Don’t Forget these Often-overlooked Items when Budgeting for 2026 & Beyond

Based on our extensive experience, we compiled four areas where event planners typically exceed their event venue budget. Consider these items before budgeting your events to help you minimize venue overages.

1. Understanding Overtime— The industry standard for labor is a 10-hour day, and anything over 10 hours is considered overtime. Many clients combine their load-in and rehearsal into one day, thinking it saves money. But in fact, the reverse is often true. The extra-long crew day can incur massive overtime for your budget. We work with clients and venues prior to signing a contract to allot enough time for load-in and rehearsals without adding an exorbitant amount of overtime.
2. Negotiating Rigging, Power, and Exclusivities— Many venues have exclusivity to rigging and power; however, these are negotiable if you do it before the contract is signed. Once contracts are signed, hotels and venues will lock you into higher-than-necessary prices with no wiggle room, which can be very costly.
3. Working with Unions— At union properties, union labor is required for certain key positions. Again, this is all negotiable prior to signing contracts. Our Technical Director has years of experience with unions all over the U.S. He also has strong working relationships with union brokers, which can save thousands of dollars on labor calls. Get our Technical Director involved immediately to start conversations and negotiate the best options for you.
4. Including Room Blocks for the Production & Creative Teams— Clients often don’t allocate enough room nights for the production team and key onsite positions to successfully manage load-in, rehearsals, and load-out. Prior to finalizing the room block, it's important to verify how many nights your entire creative, technical, and production teams need for a seamless load-in and load out.

Save Money with One Full-service Partner

Work with a trusted partner committed to your success! We are a full-scale event production company that successfully handles every aspect of events—from conception to execution. We can offer more competitive pricing and incredible value due to efficient operations, lower overhead, and experienced guidance. We take the time to really understand your needs and our founders are involved in every aspect of every project to ensure your satisfaction and prevent costly surprises. No matter what type of event—live, exhibit, experiential, incentive, virtual, or hybrid—or event size, we’re the only production partner you need. As you begin your event planning and budgeting season, let our expertise help you implement cost-effective and time-saving solutions.