Carton Blanc for · Dinner
Organising a dinner: confirmed guests, full tables
Carton Blanc tracks the guests of a dinner by invitation: it sends the invitation, records replies, closes registration at the capacity of the room and opens a waiting list for later requests.
A dinner is prepared around a firm number. The restaurant or caterer charges for the covers booked, whether or not they are filled, and a debate or a speaker is only worth it in front of a full room. Club, association and company dinners often bring together the same people each time.
Carton Blanc prepares the dinner as an event on a list: one page, one capacity, registrations. It is especially useful for series: a circle's monthly dinner keeps its file, its unsubscribed contacts and its history from one event to the next.
How Carton Blanc handles this event
- Invitations
- The invitation goes out with the flyer, the theme of the evening and the booking link. You import your members from Excel and duplicates are merged.
- Registration
- The guest books a place on the dinner page and receives a confirmation. They can ask a question when registering, for example to mention a dietary requirement.
- Waiting list
- Once capacity is reached, the page puts new registrations on a waiting list. You never commit to more covers than the room holds.
- Reminders
- The D-14 reminder goes to members who have not replied. The reminder the day before gives the address and the arrival time.
- Check-in
- On arrival, you check guests off on a phone. The next day you know the exact number present for the caterer's invoice.
The recommended mailing calendar
For a regular dinner, the default calendar suits. A year-end dinner means bringing the announcement forward, because November and December diaries are full by autumn.
D-42 · Six weeks before
The date announcement, with the flyer and the theme of the dinner.
D-28 · Four weeks before
The invitation: speaker, programme, venue and booking link.
D-14 · Two weeks before
The reminder to members who have not replied.
D-1 · The day before
The reminder to registered guests: address, arrival time, calendar link.
D+2 · Two days after
The recap of the dinner and a message for those absent, with the date of the next one.
Organiser's tips
- Give the caterer a number with a margin. Give the caterer the number registered a week ahead and accept adjusting a few covers until the last days. The waiting list helps fill withdrawals.
- Announce the time dinner starts, not just arrival. Guests arrive on time more readily when the service time is stated. A reminder the day before reduces lateness.
- Keep tables modest in size. For a dinner debate, it is the size at which everyone can join the conversation. Set the room capacity accordingly.
- Note repeated no-shows. A guest who registers and fails to come twice in a row occupies a place someone else would have taken. Check-in gives you the exact list to take that into account.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I organise a dinner debate with Carton Blanc?
- Yes. It is one of the most common uses: a dinner page, a capacity, registrations, a waiting list and check-in on arrival. An example dinner debate can be viewed on the site.
- Can dietary requirements be flagged?
- The guest can ask a question when registering, which lets you collect a dietary constraint. Carton Blanc does not build a menu per guest.
- How do I avoid paying for empty covers?
- By closing registration at capacity, reminding non-responders at D-14 and keeping a waiting list to replace withdrawals.
- How much does a single dinner cost?
- A dinner is paid once, with no subscription: the price is shown at the bottom of the page. The subscription becomes cheaper from three dinners a month.
The flyer for this event
The classic card suits dinners: a restrained layout, the speaker's name, the venue and the time. Other styles are available in the catalogue, free when you create the account.
What Carton Blanc does not do
Carton Blanc is not a ticketing tool: it takes no ticket payments and sells nothing to guests. No email is sent without the organiser's approval. There is no advertising, no resale of data and no free plan.
Create an account from €49
Carton Blanc costs €99 incl. VAT a month (€82.50 excl. VAT) with no commitment, or €990 incl. VAT a year (€825 excl. VAT). A single event costs €49 incl. VAT (€40.83 excl. VAT), paid once: its emails and page stay open until 30 days after its date.