Here are 6 of the best event budget templates we’ve seen

Every successful event starts with a solid budget, and finding the right template can make or break your financial planning. 

From basic spreadsheets to comprehensive workbooks, event budget templates help planners track expenses, forecast revenue, and maintain profitability. In this EventsAir guide, we share six of the best free event budget templates – and introduce you to a more powerful, flexible alternative.

But first…

What is an event budget template?

An event budget template is a pre-formatted document designed to help planners track and manage their event finances. 

These templates provide a structured framework for listing all potential revenue streams and expenses – from venue costs to marketing spend. They often include built-in formulas and categories specific to events that stay organized when it comes to:

• Tracking expenses
• Recording revenue
• Projecting financials 
• Generating reports for stakeholders

…and more.

Whether it takes the form of a spreadsheet or software, a good template is both a planning tool and a real-time financial tracker throughout the event lifecycle.

Why are event budget templates helpful?

The most obvious reason is that they eliminate the need to build your budget structure from scratch.

Instead of staring at a blank spreadsheet trying to remember every possible cost category, you can start with a proven framework that covers common event expenses, revenue streams, and essential calculations. This can save you hours of setup time.

Beyond that, event budget templates also:

• Minimize oversight: Use pre-built categories to ensure no crucial expense gets forgotten in your planning.
• Standardize processes: Create consistency in how you track and report finances across all your events.
• Simplify reporting: Generate professional financial summaries for stakeholders with built-in calculations and formulas.
• Guide planning: Use proven structures to make informed decisions about resource allocation and spending priorities.

6 Essential free event budget templates

1. ClickUp’s Event Budget Template

ClickUp’s event budget template doubles as a project management tool that helps you track both spending and deadlines in one place. 

The template comes loaded with basic budget tracking functionality, task management with custom statuses, and multiple viewing options including List View and Guide View. Users can use custom fields for expense categorization as well as ClickUp’s well-known project management features.

What we like:

• Integration with ClickUp’s wider project management ecosystem
• Ability to track expenses while managing tasks and deadlines
• Built-in team communication tools
• Flexible viewing options for different planning styles
• Custom status options for tracking expense progress

What we don’t like:

• Potentially complex for simple budgeting needs
• Requires a ClickUp account to access
• Notable learning curve for new users
• May include paid features you won’t use
• Not a standalone solution

Best for: 

Event planners who want their budget template to be part of a larger project management solution, especially if they’re already using ClickUp for other aspects of their work.

2. Smartsheet’s Event Budget Template

Smartsheet’s event budget template takes event budgeting beyond basic expense tracking.

The template offers detailed financial planning capabilities with pre-built categories covering everything from venue costs to social media spending. It comes equipped with visualization tools including pie charts and bar graphs that help track projected versus actual spending in real time.

What we like:

• Includes data visualization features
• Comprehensive expense categories
• Built-in profit and loss tracking
• Customizable for different event types
• Professional, polished look

What we don’t like:

• Excel format limits collaboration
• May be excessive for smaller events
• No automatic updating between sections
• Limited mobile functionality

Best for: 

Financial managers and event planners handling complex events with multiple revenue streams and detailed reporting requirements.

3. Smartsheet’s Event Budget Workbook

This streamlined budget template from Smartsheet focuses on the early stages of event planning, stripping away complex features in favor of straightforward expense tracking. The workbook includes essential categories for initial cost estimation, with dedicated sections for things like venue costs, staffing, marketing, and attendee services.

What we like:

• Clean, intuitive layout
• Focused on early-stage planning
• Comprehensive venue-related categories
• Easy to use for quick estimates
• Clear category organization

What we don’t like:

• Limited visualization options
• No built-in formulas for complex calculations
• Basic Excel format limits sharing
• Minimal reporting features
• No automatic totaling between sections

Best for: 

Event planners in the initial stages of budgeting who need a straightforward tool to outline preliminary costs and determine ticket pricing strategies.

