Private-event and catering inquiry triage (Make recipe)

Outcome: Every private-event or catering inquiry is logged with date, headcount and budget, checked against blocked dates, and answered with a draft that asks only for what's missing.

What you need

• An events@ inbox or a website inquiry form
• Make
• An AI module (e.g., OpenAI or Anthropic credentials)
• Google Sheets: a lead tracker tab and a blocked-dates tab
• Your event packages document
• Slack or email

Steps

1. Trigger: 'Watch Emails' on the events inbox, or a Webhook from your website form.
2. AI module: extract JSON {name, email, phone, event_date, headcount, budget, event_type, food_and_drink_needs, missing_fields[]}.
3. Google Sheets 'Search Rows': check event_date against the blocked-dates tab and note any conflict.
4. Add Row to the lead tracker with status 'New' and the source email link.
5. AI module: draft a reply that thanks the guest, confirms what they shared, asks only for the missing fields, and quotes package prices only from your packages document. Create it as a draft in the same thread.
6. Notify the events lead in Slack or email with a one-line summary; a daily scheduled scenario lists leads still at 'New' after 24 hours.

Check your company's data and AI policies before sending guest or vendor data to any third-party tool.

Frequently asked questions