Cascade Productions held Iceland Foods’ Charitable Foundation’s 50th Annual Charity Dinner at the breathtaking Liverpool Cathedral in England. Courtesy of Alan Wright

Today’s inflationary economy is hitting the meetings and events arena hard. Event planners and their clients are experiencing sticker shock regarding the expenses involved in business gatherings — from skyrocketing food and beverage costs to entertainment expenses that have increased substantially in recent years — all the while budgets are being tightened.

Luckily, there are ways that event planners can create extravagant events without breaking the bank. According to Amy Bates, client team lead at avad3 Event Production, successful and effective events do not always equal mammoth budgets. A good event planner is conscientious about the client’s budget and offers creative solutions to drive the mission, “wow” the guests and keep the event fresh without breaking their stated budget.

“Backing into an event budget is a good place to start,” Bates says. “Prioritize the critical areas to better understand what budget dollars you have remaining for ‘fluff.’”

Event production is a priority. As Bates explains, a lower-end floral table arrangement does not have the same negative impact on your guests or event mission as a faulty microphone or disorganized slide deck. Placing top priority on production and calculating those dollars first prevents you from skimping on an area that has a huge and lasting impact.

“Also, by engaging with the production company early in the planning phase, you can share your budget constraints and ask how they could bleed into other areas for maximum experience,” Bates says.

Industry veteran Thieng-Nga “T” Palmer, who is the founder and CEO of T Palmer Agency and co-founder and CEO of JET The Agency, has more than two decades of experience. Her portfolio encompasses more than 1,000 events. She says entertainment is a great way to create that “wow” factor event on a less-than-wow-factor budget.

“Every moment counts and you want to create impact right when guests are entering the event. It sets the tone for the evening,” Palmer says. Having interactive specialty acts, maybe a champagne aerialist pouring drinks as guests are arriving, or an electric violinist strolling around, gives the look and feel of an elevated event without spending too much.

Alan Wright, CEO and founder of Cascade Productions, adds that choosing the right venue provides the biggest opportunity for a variety of reasons. Planners often think about “the big look” and the “little look.” As Wright explains, the big look creates the initial “wow” for attendees. Creating a “wow” in a bland venue can get expensive.

“Choosing somewhere that is impressive to start with means less of the budget is spent enhancing it — with lighting, drapes and graphics,” Wright says.

Planners might think of stately homes and mansions, but there are less obvious places that might work, like nightclubs, restaurants, converted warehouses, barns or even railway arches. As long as there is power and water to work with, it can be an option; you don’t want to have to pay to bring that in.

The ‘little look’ is in the details. There are many small personal touches planners can incorporate into items like place settings, for example, that need not cost a lot. This may include a small plant, bag of delectable treats or even a charming bookmark featuring the organization’s logo.

F&B Options

Food and beverage can be the “splash” at events, but like everything else, the costs have been affected considerably by inflation. Finding ways to still have impact but not break your event budget is tough. Bates points to some tricks, which include adjusting the time frame of the event to non-meal hours. Instead of a plated meal, consider a later start time and offer a variety of gorgeous desserts, or move your event end time to allow guests to savor tasty appetizers then enjoy dinner out following the event.

“Just remember that a ticket price needs to be aligned with your food and beverage offerings, as well as clear messaging on invites of what guests can expect,” Bates says. “No one appreciates the surprise of reduced food offerings without warning.”

Having a flow with the menu is important. As Palmer explains, a meeting planner can select items that are created around a specialized theme — from the appetizers to main course and dessert — that feel like they were picked for the guests with intention.

“It gives more of the big impact without making the menu seem random,” Palmer says. “Some themed cuisines like Latin or Asian can be really delicious without overspending.”

Wright suggests that if a planner can get into a venue without a locked-in caterer or in-house catering, then it is possible to bring in specific external catering specialists, such as pizza vans, hog-roasts and so on, or choose your own caterer based on best price.

“Buffets are always much cheaper than seated dinners, and being wise about the ingredients, particularly the choice of meat can make a big difference,” Wright says.

Wright and his team at Cascade Productions have twice won awards for a conference which was held inside a barn with catering and breakout groups in tents on the field outside.

“The use of bold colors on banners, a mixture of locally sourced tents, lighting to enhance the venue without trying to hide what it was and simple buffet catering — together, these made a big impact without spending too much,” Wright says. “Never forget the power of great content once the setup is right.”

Incorporating Amenities

So how can planners be smart about amenities to create the feeling of extravagance without the funds required?

“Be creative,” Bates says. “Event production can replace several aesthetic amenities to help lower event costs.” For example, replace costly floral arrangements with dinner table pin lighting and “shine the light” on the event’s mission with table tents that remind your guests the reason why they are there.

