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. Final approval by CEO.

4. 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.