Ralphy the raccoon is so hungry, but the school dumpsters are empty!! Where will he get delicious snack cakes and PB&J sandwiches to satisfy his cravings??
Draw us a picture of what you think any of the characters in this story look like, and then tag us in it on instagram @storiespodcast! We’d love to see your artwork and share it on our feed!!
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What are the differences between virtual and face-to-face events? How do you launch virtual events? How do you gather virtual attendance? These are some of the questions event and marketing professionals are asking themselves.
Mum’s birthday is on Halloween. The family is flying to New York to celebrate, but the plane they board is not at all what they are expecting – it is luxurious, old fashioned, and rather strange.
Dress up in black and shout out “BOO!” this Glam Haunted House Halloween Party by Bénica Fuenmayor, out of Santiago, Chile is a girl’s Halloween party come true!
Filled with spooky sweets and gold that shines, this fab event is for more than divine!
So give a big knock and creak open the door to witness these haunted details that lie in store:
Adorable Haunted House Cake
Black Haunted Houses with Pink Windows
Black Balloon Garland accented with Gold Skeleton Arms
Happy Halloween! We’re headed to Candy Land, a sugary laboratory where mathematicians found a mysterious candy dagger appear – over and over again. So gather up your candy box, and let’s discover out why mathematicians are studying candy to understand the real-life landscapes around us. Mathematician Leif Ristroph shares how he stumbled into making sweet experiments.
Want to learn more about the reason behind Leif’s experiments? Listen to our bonus interview episode, available for Patrons at the $1/level a month or higher. Pledge now at Patreon.com/tumblepodcast!
Visit our website to see photos and videos of the candy daggers, and find out what a stone forest looks like. Plus, follow Leif’s special recipe for “research-grade candy.” Check it out on the blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com!
Why is Mindy tip-toeing around? And can we please turn on a light?! We’ve got questions AND answers on today’s illuminating round of Two Whats?! & A Wow! We’re challenging you to find facts from fiction about LIGHT!
Event budgeting is often one of the least favorite parts of the planning process for anyone putting on an event. It’s tedious, constantly changing, and has to have every detail correct in order to be useful. But with some strategic planning (and the use of event budget management software), your event budget can also be one of your most helpful documents. It can clearly convey a huge amount of information about your event to tons of different stakeholders, can show the changes in your thinking throughout the planning process, and can serve as a helpful learning tool for future events.
So, how can you create an event budget that will cover every detail and remain flexible for contingencies? Keep reading to find out!
Explore 9 tips to help streamline your event budgeting process:
Your event budgeting should directly reflect everything you’re picturing for your event — from your overall vision to the decor, technology, setup, merchandise, and talent. If you close your eyes and picture a certain important element, then it needs to be in your budget.
If you’ve already crafted your event marketing plan, you can use language that you drafted for your vision and goals section. Otherwise, it’s a great idea to take some time to think through your objectives for this event. What do you want to accomplish? Beyond happy attendees, what goals does your organization have in putting on the event? What do you personally want to get out of it?
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Your event objectives will have a direct impact on the budget in the form of important decisions you make. For instance, if event attendees are VIPs that you want to impress, then venue and decor will be important line items. If this is an internal corporate event, you may want to focus more on engagement in the form of event technology, audio/visual equipment, and food. Certain objectives, like a routine company meeting, support cost cutting measures. Others, like sales conferences, lend themselves to spending more in return for better ROI. Think about how you’ll measure success for this event, and how your budget will be affected by these KPIs.
2. Look at past and similar events.
It doesn’t make sense to start your event budgeting from scratch every time you hold an event. Instead, look at past events that are similar in scope, objectives, and scale. For instance, a company anniversary event might happen every year or on specific milestone years. Even if you haven’t held this specific event before, you’ll likely have some related events you can look to. If you have multiple offices or departments, ask them about any events that are similar to yours as well. It’s much easier to edit a draft budget than to stare at a blank screen and try to come up with your own out of thin air.
Keep in mind that event trends and costs may have changed in the time since your inspiration event, and you’ll still need to research your specific costs. What you’re looking for isn’t an exact blueprint, but a ballpark figure and some inspiration on the types of line items to include so that you know where to start your research.
3. Start with a ballpark figure and refine.
Your budget will need to be constantly revised and updated throughout the event planning process. This is a living document, and will likely be edited and updated by multiple stakeholders with different (and maybe competing) priorities. Because of this, it’s helpful to start with a ballpark estimate for how much your event will cost, and then add detail to the estimate as you research your costs. This gives you the flexibility to start talking to stakeholders early about the costs involved, and to back those conversations up with hard numbers as you get closer to holding your event.
