. Click Table Seating and edit the appropriate table to increase the number of seats.

If one knows for certain where the guest being entered is going to sit, go ahead and place the guest at that table. If unsure, leave the table selection blank and assign that guest later using the Quick Table Assignment option.

Be sure to note any seating preferences and/or political seating issues in the Guest Notes window located on the Constituent Toolbar from the Guest tab. Guest notes are also made available under the Quick Table Assignment option.

Quick Table Assignment

This option provides the ability to assign seating in several ways. This includes the assignment of unseated guests and re-arrangement of seating as needed (Figure 7.4). When using this option It is helpful to have a copy of the Reserved and Open Seating Report found under Reports > Application Reports > Names > Guest/Bidders > Banquet Seating in hand.
Seating Unassigned Guests

Follow these instructions to seat a guest who has not been assigned to a table:

From the Application Toolbar, click the Constituents drop-down menu, then click Guest/Bidder Entry Tasks.
Next, click Quick Table Assignment. The Quick Table Assignment window opens with a list of tables (Figure 7.5).
Click the Guests Unassigned To Tables button on the toolbar at the top of the window. A list of unseated guests is presented on the left side of the window. On the right side of the window, a list of tables and their assignment status is presented.
Select the name of a guest to be assigned to a table. Holding down the left mouse button, drag the name to the right side of the window and point to the table the guest is to be assigned. Once the correct table is highlighted, release the mouse button. Repeat for each guest that requires seating. This drag and drop method makes table assignment fast and easy.
When the assignment of guests to tables is complete, click Continue to exit the Quick Table Assignment utility.

A toolbar, located at the top of the Edit Table Assignments window, provides additional reference features that help with table seating decisions:

List/Sort Tables - Presents sorting options for the list of tables. Sort by Table Number or Table Name. Column sorting can also be done by clicking a column header in the spreadsheet grid.

Link Constituent - This button is active when the selected guest is part of a couple. Information on the individual including Name, Bid Number and Table Assignment the guest is linked to is provided.

Guest Notes - This option shows all guest notes applied to the selected guest’s record for the current event. Notes generally include special requests for reservation. This button is active when the selected guest has notes entered.

Seating Re-Assignment

Follow these instructions to re-arrange guests between tables.

From the Application Toolbar, click the Constituents drop-down menu, then click Guest/Bidder Entry Tasks.
Next, click Quick Table Assignment. The Quick Table Assignment window opens with a list of tables.
The list of tables provides the following information: Table Number, Name, Total Number of Seats Available, Total Number of Seats Used, and Block. Guests at a specific table can be viewed by selecting a table and clicking the Select Table to Edit button or Double click the table name.
The table window opens, showing the list of guests assigned to the table (Figure 7.6). The following options are accessed from the toolbar at the top of the window:

Select Guest to Move to Another Table - Takes the selected guest and presents a list of available tables for seating. Select the new table a guest is to be moved to. With the move complete, the original table window re-appears with a corrected seating count.

Remove Guest From Table - Removes the selected guest and returns the record to the Unassigned list.

Clear Selected Table of All Guests - Removes all guests from the selected table and returns them to the unassigned list.

Link Constituent - This button is active when the selected guest is part of a couple. It provides the opportunity to identify and seat couples together. The window lists the following information on the individual the guest is linked to for reference: Bid Number, Individual, Table Name, and Table Number.

Guest Notes - This option shows any guest notes applied to the selected guest’s record. Notes usually includes seating preferences requested by the guest as well as internal notes on the constituent. This button is only active if the selected guest has notes applied to their record.
When finished, click Continue to return to the table list. Select another table to view/edit or click Continue to exit the Quick Table Assignment utility.

Use the Quick Table Assignment utility as many times as needed to complete seating assignments during the event preparation process. This is also a great tool to have handy auction night.