Aaron delivered this presentation during an Experience Grand Rapids site visit on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, in Grand Rapids, MI.

1. Justifying Expenses:
Show Me the (Value) Money!
Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

2. Jerry Maguire, 1996

3. Contact Information
Aaron D. Wolowiec
MSA, CAE, CMP, CTA
Founder & President
Event Garde LLC
Phone: (616) 710-1891
Email: aaron@eventgarde.com
Web: www.eventgarde.com

4. YOU
ARE
HERE

5. Stakeholders have
an
eye
on
every
line
item

6. Conference
Expenses

7. Controlling Costs
Actual Costs
Budgeted Costs

8. Controlling Costs
Variance
Actual Costs
Budgeted Costs
Example: Food & Beverage

9. Tips: Food & Beverage
• À la carte
• Fewer options
• Counts/trends
• Overage policy
• Work with chef
• Hold dessert
• Pull break items
• Water pitchers

10. Maximizing Resources
Possible Usage
Current Usage

11. Maximizing Resources
Variance
Possible Usage
Current Usage
Example: Professional Speakers

12. Tips: Professional Speakers
• Blog post
• Twitter chat
• Facebook discussion
• Promotional video
• Newsletter article
• Magazine interview
• Webinar (pre/post)
• Other onsite events

13. Controlling Costs
or
Maximizing Resources

14. Diverging Perspectives
Defensive Proactive
Justifying Demonstrating
Conference Conference
Expenses Value
• Money • Value
• Organizer • Attendee
• Post-event • Pre-event

16. 7 Elements of Value
1. Service
2. Response
3. Variety
Value 4. Knowledge
5. Quality
6. Guarantee
7. Price

18. Demonstrating Value
• Identify purpose of the conference
• Establish learning/relationship goals
• Align expenses with desired outcomes
• Calculate return on investment

19. Tips: Communicating Value
1. Personalize the communication.
2. Be transparent.
3. Describe the attendee experience.
4. Consider qualitative outcomes.
5. Consider quantitative outcomes.
6. Leverage differentiation.
7. Identify cost controls.
8. Identify resource maximization.

20. Practice: Communicating Value
Stakeholder
Value
Expense

21. Tips: Communicating Value
1. Personalize the communication.
2. Be transparent.
3. Describe the attendee experience.
4. Consider qualitative outcomes.
5. Consider quantitative outcomes.
6. Leverage differentiation.
7. Identify cost controls.
8. Identify resource maximization.

22. Final Thoughts
• Control costs by decreasing actual costs to meet
budgeted costs.
• Maximize resources by increasing current usage
to meet possible usage.
• Experience trumps price.
• Demonstrate value by aligning expenses with
desired outcomes.
• Communicate unique value to each stakeholder.

23. Housekeeping
• 30-minute consultation:
– aaron@eventgarde.com
– Email within one week
• Slide deck:
– http://www.slideshare.net/aaronwolowiec
– Available later today
• Blog post:
– Experience Grand Rapids