Food & Beverage for Events

In a recent New York Times article, event planners shared how they are coping with the U.S. dollar's weakness when planning international events. Not only can it make booking venues and hiring service providers tough for planners, the currency exchange can also be a big decision factor for your attendees.

"Sticker shock [for international events] existed before, but once you throw in the currency conversions on top of that, it’s pretty stark," Greg Talley, president and chief executive of Talley Management Group, told the newspaper.

Here are some of the tips they had to share on how to combat the sliding dollar:

1. Do some research and cost analyses and select your destination based on the exchange rates, when possible.

2. Pay the hotel and suppliers in advance to take advantage of a good exchange rate.

3. Use foreign currency contracts so that even if the dollar falls before your event takes place, you'll have locked in an acceptable rate.

4. Shorten your event to two days to cut back on hotel room costs.

5. If it's not necessary this year, keep your event at a domestic destination.

Whether you're considering a city nearby or one overseas, make sure to check out the Cvent Destination Guide to see how locations measure up in terms of hotels, convention centers, transportation options and more.