Financial 101 For Exhibitions: Budgets, P&Ls, And Cash Flow Basics For Non-Finance Teams
Running a great event isn’t just about logistics and attendee experience, it’s also a financial operation with its own rhythm. This 45-minute session is built for people new to the exhibitions and events industry who don’t sit in a finance role but still need to build, manage, or contribute to an event budget. We’ll break down how event finances actually work: why costs hit hard and early, why revenue trickles in from multiple directions (booth sales, sponsorships, registration), and why the gap between spending and earning creates a cash flow curve unlike most other businesses. You’ll leave with a practical, jargon-free framework for reading a P&L, spotting the difference between fixed and variable venue costs, and understanding why tracking profitability event-by-event, not just annually, it is one of the most important habits in this industry.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Build and navigate a basic event budget and P&L
- Distinguish fixed vs. variable venue and event expenses
- Understand the unique cash flow pattern of events
IAEE webinars are free to members and available to non-members for $79. This session is eligible to earn 0.75 clock hours towards CEM recertification.
Presenter(s): Bob Mclean, CPA, CAE, CEM
Sponsor(s): New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and New Orleans & Company
