In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox, hosts Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin sit down with seasoned event strategist Marisa Nebosky to break down the realities of budgeting in today’s evolving event landscape. With 2,000+ events under her belt, Marisa brings the kind of real-world, field-tested insights every event professional needs.

From her signature “Good, Better, Best” framework to the need for confident stakeholder conversations, she explores how to plan smarter, reduce stress, and create brand moments that actually convert.

Whether you're trying to stretch a budget or convince leadership to invest more, this episode offers tangible strategies, clear mindset shifts, and valuable resources to elevate how you build and measure event success.

🔹 Good, Better, Best Isn’t Just About Price—It’s About Framing

Marisa shares how presenting multiple design tiers helps stakeholders understand what each dollar buys. By giving visual and experiential clarity to price points, marketers can make the value of each investment feel tangible.

🔹 You’re the Expert—Speak with Confidence

As Marisa puts it, "We do this every day." Knowing your stuff and being able to clearly and confidently communicate trade-offs, timelines, and ROI is what earns stakeholder trust—and bigger budgets.

🔹 Budgets Should Reflect Goals—Not Just Line Items

Are you building brand awareness or pipeline? Marisa stresses the importance of defining success early. Not all ROI is revenue; impressions, engagement, and share of voice are often just as valuable.

🔹 Sustainability is Strategic, Not Just Ethical

From re-using modular booth components to capturing content that has shelf life beyond one show, sustainability means smarter long-term planning and more value for your spend.

🔹 Trusted Partners Are Everything

Working closely with agencies, designers, and fabricators early in the process helps reduce surprises and increase creative solutions.

As Marisa says, “It’s all about open, honest conversations.”

Want to finally feel confident in your event budget conversations? Don’t miss Marisa’s practical tips and candid truths on how to bring clarity, confidence, and strategy to your event planning process.

👉🏼 Join us for more insightful discussions like this by tuning into 'Event Marketer's Toolbox,' where industry leaders share the tools, tactics, and trends driving success in the event world.

This Show is sponsored by Blue Hive

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