BETTER YET 11-1-2002

Meetings & Conventions: Short Cuts November 2002 Current Issue
August 2002
Short Cuts:BETTER YET

Pennywise Printing

Printing costs for show directories, marketing and registration materials can cleave a hefty chunk out of any event’s budget. Oakland, Calif.-based Grassroots Fundraising (www.grassrootsfundraising.org) offers the following tips on harnessing all of that red ink.

Invite suggestions. Before placing specific demands, tell the printer what you are considering, but say you are open to any cost-saving ideas they might have.

Count up. Printers routinely give volume discounts for orders above certain quantities. To qualify, carefully assess the number of copies needed before placing an order.

Plan ahead. Rushing a printing project can lead to rash decisions and embarrassing and/or costly proofreading errors. For instance, valuable dollars are often wasted reprinting a directory because a sponsor’s name was spelled incorrectly.

Go standard. Oversize menus and oddly shaped promo pieces might be eye-catching, but they are much more costly than standard-size items sometimes double the price.

• C.A.S.