The Ultimate Event Budget Guide: How to Plan, Track, and Save Smart

Your event budget needs current supplier quotes, realistic ticket sales and a payment schedule you can fund. Industry forecasts can help explain the wider market, but they don't price your event. For context, the 2025 CWT and GBTA forecast discussed moderating corporate travel prices and continuing cost pressures. Check local quotes before applying its outlook to your own plans. (GBTA/CWT forecast)

An event budget should tell you whether the event can make money, how many tickets you need to sell, and whether you can pay suppliers before the ticket revenue reaches your bank. Start with the full cost of delivering the event, build a realistic sales forecast, then check profit and cash timing separately. A sold-out room can still leave you with a loss if you priced the tickets against an incomplete cost list.

This guide walks through that process for paid conferences, festivals, workshops and other ticketed events. You'll learn how to compare supplier quotes, calculate break-even sales, protect cash for refunds, and decide what to cut when sales fall behind. The worked examples use illustrative numbers, so you can follow the calculations without mistaking someone else's budget for a benchmark.

Why is an event budget important?

PCMA's 2025 meetings market survey describes pressure on food, beverage and production budgets. It covers the meetings sector, so use it as context rather than an assumed increase for your event. Your suppliers' current scope and terms determine what you actually owe. (PCMA meetings market survey)

• Financial control and transparency: See what you have agreed to spend, who approved it and when payment is due.

• Avoid overspending and debt: Compare available cash with the payments due before you place another order.

• Maximize ROI: Check whether the event can return enough profit after all delivery and selling costs.

• Understand package costs and delivery commitments before approaching sponsors. Read our guide to event sponsorships.

Step-by-step guide to creating an event budget

Step 1: define event goals and objectives

The first thing you want to do is decide what this event needs to return to the business. Write down the minimum acceptable profit, the money you're prepared to risk, and the latest date you can change the format without losing large deposits. Those decisions matter before you choose a venue. Otherwise, you can spend weeks producing an event that was never likely to cover its costs.

For a recurring event, include the work between editions. Planning time, customer support and year-round software still cost money even when the event itself lasts one night. Decide how much of those business costs this edition must cover and apply the same method next time. If you leave the owner's time out, label the result as profit before paying the owner. Don't quietly treat unpaid work as a saving.

Write down the audience promise too. A hands-on workshop needs enough tutors and equipment for buyers to participate. A music event needs a credible lineup and reliable sound. These are reasons people buy tickets, so a budget that removes them may reduce demand as well as spending. Your financial goal and the experience you're selling have to work together.

Not sure where to start? Use a structured planning workflow to define scope, timelines, and owners, then convert those decisions into budget lines. Our event planning checklist can help you lock the fundamentals before you allocate dollars.

Step 2: estimate all potential costs

Build each estimate from quantities and current quotes. A venue headline price tells you very little until you know the hours, rooms, equipment and staff it includes. Start with the production plan, walk through load-in, doors, the event and load-out, and write down who supplies everything required at each stage.

• Venue and rentals include room hire, furniture, staging, power, internet, cleaning, storage and access outside the advertised event hours. Ask whether the venue requires you to use its own suppliers.

• Food and beverage includes attendee meals, crew meals, dietary requirements, service charges, minimum spends and the deadline for your final guaranteed headcount.

• Production includes sound, lighting, screens, rigging, technicians, rehearsals, delivery and collection. A rental price without the crew needed to operate it is an incomplete quote.

• People include event staff, security, medical support, cleaners, talent, travel and accommodation. Include setup and pack-down hours as well as the time attendees are present.

• Selling costs include advertising, creative, ticketing and payment fees, promoter commissions, refunds and customer support. Track these separately so you can see what remains from each sale.

• Other obligations include permits, insurance, accessibility arrangements, waste removal, sponsor delivery and a reserve for identified risks. Assign an owner to check each requirement rather than assuming the venue covers it.

Separate fixed costs from costs that rise with attendance

A fixed cost stays roughly the same within the event plan, such as your room hire. A variable cost increases with each attendee, such as a meal. Some costs rise in steps. You might need another registration worker or a larger security team when attendance crosses an agreed threshold. Record the threshold in your notes so the forecast changes when you cross it.

This distinction makes a lower sales forecast useful. If you sell fewer tickets, the venue bill may stay the same while catering falls only as far as your minimum guarantee allows. Recalculate each line under its actual terms. Reducing every expense by the same percentage as attendance can make a weak event look profitable on paper.

