Maximizing Your Event Budget with a
Professional Planner!

Rather than not hold your event at all, set a budget for the event and then get the most from it.

Decide on how much you can spend for your event. That is the first question I ask my clients. This will determine on how much you can spend on a venue, food entertainment, gifts, etc.  If your budget is tight, you may have to use some creativity. A park setting for an employee party will be less expensive than a hotel ballroom for instance. Or perhaps you have a service or product that can be bartered for some of your party needs like the caterer.  The important thing is to stay within the budget.

Keep the location of the event local and eliminate travel costs. Use local speakers, celebrities and entertainment.  If they have to fly to your event, you will have to pay the airfare.

Often when budget is of concern, those who are planning an event think that eliminating the professional event planner will reduce the cost of the event when just the opposite is true... A professional event planner will be creative to help you best utilize your budget and actually help to reduce costs.

Here just a few ways you can Maximize your Event Budget with a Professional Event Planner:

• With a full network of resources to pull from, selecting the best value resource for each facet of your event will ensure you get what you want in budget without sacrificing quality.

• With strong strategic relationships, the type and costs of services to be provided are negotiated to meet your needs in your budget.

• With the right connections, the venue, food/beverage, entertainment and other key elements to a successful event can be coordinated to help you buy wisely.

• With experience and expertise in planning events, the fine points and details (like permits, clean-up fees, "hidden charges", etc.) are thought through and either avoided or procured depending on the event requirements... Details often overlooked by non-professional planners who then get an invoice with unexpected fees.

• With skill and dexterity from years of working with preferred service providers, issues or concerns that arise can be taken care of without additional cost before, during and/or after the event.

Even if the economy is slow and/or budgets are "snug", you can have a successful event (whether client appreciation, sales meeting, social celebration, marketing, etc.), without breaking the budget.

Joan Burns was a featured guest on SouthwestBlend.com’s online radio show ‘Champagne Sundays’. This show aired live from 11am-1pm (PST), on Sunday, August 3, 2008. To listen to the entire, unedited show, please click here.   To listen to Joan's interview, please double click on the Play Button below.