“Everyone expects a floral centerpiece. Give your guests something to talk about on their way home by offering the unexpected,” Bates says.

During a low budget year, Bates advised an organization to simplify their decor/aesthetic budget. To replace the wall décor Bates found images of the VIP guests and asked a local caricature artist to draw each VIP.

“We hung the caricatures faces on the wall under spotlights to create an ‘NYC Sardi’s’ feel. The VIP entered the room feeling special and then we gifted them the images following the event,” Bates says.

“The cost was minimal yet our VIP guests felt beyond pampered. It also initiated non-VIP guests to inquire about the opportunity for future VIP level event sponsorships due to the exposure. A win-win all around!”

Of course, there is a balance to strike with in-house facilities and the amenities offered. Many venues have their own AV and lighting equipment which can seem like a great way to save money.

“But what is there is not always well maintained and not necessarily the best specification, so that it can be a false economy,” Wright says. “No one will be ‘wowed’ when they can’t hear the sound from a video or a microphone crackles. A good production company can work out how to supplement the existing equipment to remove the risk without having to install a complete set up,” Wright says.

Also, be sure to look at venues that are “turnkey” and already have beautiful decor, furniture, or potentially a view, which will save you from having to rent these items.

“You’re able to still have the look and feel of an elegant event without having to spend additional money for these items,” Palmer says.

One of Palmer’s favorite events to plan was for the Money 20/20 conference. Her firm had selected a “five senses” themed event focusing on sight, smell, taste, touch and sound. They built fun, interactive props with giant moss balls that you could hug, edible balloons for taste, real floral walls for smell, a 3D chalk artist for sight and had a beatboxer, drummer and DJ jamming for sound.

“It was an illusion of a high-end event but with the focus of visuals and senses to feel extravagant,” Palmer says.

Engaging Sponsorships

Sponsors help drive attendance and community exposure. But they can also create bottlenecks in the planning as you’ve added more voices and decision makers.

“If you engage sponsors, create clear/defined areas of responsibility that allow each sponsor to succeed in their area of focus,” Bates says. “Also, reduce meetings when possible. If you can accomplish tasks and updates in an email, you will be the hero. Don’t have a meeting just to have a meeting.”

Getting sponsors also is a great way to help with extra budget as well as offer additional brand opportunities for attendees. As Palmer explains, using a sponsorship budget can help build out more of the experience with sponsor branded activations and giveaways.

Wright adds that sponsorships always help if appropriate for the meeting or event. There are many ways to weave sponsors into an event, beyond including their logo on the meeting branding. “The most common include allowing exhibits during breaks and building sponsor presentations into the content agenda,” Wright says.

Also, sponsorships shouldn’t be a one-and-done or a stand-alone effort. They need to be integrated into the overall marketing and public relations efforts of an event. In many cases, sponsorships can be great because the promotional benefits and exposure can start before the actual event, and last long after — all of which can enhance the ROI for the sponsoring entity and entice them to sponsor the event in the future.

To ensure sponsors get the most out of their investment (and perhaps invest a higher sponsorship amount), event planners need to provide the following:

The history of the event

The opportunity for a potential sponsor to talk to any past sponsors to see what their experiences have been like

The track record of other past sponsors — what type of ROI they received from the event

What the event is trying to accomplish and if it fits into the sponsor’s business objectives

Planners are encouraged to be thorough and provide the essential information to potential sponsors as having sponsorships can offset expenditures and provide opportunities to bring the event to the next level, without having to invest a significant amount more.

More Innovative Ideas

To further save costs while “wowing” attendees, Bates recommends planners find partners that are on the cutting edge of innovative ideas and able to be creative in the constraints — from catering to event production.

“Don’t settle for ‘that’s how we always done it.’ Push your partners to new and engaging ideas,” Bates says. “Experiential events are the rage. Do your current partners share ideas and concepts with you based on what their industry is offering in bigger markets? If not, find partners who do.”

Source locally as far as possible, it reduces transport, accommodation and subsistence costs. “Getting great speakers and content also makes a difference. Are there people with interesting stories who have a connection to your content, or a passion for your subject, who you can involve in a session or Q&A?” Wright prompts.

Entertainment can also make a real difference to what people remember, and it doesn’t have to be a well-known act. Interesting and unique acts can create a real “wow” factor without blowing the budget.

“If all else fails, flutter cannons that fire confetti into the air! They are available as hand-held units at low cost for a big effect,” Wright says.

Finally, don’t be last minute with your planning. As Palmer points out, many companies or event planners wait until it’s just a few weeks before the event to really get their planning finished. This means higher costs, rush fees with vendors and not a guarantee that the event will be well attended.

“Plan in advance, start with a budget scope and figure out what are the most important components for this event to be successful,” Palmer says. “Better planning means less stress and less surprises with costs.”  I&FMM.