We know how important budgets are to event planners, and putting on the best event of the year can be tough when funds are tight. This list offers 12 ways to save you money along the way – without sacrificing an awesome experience for your guests. For more posts about Event management: http://bit.ly/2a7Txwp

1. 12 Ways to Cut DownYour
Event Budget

2. 1. Be flexible
• Narrow requirements will be
difficult to fulfill on a small
dollar amount
• Sometimes the easiest thing is to
use what’s provided for free- like
the standard white linens
included by your convention
venue
• Use or produce items that will
see you through multiple events,
or reuse items you already have

3. 2. Look for
package deals
• Even though it seems like
shopping around for the cheapest
deal on each item is the best way
to go, sometimes your venue can
cut you a deal if you are using
several of their services
• Watch out for mandatory in-
house catering though- this can
be a way of hiking up your bill
instead of allowing you to look
for other businesses

4. 3. Use free
tools
• It’s easy to do most of your
promotion through social media
and email marketing for free
• You can even use free event
management software- check out
this list of the top 12 free and
open source software options

5. 4. Staff your
event with
volunteers
• Volunteers allow you to add
manpower without adding cost
• Entice volunteers with perks, like
an hour to taste before guests
arrive at a festival, or free
entrance to a conference session
• Certain roles still require a
professional- bartending, looking
after valuables, or running
complicated technology for
example

6. 5. Think about
the off-season
• Many wedding venues cut their
prices in half during the winter
• Hotel rooms are also cheaper
during the week than on Friday
and Saturday nights
• Keep in mind that some dead
zones exist for a reason- don’t
plan an event for the last weeks
of August when decision-makers
are on family vacation

7. 6. Don’t travel
far, or at all
• Conferences don’t need to be
somewhere exotic, since most of
the attendees will only spend
their time at the venue
• For more international events,
consider virtual events, and read
this guide to making virtual
meetings
• successful, or pulling off a hybrid
event, with a mix of live and
digital guests

8. 7. Save the
trees
• Limit your printing to what is
absolutely essential for attendees
• Have helpful information like
check-in details, daily schedules,
and places to eat on an event-
specific website, and make sure
it’s mobile-friendly
• Event apps are great ways to
share information without using
the printer
• RFID wearables can also make for
a paperless check in

9. 8. Cut down on
catering
• Instead of paying more servers to
pass hors d’oeuvres during
cocktail hour, allow guests to
seek out food stations
• Black-tie fare isn’t necessary for
casual events- try a baked potato
bar, or cupcakes instead of a big
cake
• Open wine and beer should be
plenty for an open bar, or just
provide a few signature cocktails

10. 9. Don’t waste
money on swag
guests won’t
want
• Less is more when it comes to
goody bags, no one needs another
ballpoint pen with a logo
• Check out these event gift ideas
from BizBash, but also keep in
mind that generally gifts that
serve a purpose do better than
frivolous ones
• Consider snacks to fuel
attendees, or branded notebooks
to use during the conference

11. 10. Ask for help
• Sponsors can be an enormous
help in financing events,
especially large-scale ones
• Local businesses are most likely
to feel they have a stake in your
event
• In exchange, you can offer
visibility
• Contributions can take the form
of actual money or catering
services and useful gifts for
guests

12. 11. Negotiate
• Never be scared to haggle
• Shop around and see what the
pricing is in the sectors you’re
working with, and don’t insult a
vendor by asking for a price
that’s way outside market value
• Be honest about your budget
• If you really like a vendor, ask if
they will ask a more affordable
vendor’s price

13. 12. Pay
attention to
what you’re
spending
• You’ve made your budget, now
follow it!
• Make sure contracts line up with
your initial discussion and
proposals from vendors
• Check that final bills follow the
contract
• If you see something askew, say
something and figure out the
reason for the discrepancy
• Don’t pay for something you
didn’t agree to

14. Originally written by Hannah S. Ostroff,
the full post can be found here