When you’re desperate for your event to be spectacular, but only have a shoestring budget to work with, then don’t despair, and by all means don’t settle for second best – it might be time to think out of the box this festive season.
When it comes to putting on First Class events, even if our clients’ budgets lean slightly more towards Steerage, we have had our experience and expertise tested many times over, and have never failed to deliver memorable and delightful events using these techniques.
Here are our five fabulous tips to use to your advantage to create an event that will leave your guests in awe.
1. Location, Location, Location
Unless you have your own venue, sourcing one may be one of your biggest items on your event budget. This should be looked at early into the planning process. It’s imperative to book a venue in advance to avoid last minute booking fees.
When it comes to finding a venue, don’t be afraid to approach things differently. There are often clever ways of using a fancy venue that may be less expensive. For instance, instead of using a venue’s master ballroom, enquire about their balcony, courtyard, or rooftop. You still get the advantage of a spectacular setting, but at a vastly reduced cost.
Consider also that mornings are often cheaper, especially if the venue can be turned around and used for another function later. Mondays are often quiet too and thus leaves room for negotiation.
2. Fun Food and Beverage
Believe it or not, your eats and drinks are not actually the hero of the event. When allocating budget and suppliers for catering, choose options that are satisfying without feeling pressured to produce over-the-top cuisine. More than that, overly-fancy or daring food could actually make people feel uneasy, and might have the opposite effect of what you want to achieve for the event – which is, people enjoying themselves!
With a small budget you have an opportunity to think creatively and venture away from the conventional approaches while remaining cost-effective. Try fun options like food trucks or mobile kitchens, if the venue allows external vendors.
Catering can be simple, yet still a crowd-pleaser.
3. Be flexible, stay open-minded
Successful event planning on a budget is all about seeing potential. You might come across free or cheaper items which may not be the exact things you wanted, but they still do the job. It might even spark another idea for decor or an activity that can work around these budget items better.
Recycle items instead of purchasing new items for every event. Reuse these items at multiple events . You can save by choosing to have items designed in such a way that they can be reused, by only changing certain parts or nothing at all.
4. Don’t be too proud to ask for sponsorships
Consider turning to sponsors to cover expensive items that are critical to the event. You might approach an existing supplier or technical partner to your business to cover costs in exchange for some tasteful brand exposure at your event, or a mention from the podium during speeches. Ensure that you have the data and audience information to make your pitch enticing.
5. Keep track…of everything
Finally, it’s important to keep track of all expenses, including the bitty ones, as they do add up quickly. The tighter the budget, the tighter you ought to be on your spending and make sure each one of the expenses is accounted for. Make sure that you’re fully aware of any hidden fees, such as set up, delivery and break down costs, prior to signing the contracts with your venue and vendors. Unforeseen costs only tend to pop up in the final invoicing stages, with a surprising figure. Check contracts, double check proposals and counter-check with final bills.
Here’s to a fabulous Year End Function!