Include accessibility in the initial scope. The US Department of Justice's effective communication guidance explains the obligation to communicate effectively with people with communication disabilities. Check the arrangements your event needs, who provides them and what they cost before signing suppliers. Local requirements vary; a budget reserve doesn't replace checking them.

Step 3: research and gather quotes

Send suppliers the same written brief so their quotes answer the same question. Include the event date, audience size, access hours, site limitations, equipment, staffing and what you expect them to deliver. Ask them to identify exclusions. A cheaper quote that leaves out an essential technician can become the most expensive option once you add the missing work.

Ask for the full payable amount and its payment schedule, with tax, service charges and delivery shown separately. Check which quantities are estimates, what triggers overtime, and when a change becomes chargeable. Where the scope is uncertain, request the price for the likely change now. You want to know the cost of an extra rehearsal hour before the crew is waiting for a decision.

Compare suppliers on the same scope, then consider useful alternatives. Could one room host the daytime sessions and evening programme without an expensive reset? Would a simpler stage plan reduce crew hours? The supplier may have a practical suggestion you haven't considered. Put any agreed saving into the revised quote; a friendly conversation isn't a contract amendment.

Finally, record quote expiry dates. An estimate that expires before your ticket launch isn't a firm basis for a sale price. Mark it as provisional, identify who will confirm it, and decide what happens if the supplier's price changes before you book.

Step 4: prioritize and allocate funds

Fund the requirements that make the event safe, accessible and worth buying first. Then assess optional spending against the profit you expect to keep. It can be tempting to approve a small upgrade because the overall budget is large. The better question is how much of your remaining profit that upgrade would use.

Suppose your illustrative forecast shows $8,000 profit and an upgraded stage backdrop costs $2,000. That change uses a quarter of the projected profit. It may still be worthwhile if the backdrop is part of a confirmed sponsor agreement. If it simply looks nicer in the production deck, consider a cheaper treatment. Explain the choice in those terms so the team understands what it costs the business.

Keep optional items visible with a release condition. You might approve an extra camera only after ticket sales pass a defined level and cash covers the next supplier payments. Check that waiting won't increase the rental price or make the item unavailable. A conditional decision needs a deadline and an owner.

Don't copy a standard percentage allocation

A conference that supplies lunch has different costs from a club night in a venue with installed sound. Both can be well run, and their budget percentages will look nothing alike. Use allocation percentages to examine your own editions after the event, with notes about what changed. They are a poor starting point for deciding what an unfamiliar format should cost.

Step 5: create a detailed budget spreadsheet and dashboard

Your budget needs to distinguish what you planned, what you've agreed to pay, what you've already paid and what you now expect the event to cost. Those are different numbers. If you track only invoices paid, a large signed production contract can remain invisible until its final payment is due.

Use one row for each clear piece of scope. Include the category, supplier, description, quantity, unit price, tax, total forecast, amount committed, amount paid, remaining payment and due date. Add a link to the quote or contract, its cancellation terms and the person responsible. A separate notes field should explain the assumption behind an uncertain number.

Keep the original approved budget in its own column. Update the latest forecast as facts change, then compare the two. If a supplier's final price increases, changing the original estimate would hide the overrun. Show the difference and the action you're taking. You can revise the approved plan deliberately while retaining the earlier version.

Supporting records matter after the event too. The IRS guide to business records describes documents that identify the payee, amount, payment evidence, date and business purpose. Build that habit into the budget now so the person closing the accounts doesn't have to reconstruct purchases from a bank statement.

Forecast ticket revenue before you approve the spend

Build the revenue forecast by ticket type and release. Multiply the number you expect to sell at each price, account for discounts and refunds, and show the organizer's selling costs. Then compare the total with the cost forecast. Your advertised full-price ticket is usually a poor substitute for the average amount you expect to keep.

Keep complimentary places separate from paid attendance. A sponsor guest can use a seat and need a meal without generating ticket income. Some guest allocations are a worthwhile part of selling sponsorship or attracting a speaker. Budget the cost of serving those guests against the agreement they support so you can assess the full exchange.

Only use confirmed non-ticket income in the base budget. A sponsor saying the proposal looks interesting is useful sales progress, but it isn't money you can safely commit to a supplier. Track likely sponsorship in a separate forecast with the outstanding decision and expected payment date. Once an agreement is signed, check its delivery conditions and payment terms before counting on the cash.

