Deliver events that look spenny without spending

Budgets of all shapes and sizes are getting squeezed, but B2B marketing events and experiences still need to deliver at the right quality levels. By getting creative with event plans, you can create an experience that looks and feels expensive by focusing on small touches and superb content. Here’s how to make your tighter budgets go further to deliver high-quality brand experiences…

A strong venue is the key to a successful event. To deliver spenny-looking events without having to overspend, consider selecting venues that bring a flavour of their own, with spaces that lean into your experience themes and focus. Venues that remain on the cheaper side while still maintaining character include rooftops, galleries or co-working spaces. Outdoor spaces especially provide a high-end feel with minimal adaptations and provide money-can’t-buy views of landscapes that also work as the perfect backdrop.

Utilise the simplicity of your event venue - it’s the perfect opportunity to transform a blank canvas into a branded takeover space. Transforming a generic space is easy and equally as cost-effective if you’re careful. With lighting, signage, digital screens and branded features, you’ll be able to make your event venue feel polished and consistent without having to dip into the purse strings. Partnering with up-and-coming venues is another cost-effective way to create an expensive-looking event - they may offer introductory rates or perks in exchange for exposure.

While your location plays a key part in your event, it’s vital that you have a strong content strategy that develops emotionally engaging content. If you plan carefully, you can create content that enhances the senses, inspires the mind and draws attention away from the surroundings. Provide sessions and speakers that are must-sees and relate all topics back to your overall event premise.

Punchy, digestible content that tells a story is vital - remember to tell a story that is led by solution-building, instant hooks, dynamic slides and star-studded performances. The sessions must echo and transition into one another seamlessly to ensure focus is maintained. Play on the senses with lighting, sound and even smells. Play into your themes and engage the audience through the content - it’s the real meat of the event. Your audience will be focusing on the stage so much that the expensive event elements will no longer matter.

An important factor for your expensive-looking event is how you’ll make it sustainable. Although it may seem like an additional cost element, if you make sustainable choices, you not only benefit the environment but your budget as well. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is a key strategy for your event, all of which will help you keep your costs down. Reduce the amount of transportation used, re-use assets from previous events and recycle your materials at the end of the experience.

Choose suppliers who share your sustainability mindset and can factor in your needs on a tighter budget. AV teams, for example, can offer LED walls, digital signage can be used instead of traditional signage, and caterers can use local and up-and-coming food outlets. Doing so will help you give back to the community while lowering spending costs. By partnering with suppliers who are low-waste, you tap into their cost-effective methods that are already set in stone, which also results in less planning. The result is that your event will be able to make cheaper, responsible choices while not compromising on style or substance. You’ll be able to reinforce your brand perception as a green leader in sustainable choices.

By blending character-rich venues with story-driven content and sustainable practices, you’ll be able to stage a spenny experience without actually spending. The magic isn’t how much you spend, but how you spend it, and your audience will be more engaged and connected to your brand if you prioritise their environment, reason for attending and green values.