Practical Ways to Reduce F&B Costs at Conferences
“Hotel food and beverage costs frequently consume the largest share of an event budget, but planners can control spend without attendees noticing. Conference Planning Services recommends simplifying menus and repurposing items like desserts and leftover fruit; scheduling sessions to eliminate unnecessary meals or building in “lunch on own” days; guaranteeing meal counts based on actual historical attendance (in one case, only about 50% of attendees ate breakfast) rather than full headcount; negotiating custom menus, 10–20% pricing discounts, and locked-in future pricing during contracting, since service charges and tax can add 25–35% to costs; managing coffee and bar consumption through per-person math and drink tickets; using sponsorships or local vendors like bakeries and food trucks; and negotiating flexible F&B minimums that credit room service or dining spend.”
