The basis of every event: a structured budget

Every successful event starts with precise budget planning. A careful calculation is essential in order to efficiently coordinate all aspects of an event – from location and logistics to technology, catering and content. But how can a budget be planned in the most structured and flexible way possible? With colada!

Structured planning

In colada, the calculation begins with the structuring of the event. A systematic approach helps to think through the event in all its phases – from the initial idea through to implementation, check-in and on-site catering.

Initially, all relevant items are roughly recorded before they are gradually refined further. The depth of the breakdown is flexible and can be adjusted as required. The advantage of this approach lies in the improved clarity: it ensures that no item is overlooked and that the overall budget is always kept in view.

Excel vs. colada: Why specialized software is the better choice

In most cases, budget planning is carried out in Excel. However, Excel has some limitations as it was not developed specifically for the dynamic planning of event budgets. Event planning is a continuous process in which many parameters are constantly changing. This is where colada offers decisive advantages:

• Flexible, structured planning of all budget items
• Individual pricing: cost types such as hours, unit prices, flat rates or discounts can be freely defined
• Two-stage calculation: e.g. calculation according to number of persons and event days
• Recording of external and internal services including invoice management
• Detailed documentation: tasks, documents and notes per position or group
• Collaborative functions: Chat and comments per position as well as automatic historization of all changes
• Versioning and backup: creating budget variants and snapshots
• Multi-currency capability: Simple conversion of currencies per project
• Target/actual comparisons based on internal and external services for better control
• Cost center management for more precise allocation
• PDF export with customer branding for professional documentation

Networking with other applications: Efficiency through integration

A major advantage of colada over Excel is its integration with other applications. One example is the direct integration of tasks into the budget: if, for example, a date is set for booking a hotel contingent, this is recorded directly in the budget planning and simultaneously transferred to the global task list. This maintains the link between budget and planning without having to transfer information to other platforms – saving time and avoiding errors.

Conclusion: More time for the essentials with optimized budget planning

Planning an event budget requires flexibility, clarity and precision. While Excel as a common tool often reaches its limits, colada offers a specialized solution that adapts to the dynamic requirements of event planners. Thanks to its structured approach, extensive functions and seamless integration into existing workflows, colada enables efficient and transparent budget control. This leaves more time for the essentials: the perfect realization of an unforgettable event!