Don t spend bucks on pre-event media happenings. Few people attend. Better to spend money on event tour the day before or morning of the event. Don t clone last year s entertainment lineup. Don t make it an annual reproduction .
Quality is the big difference between tradition and repetition.
Travel expenses, booking agencies. Try block bookings of someone s time. Get with other organizations in area that may use the person s services. Either passive or active opportunities for your guests to become further connected to the goals and objectives of the event. Pre-recorded tracks for performers.