Event Budgeting

Smarter Budgeting for Meetings and Events
2026/07/10

by Shannon Byck and Joe Nishi Every event planner knows the feeling: your boss/client/co-workers have an idea to plan an event and this lands on your desk. At first, the budget you have been provided looks healthy enough but by the time you are finalizing menus, AV, transportation and those last-minute “must-have” additions, budgets can disappear faster than a tray of champagne at a networking reception. The good news? Smart budgeting does not mean sacrificing attendee experience or surviving on…
Smart Budgeting for Impactful Events
2025/05/15

In a city like Toronto — where expectations are high, and costs can climb fast — managing event budgets with discipline and foresight isn’t optional. It’s the difference between a seamless experience and a logistical headache. We understand that successful event planning isn’t just about creativity — it’s also about cost control without compromise. Here are seven critical budgeting strategies to help you stretch your event dollars while still delivering a high-calibre guest experience. Plan Backwards from the Budget:…
Achieving Success on a Lean Budget
2024/07/26

“What’s your budget?” I remember dreading these words when I was a newbie event professional. I would tell myself things like, “Know your value!”, “You’re worth it, they’ll see!” and then there I was, sitting face-to-face with the potential new client and getting all caught up in the excitement of the event. I’m already envisioning how great we would be to collaborate; I’m coming up with event design ideas and solutions in my head, therefore allowing myself to be…
Building Proposals that Close Deals
2022/04/22

Writing great proposals is not rocket science. But too often we try to short cut the process. If you follow these four simple steps you will be successful with your proposals. 1) Understand the prospect’s needs. This means extensive discovery sessions. Before you can build a proposal, you need to know the prospect’s specific goals. Are they sales? Is it about building brand awareness? Is it a PR or GR move? Perhaps it is about employee engagement. Perhaps it…
Tips For Contracts and RFPs During COVID
2022/02/15

by Shannon Byck and Joe Nishi Over the last two years, the business events industry has been incredibly impacted by meeting cancellations and “lifting and shifting” of groups. From a contract perspective, we have had to quickly incorporate addendums and revisions to contracts that allowed for updated Force Majeure, flexible deposit, attrition and cancellation schedules and a huge amount of goodwill and relationship capital has been spent working through all of this. What should not be overlooked is the…
Factors to Consider in Budgeting Events
2021/10/04

Over the last 18 months, how we deliver events has shifted dramatically. Event organizers have had to throw out their budgeting plans and sort out new ways of understanding the costs and benefits of their event spend. We’ve seen a lot of change and have helped our clients navigate this shift over the last two years. As we look to the future, change is not going to subside. Understanding how to budget new formats and content delivery will go a…
How to Create a Budget for your Event
2021/08/09

Creating an event budget can be challenging. After all, there is a lot to consider. In addition to necessary costs like the venue and event staff, you want to allow for unexpected expenses, hidden fees that will undoubtedly crop up and an emergency fund. Here are eight tips to help you prepare for the unknowns and set your event up for success. 1. Identify Goals and Primary KPIs Budgeting for your event usually occurs after the main objectives have been…
Can hotels cancel your concessions? Well, it’s complicated
2019/01/21

Hotel will provide the following concessions if at least 90 per cent of the minimum guestroom revenue is received and at least 100 per cent of the minimum food and beverage revenue is received… Concessions are benefits or value-added services that venues offer in exchange for the event host’s business and fulfilment of their contractual requirements. For event hosts, it feels great to negotiate potentially lucrative concessions as part of an event contract. Complimentary staff rooms, free wi-fi, discount parking…
Non-Profit, Pro-Revenue: Making money in the not-for-profit sector
2018/09/10

It’s that time of year again: More financial considerations for not-for-profit meeting planners. I’m not sure what it is about this time of year, but at the end of the summer season my financial concerns are always top of mind. It might be due to the timing of client budget planning for 2019, or that I’ve overextended my own budget from summer weekends trying to make the most of this nice weather (as I tell myself), but in past years…
Venue contract wisdom is often woefully insufficient
2018/04/25

By Heather Reid A side-by-side examination of 12 signed and negotiated contracts for booking events into unconventional venues unveiled disturbing discrepancies to me. The “unconventional venue” contracts included the following Canadian locations: cultural centre, city-owned sport facility, entertainment complex, music hall, high-risk recreational facility, heritage facility, aquarium, brewery, two recreational/amusement facilities and museums in three different cities. A wide variety of unconventional venues for sure! Here are a few of the disturbing findings of my side-by-side review: Indemnification Clause: 6…

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