4. Start researching specific expenses.
Now is the time to start researching the specific line items for your budget. You should have a good list going of the things to include based on past events and similar inspiration events. But here are the basics to make sure you check them off:
For all of the costs mentioned above, you need to make sure to get multiple quotes from different vendors. This is a best practice to ensure you’re getting a good deal, as well as giving you the power to negotiate with vendors for a better price. The other advantage of multiple quotes is a better understanding of the cost landscape for that particular item. It’s only by talking with multiple vendors that you’ll get a sense of the range of costs. Vendors are the best source of information about their area. They can also help you to figure out what you need (and what you don’t). They may even have great tips on how to save money for a particular line item.
Some costs are contingent on other line items. For example, your A/V setup will depend on the venue. Other costs will be included with some venues and not others. For instance, parking, transportation from the airport, or Wi-Fi could all be included (or be add-ons) depending on the venue.
As you start to get quotes, make note of what’s included with each estimate and which costs are contingent on each other. That way when you do decide on a vendor, you know which items you can check off your list.
6. Consider how event income will balance expenses.
The amount of income you expect to generate from the event will have a huge impact on your overall budget. Your income can come from ticket sales, sponsorship relationships, goods and services sold during the event, and other creative sources. Make sure to include estimates for all of these sources of income in your event budgeting so that you and other stakeholders can see the true cost and estimated ROI of the event.
This can also work in reverse. Once you have a good idea of the expenses you expect to incur, you can craft sponsorship packages or ticket prices to offset the total figure. This gives you a clear objective for event income as well as keeping your costs under control.
7. Decide where to save and where to spend.
When it comes to event budgeting, no one is ever given an unlimited amount of spend (and if they are, it probably won’t happen again). This means planners have to pick and choose which aspects of the event are most important. These will be the areas where it makes sense to spend a little extra for really high quality options. As you move down your list of priorities, you’ll start to find areas to spend less, or even areas you can eliminate. Maybe you don’t need a separate VIP room after all, and can get away with a digital VIP experience. Or maybe you can skip the plated dinner and instead serve snacks and refreshments throughout your event. By prioritizing your needs, you’ll know where to invest those valuable resources.
8. Add in extra for incidentals and emergencies.
If you’ve had any experience with planning events, you know that something always seems to go wrong. You may end up without flowers and need to run to a florist the day of the event. Your A/V setup could be incompatible with the venue. Your speakers could call in sick. Whatever it is, you need to have a rainy day fund ready to put to good use. The extra amount you need will depend on the scale of your event and the contingencies you’re planning for. However, a good rule of thumb is to factor in an additional 15-30% of your total budget.
9. Make your budget document work for you and your team.
Remember, your budget is a living document that will change and grow as you get closer to your event. It will be an even more useful tool if you do a few things to format it well:
Include notes about payment deadlines alongside estimates, including deposits and when they need to be paid.
Include a column for actual costs as you start to pay for things so you know how your expenses compare to estimates. This is especially helpful for subsequent events to help you plan the next budget.
Write notes about cost contingencies, special deals offered, contact names, and details about each item so other team members can easily get the information they need.
Get started using these event budgeting tips today!
Armed with a solid understanding of what you’ll spend on your event, you can now make sure it’s worth the cost. Up next, take a look at our event ROI tips to make sure you get the most bang for your buck.
We’re highlighting event marketing professionals behind 2020’s top 100 cloud companies around the world. These are the heroes to watch.
For the 5th consecutive year, Forbes – Along with Bessemer Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures – has released The Cloud 100 – the top 100 brands that are leading the way in tech. These companies, ranging from startups to huge corporations, come from every industry all over the world. Those who make the list are carefully chosen by CEOs and executives in cloud computing based on valuation and sales, as well as culture and growth. And topping this list is no small feat.
A huge shout-out to the many Bizzabo customers who made the cut!
The Forbes Cloud 100 showcases thought leaders who are at the forefront of technology. The brands featured in the ranking are the organizations powering the evolution and progress of virtually every industry from retail to software. But behind every great organization is even better people, and these are the people who are leading their companies to greatness.
We’re highlighting senior event and marketing professionals whose work has caught our attention. The Cloud 100 Event Marketing Heroes are the leaders to watch as these organizations continue to grow.
Join us at Bizzabo’s upcoming (Almost) HYBRID virtual summit for sessions with senior leaders frombrands like IBM, CNBC, and Workhuman for a discussion about the future of events. And happy hours with your peers. RSVP for HYBRID today.