Event Budget Busters: 7 Sneaky Costs NYC Planners Forget to Include

You could spend weeks hammering out the perfect budget. Line by line, you double-check everything. All it takes is one unplanned cost, and your carefully curated budget is out the window. If you’ve planned events in New York City, you already know how likely this scenario is. This city isn’t for the faint of heart, challenging even the most experienced budget makers. Some planners over-prepare and under-prepare, but the truth is, the devil always hides in the details.

1. Storage and Drayage Fees

Before the event starts, you need all of the materials and vendor equipment shipped and stored at the venue. This sounds like a simple task, right? Except that it rarely is. There are shipping, storage, and handling fees to address. Drayage in NYC, (the cost of moving freight from the loading dock to the venue) can be incredibly high. If you need overnight storage or another special service, the cost continues to increase. Suddenly, you’re looking at thousands in costs, and you haven’t even opened a box yet. 

2. Power and Wi-Fi

It’s the not-so-funny dark side of event planning. The venue boasts “all-inclusive amenities”, but experienced event planners know this isn’t accurate. They aren’t surprised when the venue sends a second, separate bill for electricity and Wi-Fi. It becomes a nickel-and-dime situation. Planning to plug in laptops? That’s one fee. Need bandwidth for livestreaming? That’s a different fee. It’s the event planner’s job to inform the client that reliable internet at NYC venues is rarely free. 

3. Permits You Didn’t Plan For

Want a food truck outside your event? Thinking about fireworks or even just amplified sound spilling onto the street? That’s not just a cool idea. It’s a city permit waiting to ambush you.

New York doesn’t mess around. The paperwork, the fees, the timeline, all of it adds up. And if you don’t factor it in early, you’re either eating the cost or cutting the idea last minute. Neither feels good.

4. Furniture Rentals Beyond the Basics

NYC venues have their own business to run. They throw in “tables and chairs” to increase the perceived value. This works for amateurs and individuals planning their own get-togethers. Professionals know that these tables and chairs are rarely what their client envisions. Despite these supplies being readily available, the budget needs to include specialty rentals. This cost can quickly eat up a budget, especially when you tack on delivery, setup, and pickup fees. It’s a tough balance to maintain. Everyone wants the aesthetic moment, but no one wants to see the budget line item required to achieve it.

5. Overtime Fees for Everything

Despite NYC being famous as the “city that never sleeps”, the people that keep the city running do. Your chosen venue has agreed to a set operating time and will impose a hefty fee if you go outside of that time. Even going over by 30 minutes can result in a hefty after-hours charge. Every service you’ve arranged for increases the cost. The security, bartenders, and cleaning crew are all on the clock while the event continues. Since most people don’t plan to go over their allotted time, these charges don’t hit until after the event. At this point, the damage is already done. There’s not getting around the extra costs. 

6. Hidden AV Upgrades

You have the basic AV equipment needs covered. Then, the client’s CEO decides they suddenly want a multi-camera setup with livestream integration. Surprise! The current setup is not equipped for this. Now, you’re looking at thousands in AV upgrades. 

Another dilemma is when you have found the perfect venue. However, that venue has a preferred AV vendor. Bringing in an outside AV vendor now comes with a hefty “buyout” fee. 

7. Taxes and Gratuities

Inexperienced event planners make the mistake of overlooking taxes and gratuities. However, experienced event planners know how quickly these costs can increase a budget. In NYC, service fees plus taxes can add another 25–30% on top of food, beverage, and rentals. Forgetting to include it in your initial estimate means your “on budget” event just slid into the red.

Learn More About Managing Event Budgets 

Every experienced NYC planner has a story about the budget that unraveled thanks to one of these. The best defense? Build in contingency. Pad your numbers. And, most importantly, keep learning from the folks who’ve been in the trenches.

If you want to hear how top event pros are staying ahead of these costs, and discover strategies to budget smarter in a city that never makes it easy, there’s only one place to be this October. Get in the room at The Event Planner Expo 2025. 

Buy your tickets today.