Check what remains after ticketing fees

Fee assumptions deserve their own check. In Loopyah's February 2026 Pollfish survey of 350 paid- and free-ticketed-event organizers, respondents estimated different shares of ticket revenue going to platform fees. The chart shows the original answer bands from question 14. These are self-reported estimates from that mixed sample, not audited platform prices or a forecast of your event's fees.

Source: Loopyah Event Creators Survey 2026, question 14, Pollfish, fielded February 11, 2026, n=350. Raw responses; percentages are rounded. The sample includes organizers of free-ticketed events, so these results should not be presented as a paid-event-only benchmark.

For your budget, use the agreement that applies to your event. Check whether the organizer or buyer pays each fee, whether card processing is included, and what happens when you refund an order. Fees charged per order behave differently from fees charged per ticket when buyers purchase several places together. Test an actual order in the forecast rather than applying a rough percentage to all sales.

Price disclosure is another reason to check the whole checkout. For US live-event ticketing, the FTC's guidance on its rule about fees explains the requirement to present total prices including mandatory fees upfront, with specified exclusions. Verify the requirements that apply to your sales. Passing a fee to the buyer doesn't make the final amount irrelevant to demand.

Make sure the cash arrives before the bills

Profit and cash timing are separate checks. A profitable forecast can still leave you unable to pay a deposit next week. Add a weekly cash schedule showing the opening bank balance, money you expect to receive, payments due and closing balance. Use dates when money becomes available, rather than the date a ticket sells or a sponsor receives an invoice.

Here's an illustrative example. You have $8,000 available for the event. The venue needs $6,000 this week and production needs a $5,000 deposit next week. Only $2,000 of ticket payouts are expected to reach the bank before those payments. Available cash is $10,000 against $11,000 due, so you have a $1,000 gap even if the final event forecast shows a profit. You need to change a payment date, arrange appropriate funding or change the commitment before signing.

Add refund obligations to the cash plan. Money already in the bank may still have to return to buyers under your terms or applicable requirements. Decide what cash you need to retain against the exposure and keep it visible when assessing how much you can spend. Treat an uncertain sponsor payment as uncertain rather than assuming a supplier will accept a delay if the sponsor pays late.

Check the period after the event as well. Crew invoices, venue reconciliation and refunds can arrive after the last ticket payout. Don't transfer the apparent surplus out of the business while those amounts remain unresolved. When running several events, keep each event's commitments visible so one healthy bank balance doesn't conceal money already needed for another edition.

Set a reserve around specific risks

Write down what could require extra money, the action you would take and the likely cost of that action. Outdoor weather cover, replacement equipment and extra crew after a delayed finish are different risks. Confirm whether the backup is actually available, when it must be booked and whether securing it requires a deposit now.

A percentage reserve can be a useful starting check, but it doesn't prove you've funded the risks. An event with fixed indoor production has different exposure from one waiting on a weather decision. Keep uncertain supplier estimates separate from emergency reserves so the same money isn't being used twice. If the lighting quote is still provisional, show that uncertainty on the lighting line.

Agree who can release the reserve and for what purpose. An optional upgrade shouldn't consume money held for an essential backup without an explicit review. As each risk passes, update the amount you still need. Wait until the relevant obligations are resolved before treating unused reserve as money available for another project.

Strategies for saving money on your event budget

Start with decisions that remove work. A shorter hire period, simpler room layout or fewer separate supplier visits can save money without asking attendees to accept less of what they came for. Check the whole effect, though. A cheaper venue may need hired equipment and extra transport that an apparently expensive venue already includes.

• Negotiate with vendors: Ask which changes to scope or timing reduce the full bill, then get the revised amount in writing.

• Seek sponsorships and partnerships: Include the cost of each promised benefit before setting the package price. Explore our guide to event sponsorship for frameworks and examples.

• Use early pricing strategically: Set a limited early release and calculate its effect on average ticket receipts. Include the cost of anything bundled with the ticket.

• Compare dates and venues: Compare the venue's full quote with travel, equipment and staffing costs. A lower room rate can come with additional work elsewhere.

• Reduce waste and go green: Use attendance and consumption records to set quantities, while checking supplier minimums and the terms for reducing an order.

• DIY vs. outsource: Compare the supplier quote with the time and skills your team would need. Keep specialist work with qualified people.

