When you bring in a speaker for your next event consider all the costs involved. By considering everything up front, you can reduce costs by a significant amount.
 
From travel fees to follow up surveys, there are countless places to reduce the costs especially if you’ll consider these easy tips to slash prices:

1. Book early so your speaker can get the best airline prices. Three weeks before your event is cutting close and at two weeks or less you’ll definitely pay more for even short flights.
   
2. Double up by booking two or more professional speakers at once through the same speaker’s bureau or agency. This allows the booking agent to offer you a package price.
3. Block your booking by partnering with other local schools or with campus departments to book the same speaker for back-to-back dates. This allows for a discounted speaker fee as well as only one travel fee to be split between two or more locations.
4. Offer to drive your guest to and from the airport, and eliminate rental cars, taxi fares and parking fees.
5. House your guest speaker in on-campus housing or in a hotel booked through your school’s hotel account. Many schools and hotels have pre-arranged discounts.
   
6. Offer food to a weary traveler. Speakers have to eat when they’re on the road and often appreciate having lunch or dinner with your students, faculty of staff. Include them in any meals associated with your even or invite them to lunch or dinner with your leaders and they’ll often reduce their meal expenses.
7. Think local by holding your event on-campus. This will eliminate paying for a venue.
8. Bring ‘em back next time, next semester or next year. Many speakers will give you the same price they gave you last year as long as you bring them back for consecutive years. It’s a great way to get a consistent message on your campus and avoid rate increases.
   
9. Cash out early if your school’s policy and your budget will allow it. You may be booking an event for later down the road, but many speakers will offer a discount if you pay in advance. If they don’t offer the discount, ask for it.
10. Go Green, use e-mail and the Internet, avoid killing any trees and ask for a GO GREEN discount. You never know!

All of these tips can be implemented easily, allowing you to trim your budget and produce a quality event at a reasonable price.

Got any other ideas? Feel free to share.

PEACE.
Rick

Please give it some consideration if any of these topic areas fit your future student activities planning.

• Academic Enrichment & Study Skills
• Career and Job Fair Programs
• Diversity, Black History, Women
• Finances and Money Matters 
• Graduation & Commencement
• Orientation & First Year Experience
• Sexual Assault Awareness Programs
• Student Leadership Programs
• Professional Development Courses for Educators
• Speaker Discounts at Pro Speakers Bureau