Planners are finding creative ways to cut programs while still maintaining — or even increasing — the perceived value of an experience. Cutting the amount they spend on gifting, entertainment, and decor, for example, are three ways to help offset expected price increases on hotel, air, and travel anticipated to continue in 2026. Focusing on things like access and status can actually upgrade the attendee experience at no extra cost.
Barbara Rohloff, global strategic sourcing manager at Enterprise Events Group, said that in her former role as procurement lead category manager at Prudential Financial, she was swapping Hawaii for San Diego, but also upending F&B norms she had followed for years.
Rohloff’s 2025 budgets were flat. With prices surging, she was forced to seek out a variety of solutions, including cutting either a breakfast, lunch, or breaks; doing away with decor; and scaling back on speakers and entertainment. “We’d still have them, but we were just not bringing in the best of the best,” she said.
The only way around the cost cliff is through a combination of strategic planning and specific decisions to spend less on AV, F&B, decor, speakers and entertainment, and gifting — making a big dent in an event’s budget with often little noticeable impact for attendees.
The affordability crisis is one of the trends featured in the Skift Meetings Megatrends 2026 report. Get your free copy here.
Eight Examples
Here are a few specific examples that came out of the Skift Meetings Cost-Cutting Idea Exchange webinar, an online sharing exercise of planners’ most successful cost-cutting ideas — a mix of broad strokes and very specific changes to typical meeting offerings:
1. Simplify Buffets
Limit protein and side selections to two proteins and three sides, instead of lavish spreads. This reduces waste and the per-person cost without compromising satisfaction.
2. Repurpose Food
Use breakfast pastries for morning breaks and lunch desserts for afternoon snacks.
3. Skip Dessert Courses
Replace plated desserts with sponsored dessert activations or communal dessert platters. Consider sponsorship opportunities for these.
4. Go Meatless
Substitute beef for seafood or plant-based proteins (like a “Meatless Monday”). It’s eco-friendly and cost-effective.
Ask venues for government or healthcare capped menus — these are pre-set affordable options rarely offered upfront.
6. Optimize Beverage Spend
Negotiate per-gallon pricing for coffee/tea rather than per-person. Offer limited cocktail options or mocktails to cut bar spend.
7. Use Lighting to Impress
Uplighting, gobos, and projection can transform rooms cheaply and cost less than elaborate stage builds.
8. Rethink Floral Centerpieces
Switch from single-use flowers to succulents, greenery, or edible displays such as bread or dessert platters. They’re reusable, sustainable, and visually engaging.
You’ll find the complete list of 33 Cost-Cutting Tips From the Pros here, and take a deep dive into the 2026 Skift Meetings Megatrend, “Planners Dangling at the Edge of the Cost Cliff,” by downloading the FREE report here.