• Assess digital access separately: Budget the crew, rights, captions, platform and support required for a paid stream. Check that expected digital receipts justify the work.

Treat discounts as a revenue decision. If an early ticket is cheaper, calculate the cash it brings forward and the profit it gives up. A group package can help fill the room, but the extra attendees may also need meals or materials. Keep the package's total revenue and total delivery costs together. Otherwise, a successful promotion can reduce the money you keep.

Tracking and managing your event budget

Review the latest sales, cash and supplier commitments together. A cost report can look healthy while ticket sales are behind and another deposit is due. Choose a review frequency that matches your sales cycle, with extra checks before cancellation dates, catering guarantees and major payment deadlines.

At each review, ask what changed since the last forecast and which decision it requires. Assign each change to a person and a date. If catering is over budget because the headcount increased, the extra ticket revenue may cover it. If the venue added a charge for access you assumed was included, the event may have lost profit without gaining anything. Those problems need different responses.

For marketing, review the money left after each ticket sale as well as the advertising report. A campaign with cheap purchases can still be unprofitable if it mainly sells a heavily discounted ticket. Compare the net ticket revenue with delivery costs, commissions and ad spend. Allow for the delay between someone seeing an ad and buying, and avoid crediting several channels with the same order.

You can use the event budget template below as a starting structure. Add the payment dates, supplier terms and sales assumptions your event actually needs, and check its formulas before relying on the totals.

How to build a budget for different event types

Keep the same basic method across formats, then change the assumptions that affect delivery. Capacity, sales timing and who pays for each part of the experience matter more than a standard category percentage.

Conferences and summits

For a paid conference, distinguish sellable delegate places from speaker, crew, sponsor and complimentary allocations. A room with a stated capacity doesn't necessarily have that many tickets available to sell once you allow for the actual layout and guest commitments. Confirm the usable capacity with the venue and calculate revenue against the remaining paid inventory.

Check accommodation commitments separately from ticket sales. A room-block agreement may leave you responsible for unused rooms under its terms. Put the review and release dates into the cash forecast. For meals, ask whether speaker and staff catering is included in the attendee quote; those people need to eat even though they aren't buying delegate tickets.

Trade shows and expos

Expos can collect substantial exhibitor revenue before attendee ticket sales, but each package creates delivery work. Price the shell scheme, furniture, power, badges and account management included in the package. Keep exhibitor deposits, outstanding balances and refund terms visible. A signed exhibitor contract and cash available to pay the floor contractor are different things.

Music events, festivals and club nights

Start with the talent agreement, venue deal and production required by the lineup. Confirm whether you owe a fixed guarantee, a share of ticket revenue, or a guarantee with additional payment above an agreed result. Include support acts, travel, accommodation, hospitality and any technical requirements you must supply. A headline fee alone doesn't show what booking the act will cost.

Check bar, food and merchandise income against the venue agreement. The venue may keep that revenue, split it with you, or charge a commission. Use the amount the organizer actually receives after the agreed costs. Don't budget the audience's total spend as your income.

Nonprofit or fundraising events

For a ticketed fundraiser, separate cash donations, ticket income and donated goods or services. A donated venue reduces the cash you need, but its stated value cannot pay the caterer. Show the cash budget clearly and record in-kind support in a separate schedule so trustees and sponsors can understand both.

Include the cost of fulfilling each fundraising promise. Auction delivery, payment processing and donor communications can continue after the room closes. If a sponsor pays later, keep that timing visible rather than assuming the event's total money raised is immediately available.

Virtual and hybrid events

For a paid online event, quote the production and platform requirements against expected viewers and the access you promise. Recording, captioning, moderation and support still need people. With hybrid events, identify which costs serve both audiences and which exist only for the stream. That lets you judge the digital offer without assuming an extra ticket is almost free to deliver.

If you sell on-demand access, include the work after the live event. Someone must check the recording, resolve rights questions, prepare the files and support buyers. Budget those tasks before using future recording sales to cover today's production contract.

Budgeting for ROI: measuring impact beyond spend

For an event business, start with the money the event returns after its costs. Satisfaction and repeat attendance help explain whether that result is sustainable, but they don't pay an invoice. Keep them in the review without using them to obscure a loss.

Link spend to business goals

Track ticket revenue after refunds and any taxes you collect for the authorities, then subtract the event's full costs. Include the fee the organizer absorbs and avoid subtracting it twice if your sales report already presents net receipts. Use the same approach for sponsor and exhibitor income so the total has a consistent meaning.

