Budget

1. Define Event Scope

• Event Type: internal training, member appreciation, customer-facing sale, or community event.

• Goals: increase traffic, boost member sales, brand visibility, member retention.

• Expected ROI: “Tent Sale should generate 3× marketing spend in member sales.”

2. Set Budget Categories

Break each event into consistent budget lines:

• Marketing & Promotion

  • Social media ads

  • Flyers/posters

  • Email campaigns

  • Billboards/local media (if applicable)

• Operations & Logistics

  • Rentals (tents, chairs, A/V, booths)

  • Décor & signage

  • Permits/insurance (if required)

• Labor & Staffing

  • Our Team Participation vs External Assistant (members or vendors)

  • Overtime/extra staff hours

  • Security, setup/cleanup teams

• Member/Customer Experience

  • Refreshments, live music, photo booth, raffles

  • Member recognition awards/gifts

• Contingency

  • 10–15% buffer for unexpected costs

3. Assign Budget Responsibility

• Event Owner → Store Manager or Marketing Lead.

• Approvals → Operations Manager.

• Tracking → Finance/Accounting via BMBerry.

4. Estimate & Allocate

• Use past events as benchmarks.

• Allocate costs by % of total budget (example for a $5,000 event):

  • Marketing: 40% → $2,000

  • Logistics: 25% → $1,250

  • Staffing: 15% → $750

  • Experience: 15% → $750

  • Contingency: 5% → $250

5. Approval Workflow

1. Event owner drafts budget proposal.

2. Submit to Operation Manager for review.

3. Log approved budget in BMBerry “Event Tracker” module.

6. Tracking During Event

• Record actual spend vs. budget by category.

• Require & Submit all receipts/invoices for all expenses.

• Update budget sheet weekly leading to event.

7. Post-Event Review

• Compare budget vs. actual.

• Track ROI: total vendor sales, foot traffic, occupancy leads, new vendor signups.

• Record lessons learned → create benchmarks for future events.

• Write a complete report about the event (good or bad) any notes will help in future events.