Gatherings: the feature that links your guest list to your catering order

The headcount problem every event host knows

You're planning a company lunch for 80 people. You place the catering order two weeks out. Then RSVPs trickle in. By the day before the event, 54 people have confirmed. You're stuck: cancel the excess food and waste money, or just over-order and hope for the best.

Most hosts over-order. It's the safe choice. The restaurant preps for 80. 54 show up. Everyone loses — the host overpays, the restaurant wastes food, and the driver hauls back untouched trays.

Gatherings was built to fix this.

How Gatherings works

When you create a Gathering on Runzo, you're not just placing a catering order — you're creating a live event that your catering order is attached to. Here's what that means in practice:

1. You create the Gathering with your event details: date, occasion, cuisine preferences, initial guest estimate
2. ASKZO builds a preliminary catering plan based on your initial headcount
3. You invite guests — they RSVP directly through Runzo (no separate app needed)
4. As RSVPs come in, your confirmed count updates in real time
5. ASKZO automatically adjusts the catering quantities to match your confirmed count
6. The restaurant sees the live confirmed count before they start prepping — not your guess from two weeks ago

What the restaurant sees

This is the part that changes everything for restaurants. Instead of a static order placed at booking time, the restaurant's dashboard shows a live number: "47 confirmed, 12 pending, order locks in 24 hours before event."

That 24-hour lock is the key. It gives the restaurant enough lead time to prep accurately, while giving hosts maximum time to collect RSVPs. No more prep for 80 when 54 show up.

"We used to tell customers to add 20% buffer. Now we just tell them to use Gatherings. The restaurant gets the real number. It's cleaner for everyone."
— Catering coordinator, Dallas TX

ASKZO's role in adjustments

As your confirmed count changes, ASKZO recalculates automatically. If you started with a plan for 80 and your confirmed count drops to 54, ASKZO adjusts tray quantities, updates the itemized order, and flags the change for your review. You approve the adjusted order, or you override it if you want to build in a buffer.

The adjustment logic accounts for meal type too. A buffet-style lunch with lots of side dishes needs different adjustment math than a plated dinner where every guest gets a fixed portion. ASKZO handles that distinction without you having to think about it.

Guest experience

From the guest's side, the RSVP experience is simple: they get a link, they confirm or decline, and they can optionally note dietary restrictions. Those dietary notes flow directly into the catering order — so if three guests are vegetarian, ASKZO factors that into the menu calculation automatically.

No paper sign-ups. No spreadsheet. No "can you send me the headcount by Friday" emails. The count updates itself.

When to use Gatherings vs. a standard order

If you know your exact headcount and it won't change — a fixed-seat dinner, a small team lunch — a direct catering order is simpler. Gatherings is built for events where the headcount is uncertain or changing: corporate events, birthday parties, community gatherings, school functions, any event where RSVPs are still coming in when you need to place the order.

The rule of thumb: if your guest count might change by more than 10% between booking and event day, Gatherings will save you money.