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Rather than purchase custom signs each year, buy reusable signage
where the letters can be changed or make your own.
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Don’t serve shrimp.
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Own your own LCD projector.
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Hire an entertainer that is already in the area.
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Ask the local CVB for help with locating & confirming local
politicians or college professors to speak, to provide volunteer tour guides
and for coupons and discount passes for local restaurants and attractions.
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For a smaller meeting (50-100 people), hire one speaker for the
keynote, seminars and facilitations—one fee, one hotel room and one travel
expense.
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Hold your event on a Monday
night as it the slowest meeting night for many venues so F&B and service
rates should be lower.
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Look to your guest list for entertainment connections; they may
surprise you.
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Schedule meetings in resort areas during their off-season.
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If selecting a second-tier city to lower hotel room costs, first
check that city’s percentage rate on room tax.
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Consider holding your meeting at an airport hotel, generally their
rates are lower.
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Hold evening meal events off-site (especially during the week on
off-nights) in a local restaurant that has a theme—better food, lower cost
and no theme prop expense.
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At cocktail parties, don’t have any plates—people will eat less.
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At events where people help themselves to the food, reduce the size
of the room from an ideal, attendee friendly, 8 to 10 square feet per person
to 5.5 or 6, thereby making it a bit more difficult for them to get to the
food—and they’ll eat less.
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Buffets are always more expensive compared to portion controlled
servings.
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In planning which meals to provide; cocktail parties are less
expensive than a formal sit-down dinner, lunch is also less expensive than
dinner and alcohol is rarely included and breakfast is generally less than
lunch and alcohol is never included.
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Sometimes ethnic cuisines can be less expensive that more traditional
fare and generally more interesting too.
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Discuss with hotel chef meal possibilities incorporating lesser
expensive in-season food items compared to more expensive out-of-season
items.
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Fashion table center pieces
from painted polystyrene shapes rather than using flowers.
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Decorate in the fall with dried
leaves, resorts generally have plenty to give you or ask the venue's gardener
for plant cuttings.
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If another meeting is being held at the same property, food costs can
be lowered by selecting parallel or “ganging” menus.
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Do the same with rented theme props, outdoor heaters, entertainers,
speakers and such…
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Use theme props already owned by the property.
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If offering buffet breakfast and lunch, write into the contract that
the food remains out after the meal time and then only order “drink
refreshing” for the morning and afternoon breaks
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Buy coffee by the gallon rather than per-person.
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Accept the fact that if it’s not in the contract, even if it’s
promised, it’s most likely not going to happen.
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Co-op meeting notices with sponsors that would also like to mail to
your attendees—you supply the list, they supply the postage and labor.
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Hotel preferred vendors do not always offer the best price or value
package, consider shopping around for your necessary services.
-
Hold your meeting on a cruise ship, considering that everything is
generally included, the total cost might be lower.
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Use suppliers that you have used in the past and ask for a repeat
customer discount—you might get it as they know your performance
capabilities.
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For smaller meetings, consider purchasing hotel rooms and attendees airline tickets
on the internet.
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Hire children or youth groups
rather than actors where appropriate as they can be more fun and definitely
cost less.