4. Smartsheet’s Conference Budget Template

Smartsheet’s conference budget template tackles the complex financial planning needed for multi-day events. 

The workbook automatically calculates both planned and actual costs across comprehensive categories, including daily food and beverage tracking, speaker expenses, accommodation management, and venue rentals throughout the conference duration.

What we like:

• Automatic calculation features
• Day-by-day expense tracking
• Detailed speaker management section
• Built-in accommodation planning
• Comprehensive A/V equipment breakdown

What we don’t like:

• Overwhelming for single-day events
• Complex layout requires Excel expertise
• Limited customization options
• No built-in data visualization
• Requires manual backup saving

Best for: 

Conference organizers managing large-scale, multi-day events with multiple speakers and complex logistics requirements.

5. Eventbrite’s Event Budget Template

Eventbrite’s template takes a no-frills approach to event budgeting, focusing on core expense categories organized in a clean, color-coded layout. 

The template breaks down costs into five main sections – venue, refreshments, program expenses, promotion, and miscellaneous items – with automated calculations and visual breakdowns of spending distribution.

What we like:

• Clear category organization with color coding
• Simple, intuitive layout for quick data entry
• Built-in formulas for automatic calculations
• Visual budget breakdown with charts
• Practical subcategories under main expense groups

What we don’t like:

• Limited functionality for complex events
• Basic design may feel too simplified
• No revenue tracking capabilities
• Fixed categories with limited customization
• Minimal reporting features

Best for: 

Small to mid-sized event planners who need a straightforward tool to track basic event expenses without getting bogged down in complex features.

6. Hopin’s All-in-One Event Budget Template

Note: Hopin Events was acquired by RingCentral Events. However, Hopin still offers this template as a free downloadable.

Hopin takes a comprehensive approach to event budgeting with a multi-tabbed workbook structure that adapts to any event format. The template features dedicated sections for in-person, hybrid, and virtual events, along with integrated revenue tracking and automated profitability calculations.

What we like:

• Comprehensive coverage of all event types
• Built-in revenue and profitability tracking
• Clear category organization with subtotals
• Automated calculation features
• Visual profit breakdowns with charts

What we don’t like:

• Complex structure may overwhelm simple events
• Numerous blank fields can feel intimidating
• Some categories may be irrelevant for smaller events
• Limited customization options
• Multiple tabs can be cumbersome to navigate

Best for: 

Event planners working across multiple event formats who need a unified system for tracking budgets, revenue, and profitability metrics in one place.

Looking for a better alternative to spreadsheets?

Managing event budgets through spreadsheets creates unnecessary complexity in an already demanding process. From manual updates and version control issues to the constant need to cross-reference multiple files, spreadsheet budgeting drains time and increases error risk.

EventsAir offers a more intelligent approach by integrating budgeting directly into your event management workflow with features like:

• Real-time budget tracking: Automatically updates as registrations come in, eliminating manual data entry and reducing errors.
• Scenario planning: Model different financial outcomes by adjusting variables like attendee numbers and pricing – without complex spreadsheet formulas.
• Visual analytics: Built-in dashboards and reports show profit/loss tracking, budget variations, and expense breakdowns at a glance.
• Multi-currency support: Handle international events with automatic currency conversion and consolidated reporting.
• Supplier management: Track vendor payments, manage invoices, and maintain a clear audit trail all in one place.
• Integration with registration: Payment data flows directly into your budget, eliminating double-entry and reducing reconciliation time.

Simplify event budgeting with EventsAir

In this guide, we outlined essential event budget templates and best practices to help streamline your financial planning. Managing expenses efficiently is key to successful events. For comprehensive solutions, EventsAir can elevate your event management process.

EventsAir offers an all-in-one event platform designed to simplify budget tracking, vendor management, and real-time expense monitoring. Our tools help planners maintain financial control, optimize resources, and execute events without the hassle of spreadsheets.

Ready to simplify event budgeting? Schedule a demo of EventsAir today.