The size of an event budget is often influenced by the importance of the event’s outcome, and while working within the limitations of a budget can be challenging, there’s little use in cutting corners to minimise costs if you’re going to jeopardise the success of the event in achieving its objectives and impact. However, as five of the business event industry’s leading lights suggest on the following pages, there are ways to reduce your events budget without compromising quality.
 1. Event aesthetics – Work with the venue rather than against it. By augmenting existing soft and/or hard furnishings and dominant colours within the standard venue layout, you can save a tremendous amount of money.
2. Audio-visual equipment – Keep this facet of the event to what is adequate for the style or nature of the experience. If the event does not require a sound and light show, then avoid organising one.
3. Fewer performers – Establish a list of entertainers who provide a fantastic sound and presence with fewer performers. If you can contract a trio rather than a five-piece line-up, then you’ll save on both booking costs and associated costs with production, dressing rooms, meals, parking, etc.
4. Event duration – Propose a shorter event duration to your client, i.e. a four-hour dinner instead of five. This will substantially reduce your total event budget by decreasing staffing costs, venue hire, food and beverage requirements, late-night bump-out charges and longer entertainment calls.
5. Consider in-house – Explore what can be arranged in-house at your chosen venue, utilising their preferred suppliers and contracted rates. This can often save a great deal compared with contracting external suppliers for lighting, decorating, draping and furnishings.
 1. Pre-dinner interaction – Conference durations are becomingshorter, creating less social time together. So why not deviate from the traditional pre-dinner drinks and a three-course sit-down meal, and instead look at extending the pre-dinner time and increase the portions of food, allowing for more social time thus allowing you to delete the need for an entrée to be served.
2. Re-think desserts – Replace individual desserts with dessert stations offering espresso coffee and tea. This will allow for a lot more interaction with the guests.
3. Beverage consumption – If you know your audience and have a history of their previous events, you may be able to provide beverages on consumption rather than a package. Sure, going on consumption can mean more work for you but the service will be better and you can save on costs.
4. The right venue for you – Do your research and be adventurous with venue selection. Don’t just consider traditional venues, look outside the box. You might like to contact one of your favourite, trustworthy suppliers and get them involved at this crucial point in the decision process. Having a special venue will not only save you money but also help to generate more interest in the event.
5. Entertainment – Find a band that can be broken down and used in modules during the event.
 1. Find a sponsor – Form marketing alliances with industry bodies, publishers and government regulators servicing your target market. Promotion and endorsement of your event by membership or legislative bodies will maximise your marketing spend and increase revenue.
2. Conference materials – Save on the cost of conference materials by placing an indent order which is manufactured, printed and packaged overseas. Minimum numbers apply and you will need to allow at least 12 weeks for manufacture and shipping.
3. Registration incentives – Go beyond early bird registration discounts, and offer the first 20, 50 or 100 registrations a signed copy of the keynote speaker’s latest book. Happy to gain publicity, the speaker should provide the books for free, and you will boost delegate numbers by adding value.
4. Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate – Everything is up for negotiation: room rates, venue hire, conference day packages, minimum numbers, audio-visual, conference materials, etc. Always source more than one quote and negotiate for all products and services.
5. Discover technology – Utilising email marketing, electronic event evaluations, pod-casting and video conferencing will not only save time and money but increase the professionalism of your event.
 1. Use volunteers – Make use of volunteers to complement your on-site team and save on labour. Use students from event management schools or from tertiary institutions. Some large events wouldn’t go ahead without keen-as-mustard volunteers helping out where they can.
2. Avoid expensive catering – Serving cocktail-style canapés instead of a sit-down meal can be significantly less expensive. Guests can mingle and socialise at the same time, and you need less service staff to serve the food.
3. Go easy on theming – Think outside the square with theming. You could source simple but effective decorations through the internet. Sometimes candles and tealights can set the mood more effectively than expensive bright lighting and gobos. It pays to think creatively when on a budget.
4. Shop around for venues – Avoid oversized and pricey venues. Small boutique venues can be less expensive, will bring character to an event, and will sometimes offer more personalised service.
5. Limit alcohol – Guests are usually satisfied with house wine and beer, so don’t opt for a range of expensive alternatives. If guests do want to buy additional drinks, they’re often happy to do so as long as the standard beverages have already been provided.
 1. Bite the bullet – Be realistic with your event expectations and the implications of your budget. Develop a tight event brief so that the core elements of the event are known by all right upfront. Choose a venue that you can afford and identify the essential elements which are critical to the event.
2. Engage the right team – Don’t penny-pinch on sourcing your event team and starve the creative. Allow time for brainstorming fresh ideas of how to work within a limited budget and still achieve realistic objectives. Involve team members with practical experience and walk through the draft run order with production experts because they may see a better way.
3. Act sensibly – Be practical in bringing an idea to life. Make sure your ideas aren’t so involved that the entire budget is spent on rigging and labour costs. Don’t go overboard and blow the budget on an expensive centrepiece or a theming element that your guests only see for a few seconds on entry.
4. Appeal to the senses – Be sensual and focus on what will be remembered by the guests long after the event is over, i.e. don’t skimp on the quality of food and beverage and use light, smell, texture and tactile theming if you can to produce an experience that is memorable and achieves your goals.
5. Be passionate – Get into the challenge and cut back elements that are least critical to the outcome.
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