Quantify performance metrics

Work out profit margin by dividing profit by revenue on the same basis. In an illustrative event with $60,000 revenue and $54,000 total cost, profit is $6,000 and profit margin is 10%. Dividing $6,000 by $54,000 gives a different measure, the return on the cost. Name the calculation you use so two people aren't presenting different percentages for the same event.

Reallocate based on ROI

Then examine the reasons behind the result. Which tickets sold, which channels brought buyers, and which costs changed with attendance? Use that evidence when planning the next edition. A popular session may justify a larger room next time, but check the extra rental, production and staffing against what buyers will pay. Popularity alone doesn't tell you whether expanding it makes financial sense.

What to do when your event budget gets cut

When sales disappoint, update the forecast before making cuts. The amount you can still save depends on what you've already committed and what the contracts allow. Removing an item from a spreadsheet doesn't cancel the supplier's invoice.

Step 1: revisit event goals

List the attendee promises, safety requirements and signed commitments you must honour. Then identify the costs you can still change without creating another bill. This tells you whether you have a spending problem you can fix, a sales problem that needs more time, or an event plan that no longer works at the likely attendance.

Step 2: trim strategically

Price the available changes in writing. Consolidating rooms may save rental but trigger a layout change fee. Cutting a meal may breach a package already sold to attendees. Removing a decorative build could be straightforward if materials haven't been ordered. Compare the net saving and the consequence for buyers before approving the change.

Avoid cutting the staff or equipment the safety plan requires. The UK's Health and Safety Executive says event emergency planning should reflect the risks and includes contingencies such as severe weather, unavailable staff and a cancelled act. Check the resources your plan depends on before treating any of them as optional.

Step 3: re-negotiate contracts

Speak with suppliers while they can still change the work. Ask which costs they have already incurred, what can be removed, and whether a smaller scope changes cancellation charges. A payment extension can help cash timing, but it doesn't reduce the event's cost. Record the revised agreement and update both forecasts.

If the forecast still shows a loss beyond the amount you're prepared to risk, compare continuing with cancellation or postponement under the actual contracts and ticket terms. Check the obligations with the relevant advisers before deciding. The useful time for that comparison is before another large payment becomes non-refundable.

Step 4: communicate transparently

Explain material changes to buyers and partners promptly, including what happens to anything they purchased that you can no longer deliver. Budget the work of customer support and any refunds or alternatives you owe. Silence may postpone an uncomfortable conversation while increasing the number of people affected.

Event budgeting mistakes to avoid

Most budget errors become expensive because they stay hidden until a deadline passes. Check these five areas before committing the next large payment.

Mistake 1: using last year's budget as a template

Use last year's invoices to remember the scope, then get current prices. Note whether the previous edition needed a late generator hire, overtime or extra security that never reached the original plan. Carrying forward only the first approved budget repeats its omissions.

Mistake 2: ignoring soft costs and taxes

Ask which taxes, service charges and mandatory fees apply to every quote, and whether they are calculated on other charges too. Have the relevant adviser confirm the tax treatment for your location and event. Show amounts collected for the authorities separately from money the business can spend.

Mistake 3: forgetting attrition and shrinkage

Check each supplier's minimum rather than assuming lower attendance reduces the bill. A catering guarantee, venue minimum spend or travel booking can remain payable even when people don't attend. Track expected attendance for operations and paid tickets for revenue; those counts serve different purposes.

Mistake 4: poor version control

Choose one current budget and record changes there. Keep dated copies for approval history, but make it obvious which version the team should use. If a supplier changes the scope in an email, update the budget and link the message before someone makes another decision using the old amount.

Mistake 5: underestimating labor costs

Quote the complete working day, including breaks, setup, rehearsal and load-out. Ask how minimum calls and overtime apply, and whether a delayed finish changes transport or accommodation costs. A schedule that runs late can increase several bills together, so review those assumptions with the production lead.

Budget collaboration tips for cross-functional teams

A small team can still approve the same expense twice or assume someone else has paid it. Agree how orders and changes enter the current budget before event week.

Use a centralized, shared budget tool

Keep the working budget accessible to the people responsible for its figures. Protect formulas and approved amounts, and link contracts and invoices. Readers should be able to identify the latest information.

