Budget Management

It’s no secret that budgeting for an event can be a painful procedure.

We’ll take all the pressure off your hands, drawing up a fully inclusive budget for your approval, keeping you updated along the way and delivering on target.

Your event manager will skillfully negotiate with all suppliers on your behalf to get you the very best price we can. We alleviate the need for you to track funds, re-calculate variable costs and monitor budget surplus and help you to save money but add value to your event.

If you are struggling with a financial plan or budget for your upcoming event, then you have come to the right place.

Budgeting for an event, whether a major brand expose or a simple in-house dinner, is one of the most critical aspects of our service. To achieve overall success and avoid the unnecessary waste of resources, you will need professional help. With McCullough Moore, you can’t get any more professional.

While it can be varied depending on the event being planned, a good budget lays the foundations for what can be achieved with the event. It also takes care of things that need to be scaled back, and which irrelevant ideas must be discarded during the planning process.

Managing your budget, the McCullough Moore way

Our company has pioneered a unique way to help businesses make the most of their budget, without dumbing down on quality. As a full-service events management company, with more than 10 years of experience, McCullough Moore’s strategy has seen many brands host highly-successful events on a modest budget.

As a result, we have sustained lasting relationships with our loyal customers, with over 50% of our client base retaining us from the first project commission. Our clients come from almost every sphere of the business sector: from food production to pharmaceutical, from healthcare to renewable energy brands. We are fully-equipped to help you optimise your budget for any event.

Our budgeting process: from initiation to completion

At McCullough Moore, we take the pressure away, drawing up an all-inclusive budget for your initial approval. Our consultants will always keep you in the loop with our activities, making sure every deliverable is ready on time.

Determining a budget is most easily achieved when a specific sum of money is allocated for the entirety of the event. This allows us to draw up a requirements plan that includes actual costs for each item to be used. Because our team has an extensive network of authentic suppliers, rest assured that we will always get the best bargain on any deal, from venue selection to theme décor and refreshments.

Reviewing the event’s needs

Our goal is to make sure you get an exceptional event, achieved within the budget you have. Before proceeding with the actual work, we will assess the financial elements. This includes cost considerations and the current funds available.

Our process is designed to foresee any likely shortages, so we can revisit the expectations and determine if a scale-down or alternative approach is necessary. We always work ahead of schedule to prevent the pressure of tight deadlines. Are you planning recurrent sources of income that could be injected into the planning? For instance, ticket sales, registration fees, co-sponsorships, and so on. The McCullough Moore process also takes this into consideration to ensure there is no confusion with cashflow.

Developing the budget and expense checklist

No two events are the same. Even if it is the same occasion, the approach you used last year will vary this year. Many factors are responsible for this, such as budget realities, differing preferences, new stakeholders, and so on.

Our budgeting process considers the unique nature of every event and prepares a checklist to accommodate the possible requirements.

Below are some examples; please note that you may not need everything in the list.

• Venue selection (outdoor or indoor? Themed occasion?)
• Printing (brochures, invitation, registration services)
• Postage, mailing fees
• Signage (banners, posters, and other marketing collateral)
• Catering (food, drinks, crockery, glasses, utensils, and so on)
• Rentals (tents, chairs, tables, décor)
• Audio/visual equipment (Projectors, microphone, speakers)
• Entertainment (music, live performance, entertainers)
• Attendants (waiting team- depends on the venue)
• Janitorial labour and maintenance fees
• Facilities usage fee
• Recycling
• Licenses and permits
• Guest speakers’ honoraria
• Additional guest arrangements
• Travel, Transportation, Hotel accommodation
• Video, filming, iTunes rendering
• Gifts, awards, plaques
• Nametags, place-tags, badges, table numbers
• Traffic control and Security
• First Aid services
• Parking arrangements
• General transportation (rented cars, shuttles)
• Additional supplies unique to the event

Venue selection

Our venue selection process is hinged on the nature of the event and other factors such as season, time of day, and budget. In summer, we generally have more outdoor events, while events like corporate Christmas parties, which occur during winter, are usually indoor affairs.

McCullough Moore consultants maintain a favourable relationship with hotel chains, restaurants and exhibitions centres. This makes financial negotiations easier. We always make sure our clients get the best deals.

Food and drinks

Some venues have a caveat on food and drinks arrangement. If you are taking your own refreshment into the establishment, there is usually a corkage fee attached. If your plans strictly require creating your own menu, we will work to ensure you get a favourable deal from the negotiation.

However, should you choose to patronise the in-house menu, you will be entitled to a discount. Similarly, buying wines in bulk is a great way to save money, as is renting crockery and utensils. Whichever decision is best for your budget, we will advise you accordingly.

Publicity and promotions

If advertising and promotions are going to be part of the event, funds must be allocated for print, radio and TV advertising (if applicable), including contracting the services of writers, actors, voiceover talent, and other marketing services.

McCullough Moore has a sophisticated ticketing program that incorporates your brand’s identity into the registration website, as well as a digital invite that prevents reproduction. There is also CRM software which imports the attendance list into the guest book to ensure the right guests are coming through the gate.

Post-event analysis

At the end of the event, we compare the budget outline with the actual expenditures made and the total income accrued. The result will be used to determine the financial success of the whole event. Our experts will alleviate the need for you to bother about the budget, so you can focus on your guests’ needs.

Why hire McCullough Moore?

McCullough Moore’s consultants consistently track funds, re-calculate variable expenses, and monitor the budget excesses, while helping your organisation save money and add value to the event.

• We are extremely transparent and keep you informed on a regular basis
• Our fees are affordable; you get real value for money
• We have 10+ years of experience and a financially astute team of consultants
• Our services are driven by professionalism and total confidentiality to the client.

Contact us today

Do you have an upcoming event? Let us plan your budget.

Call a McCullough Moore professional on +44 1293 851869

Our Services