Budgeting An Event

As I’ve been discussing, in order to plan a successful event, there are numerous tasks that need to be handled, including a major one, writing out a budget.  It would be nice to have a client say, “I want you to plan an amazing event for me and money is no object!”  However, that’s rarely the case.  There’s almost always some window of how much money can be spent and since we are learning about budgeting in my class this week, I thought this would be a perfect time to discuss this part of event planning. 

First off, there are a TON of websites that can be found to give you tips on starting a budget, budget proposals, as well as finding examples of budgeting templates, like this one called, The Great Event.  It’s a budget in a printable form that has most areas already spelled out so there’s not as much research as to what needs to be budgeted out.  Of course, not everything needs to be used in every event, but it is a great start! 

There’s also another website called, Docstoc.com, that gives a great example for a budget proposal.  Before there is a budget set in stone, research has to be done to see the roundabout figures that your company would possibly have to spend, and then it would be discussed and presented in a budget proposal.  The example above is in a PowerPoint presentation format.  The budget proposal is very important because it shows where and how the money will be spent so your clients don’t feel they are getting overcharged or cheated out of their money.  It also helps us, as event planners, become more organized with the money and make sure we don’t go over budget.

One last website that I want to discuss is www.ecu.edu.  This website is full of awesome information such as: budget preparation tips, including budget templates for download, definitions of common budget terms, budget preparation suggestions, possible budget cost items, plus even more budget tips.  I feel this website has a lot of useful information when it comes to budgeting.

All I had to do was go to Google and type in “concert budget” and thousands of sites and templates popped up that were easily accessed.  The ones I discussed were my favorite and most helpful so I thought I’d share them with everyone!  I’m sure some will be more helpful than others and since there are thousands to choose from, I’m sure some people will find others more helpful to them as well! 

Promoting Events Using Social Media

Event attendance depends a lot on how well the event is promoted.  It can make or break the event.  Luckily with social media and social networking, promoting is easier than ever!

The number one media platform that comes to mind when wants to promote an event is social media.  There's a website called BullsEye that gives "10 Clever Tweets to Promote an Event" using Twitter.  A couple examples are: letting the audience get behind the scenes as well as using competitions and giveaways.

There's another site that goes more in depth with multiple media platforms is Mashable.  Some of the platforms discussed are Skype and Googledocs.  There are even social media platforms not as common like, PBworks, where you can build an online team to promote, Ning, where you can build your own social networks, or GarysGuide where you can promote your event for thousands to see!

The possibilities are endless with social media and these are just a FEW examples of what can be used!  I promise if you check out one website, there will be related articles to take you to other sites that may give you information you didn't even think of!  You could think social media is the only way to promote events today, but find out there is more social media available than you thought, plus a whole lot more!  Check it out!

I'd also love to hear from others that have had to use social media to promote anything!  Thanks a lot guys!