Event Management Mini Audit: How To Spend The Rest of 2025
Let’s face it: Event Management professionals are already mentally in 2026 and beyond, so when the holidays come around, it’s easy to get swept up in the magic, the meetings, and the merriment and forego the very-important administrative tasks you’ve avoided all calendar year so far. Not to worry! With a few weeks left, we’ve got you covered. This article will cover our top tips for event management professionals to be prepared for the New Year. My advice? Set a timer for each. Put on some Christmas Carols or Holiday Classics if you want to.
You’ll be surprised at how fast you get them done!
A Budget Briefing
Review all of your expenses and budgets for the year, compare to 2024 and research potential increases in material pricing for 2026. If you can, reach out to your most trusted vendors to ask about their 2026 pricing, or confirm whether the pricing intends to remain the same. Ask about things like service fees, rental fees and food pricing as well as material increases for audio visual, rentals and labor.
A Swag Supply Survey
Take inventory of your event swag and promotional items, especially if you’re storing them in a basement, closet or storage unit. Discard items with old logos, and organize the remaining items. Bonus if you already have an idea of the events you’ll be participating in for 2026, because you can begin to sort them for easy gathering when the time comes! For things like blankets, coffee mugs, etc, see if you can donate them to a local shelter or other organization who could use them.
A Debrief Document
Consolidate all internal and external feedback into one document. This includes surveys, anecdotal feedback, internal meeting minutes, etc. Create an end of year Events Report, or an Impact Report, with the data that can easily be referenced when you pick back up in the New Year.
Calendar Coordination
Put calendar holds on your team’s calendars for all major events next year, and include blocking time for pre-event and post-event activities. While you’re at it, pencil in your vacation days and make doctor’s appointments so you never miss them!
Goal Glean
Ensure you are aligned on all of your internal goals for 2026, not only for the Strategic Events side of things, but with sales or fundraising, marketing and communications, and leadership. That way, you can hit the ground running driving impact as soon as January rolls around.
2025 was a doozy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t plan our best for a strong 2026! What are you doing to set yourself up for success in the New Year?