Credit Crunch Conferences – Saving Money for Events in the Current Economic Climate

You may believe that doing all the hard work yourself is the cheapest and easiest way to go about planning a successful event. In fact, it is more likely to cost more - not only due to higher direct costs, but also in lost time and productivity.

Using a free venue-finding agency, such as In Any Event UK, can save you both time and money. We have years of experience in negotiating rates so that you get the best deal.

Some of our top money saving tips include:

§ Ask for jugs of tap water instead of bottled water – this is not only cheaper but better for the environment too as you are doing away with plastic bottles

§ Always check what is included in any rates you are given – they may sometimes include optional extras which you do not need

§ Find out if AV equipment is included in the price, if not, ask if it can be included

§ Choose the right layout for your seating plan – different layouts require different sized rooms which might increase your costs so it is important to think about how you want your delegates to interact with each other or the speaker

§ The larger your request the more power you have for negotiation on added extras and rates. If you have a series of bookings, highlight this at enquiry stage

§ Plan your event during the off peak seasons and days: Mondays and Fridays are especially good days as well as weekends. Peak seasons cost more and the venue may not have the time or the staff to devote to your meeting

§ Don’t accept the first rate that they quote: ask them questions such as ‘what is this reduced from’ or ‘what is your rack rate’. From this you can then see what sort of saving you have made

§ If working to a budget, offer the venue your overall budget and ask them to try and put a package together within this set amount

§ Simple hot lunches often cost less than a buffet and perhaps ask for biscuits or pastries to be included in your coffee breaks or taken out to cut costs


ASK! Always ask even if it is for something you do not think they will offer you. You won’t get it if you don’t ask.

Ensure that all negotiations and concessions are put in writing to avoid confusion and frustration at the time of confirming or settling your bills.

In these harder times, venues need to be accommodating to customers so there are better chances of negotiation and the addition of optional extras into the price, so take advantage today!