The maître, or head of the dining room, leads the waiters during the event. They assign the sections to the chefs de rang, check the mise en place, give the signal for each course and make sure all tables are served evenly. They are the point of contact between dining room and kitchen.
At small events the maître and the banquet manager may be the same person. At a gala dinner or a wedding with many courses, it is the maître who fits the timing of the service around speeches, dances and the moments of the party, following the running order.
What to ask
Ask whether the maître is on the caterer's staff or hired in, whether they will be there for the whole service and whether you can meet them beforehand to share running order, table plan and diets. Front-of-house roles are described in the guide to banqueting staff roles and the one on waiting staff.