Define roles and approval paths

Name the person who owns each cost and the person who can approve a change. Set a backup for event day. If the approver is onstage or out of contact, the crew needs a clear decision route before a delay starts adding costs.

Connect budget to project management

Add payment and decision dates to the event schedule. The catering guarantee belongs beside the attendance forecast review; the stage design approval belongs before the supplier orders materials. Those connections help the team act while a number can still change.

Align on goals and metrics

Use the same definition of sales and profit across the team. Marketing may report gross orders while finance reports receipts after refunds and fees. Reconcile the difference in the budget rather than asking either person to guess what the other's number includes.

Worked event budget examples

These examples are hypothetical calculations, not reports of customer results. They show how attendance, ticket prices and committed costs affect the outcome. All amounts are USD, and each example states how it treats selling costs.

Example 1: a paid conference with 1,000 sellable tickets

Suppose fixed delivery costs are $40,000 and each paid attendee adds $20 of catering and materials. After discounts, refunds, absorbed selling fees and any remitted taxes, the average ticket leaves $80 before those attendee costs. Each paid ticket therefore contributes $60 towards fixed costs and profit.

Break-even paid tickets = fixed costs divided by contribution per paid ticket. Here, $40,000 divided by $60 is 666.67, so you need 667 paid tickets. At that level, the model produces $20 above break-even. Round the required number up because you can't sell part of a ticket.

At 800 paid tickets, net ticket receipts are $64,000. Attendance costs are $16,000, and fixed costs remain $40,000, leaving $8,000 profit. At 600 paid tickets, receipts are $48,000 and attendance costs are $12,000, leaving a $4,000 loss. The event doesn't become cheaper at the same pace as the sales fall.

For a target profit of $12,000, add that target to fixed costs before dividing. The calculation becomes $52,000 divided by $60, requiring 867 paid tickets. Compare that requirement with the actual sellable inventory and evidence of demand. A budget that needs nearly every available ticket to sell leaves little room for a weaker sales week.

Example 2: a workshop with a catering minimum

Suppose a workshop has $3,000 fixed costs, $100 net receipts per paid place and $20 in materials for each participant. Catering costs $1,000 for up to 50 people under the agreed minimum. At 50 paid attendees, receipts are $5,000, materials cost $1,000 and the event breaks even after fixed costs and catering.

If only 40 people book, catering still costs $1,000. Receipts fall to $4,000 and materials fall to $800, producing an $800 loss. Treating all attendee costs as variable would understate that loss. Before signing, ask whether the minimum or the guarantee date can change and whether a smaller room or different catering offer makes the workshop viable.

Tools and resources for event budgeting

A spreadsheet can manage the plan, but ticket sales should come from the system that records the orders. Loopyah's ticketing tools show sales by source and support ticket types with releases at different prices and quantities. Use that information to replace assumptions about the sales mix with actual purchases as the campaign develops.

That still leaves the operator responsible for supplier commitments, tax treatment and the full event forecast. Reconcile sales reports with refunds, fees and bank receipts, then use the resulting figures in the budget. A ticket dashboard and a bank balance answer different questions, and neither alone shows the profit you expect to keep.

Want fresh promotion tactics to improve your paid/owned/earned mix and get more value from your budget? Explore these creative event promotion ideas to boost demand without overspending.

How to present your event budget

Start the approval discussion with expected paid attendance, forecast profit and maximum cash needed before the event. Explain the assumptions most likely to change the result.

Focus on strategic alignment

Present the base forecast alongside a lower-sales case using the same supplier terms. Identify unconfirmed sponsorship separately so the approver can see whether the event works without it.

Visualize data

A useful budget chart shows when cash reaches its lowest point or how profit changes with attendance. Label forecasts and make their assumptions available. A spending breakdown alone cannot explain the risk.

Prepare the choices

Explain the cost, capacity and commitment dates of the available choices. A smaller room may reduce the possible loss while limiting the tickets you can sell.

Record the decision

Record the approved budget version, spending authority and next review date. Specify which new commitments would require another approval.

Before you commit the next payment

Open the current budget and check the break-even ticket count against your sellable capacity. Then check the lowest cash balance against the money you can actually access. If either depends on an unconfirmed sponsor or a sale you haven't made, decide which commitment can wait or change before its deadline.

Ask each supplier owner to confirm the remaining bill and the date it becomes unavoidable. Update the sales forecast using the tickets and prices buyers are choosing now. Once those figures agree, you have a budget that can support a decision about the next payment.