Food and beverage (F&B) costs can be a huge part of your event budget. Many planners don’t realize how much room there is for negotiation.
Hotels and venues have set pricing, but that doesn’t mean those numbers are set in stone.
With the right strategy—timing your booking, structuring your contract wisely, and knowing exactly what to ask for—you can save thousands without compromising your event needs.
In this article, we’ll share eight tips for negotiating better F&B terms in your venue contract.
Plus, we’ll walk you through a real event contract we negotiated, giving you insights on what to watch for.
Here’s a quick preview:
Lastly, we’ll dive into a real event contract we negotiated to secure the best deal for our client.
Let’s explore how to save you money on your next event.
Venues love planners who commit early.
The further in advance you book, the more leverage you have to negotiate better pricing and concessions.
Hotels are often willing to lock in lower rates or offer discounts for early bookings, especially if you’re securing a large event.
Plus, getting in early means you have more time to iron out the details before they become last-minute problems.
If you wait too long, you lose bargaining power, and those F&B prices can creep up.
If you’re open to hosting your event during the venue’s off-season or on a weekday, you can often negotiate lower F&B minimums and get better package deals.
Winter months, early in the week, and non-holiday periods are prime times to score discounts.
Flexibility with your event dates makes you more appealing to venues that want to fill empty spaces, and they’ll often throw in extra perks to close the deal.
Hotels and venues are more willing to negotiate discounts if you’re booking multiple events or booking well in advance.
If you have future events in mind, use them as leverage to negotiate better rates on your current contract.
Bundling multiple events can also help secure lower overall F&B minimums and additional concessions.
Think of it as a volume discount—more business for them means more savings for you.
Most venues set an F&B minimum, which is the lowest amount you’re required to spend on food and beverage.
If you know you’re not going to hit that number, negotiate.
Ask if any unused F&B spend can be applied to AV, decor, or extra services that still benefit the venue.
If they won’t lower the minimum, try for concessions like a welcome drink or a complimentary coffee break.
These small wins can make a big difference in your budget.
Be aware of all the extra F&B fees that can sneak in—service charges, gratuities, administrative fees, and taxes.
Always ask for a clear, detailed breakdown.
Don’t forget to check your contract for:
If they’re charging for it, it’s negotiable.
Service fees can add thousands to your final bill, but many planners don’t realize these fees can be capped or negotiated down.
For example, some venues tack on service fees of 25% or more. Ask your venue if they can cap the service fee at 15% instead.
Culinary unions can impact what’s possible, but it never hurts to ask.
Even if they won’t lower it, they might be willing to waive other fees to offset the cost.
Ordering in bulk is almost always cheaper than ordering à la carte.
If you’re serving coffee, bottled water, or snacks throughout the event, ask for bulk pricing instead of paying per item.
Venues are more likely to discount when they know they’re selling in volume.
It’s a small but effective way to bring your F&B costs down.
F&B prices fluctuate, and if you’re booking an event years in advance, those numbers can skyrocket.
Ask the venue to guarantee today’s pricing for your event, so you don’t get hit with surprise increases down the road.
Locking in pricing ensures that a $125 coffee break today doesn’t become $150 by the time your event happens a year later.
This is one of the most overlooked but important negotiation tactics
Related: Understanding how F&B charges work for your corporate event.
To show you how these strategies work in real life, here’s a breakdown of an actual contract we negotiated for an event in Puerto Rico.
In this scenario, let’s only focus on the concessions that impact F&B.
Each clause below was how we worked to improve each F&B clause through strategic negotiation.
What we negotiated: “0% F&B discount on all banquet events provided the group submits its menus no less than 30 days before the 1st main function date.”
Explanation: We secured a 10% discount on all banquet F&B—a discount venues rarely offer unless you ask.
The key here is early menu submission, which gave the venue more time to plan and reduced their costs.
What we negotiated: “We will extend a flat set-up fee of $500 per event vs. $850.”
Explanation: The venue initially charged $850 per event for setup.
By negotiating, we got it down to $500 per event, saving our client thousands across multiple days.
What we negotiated: “All F&B spend organized by the group to be counted towards F&B minimum (space, restaurants, bars (hotel owned outlets), in-room dining, hotel owned outlets.)”
Explanation: Normally, venues count only banquet F&B toward the minimum.
We negotiated to include all hotel-owned outlets, including in-room dining and bars—a game-changer that ensured our client met the minimum without excess spending.
What we negotiated: “We will waive carver and bartender fees during banquet events.”
Explanation: Venues often charge fees for station attendants, bartenders, or servers when guest counts are below a threshold.
We had these completely waived, which saved $150+ per carver and bartender.
What we negotiated: “We will waive the turn fee from classroom to banquets for the Gala event.”
Explanation: Many venues charge a meeting room turn fee to switch setups between sessions and meal functions.
We had this waived entirely, eliminating an unnecessary extra cost for the client.
What we negotiated: “Light string in outdoor terrace and light fixtures inside the pavilion are to be used at no additional cost. For Décor lighting rates apply.”
Explanation: Outdoor events require proper lighting, and many venues charge extra.
We ensured that existing venue lighting was included at no extra charge, saving on rental fees.
What we negotiated: “We will guarantee 2024 Banquet menus.”
Explanation: We locked in 2024 pricing, preventing cost increases for an event booked years in advance. This alone saved thousands.
Most F&B costs are not fixed, and nearly everything is negotiable if you ask.
Hotels expect some level of negotiation, and the worst they can say is no.
If you don’t ask, you’re leaving money on the table.
Be confident, know what to look for, and don’t accept the first offer.
A well-negotiated contract can make a huge impact on your event budget.
Need expert help to negotiate F&B terms in your venue contract? Our team specializes in managing F&B for conferences of all sizes, ensuring you get the best value without sacrificing quality.
With years of experience, we know how to maximize your budget while keeping your attendees happy. Let’s chat about how GoGather can help you plan your best event yet.