BUDGETING / WORKSHEET
Event budget worksheet
Build the budget from the details of the show. Enter planned and actual costs below, or download the blank worksheet. Amounts should use one currency; this worksheet does not convert currencies.
Set the budget basis
- Choose the event, budget owner and currency before adding amounts.
- Use planned costs consistently: include known taxes and fees, and identify estimates.
- Set a contingency amount for uncertain costs rather than treating it as money already spent.
- Separate event cost from payments: a deposit and balance pay for one expense, not two expenses.
Keep totals consistent
- Record shared travel and vendor invoices once, even when they cover several people or services.
- Include invoice-level taxes and fees in the appropriate category without counting them again.
- Record credits and refunds separately, then subtract them from the cost total.
- For giveaways, decide how used quantities are valued and apply the same basis across shows.
Review after the show
- Compare the final invoice and recorded costs for each category.
- Enter unexpected costs, such as a customer dinner or last-minute shipping.
- Review unpaid balances separately from the expense total.
- Explain material differences between planned and actual costs for the next event.
Your event budget
Enter positive amounts in one currency. Credits are subtracted. Entries stay on this page and reset when you leave; print this page to keep a filled copy. The downloadable PDF is blank.
Contingency is an allowance. Don’t count the allowance again as actual cost when an expense is already entered in another category. A positive total difference means over budget.
A starting point for your team. Adapt it to organizer instructions, your organization’s policies and the event’s actual requirements.
Put the plan in one workspace.
Explore the tools behind the checklist, from readiness to event closeout.