Consumable

An item that is used up during the event and is not expected to come back — printed material, catering supplies, cable ties, batteries.

Why it matters operationally

Consumables are counted, not tracked, and they are where quantity errors hide. Nobody notices five hundred surplus lanyards until closeout, and nobody notices five hundred too few until the morning they are needed. They are also the category most improved by consolidation, because they are bought in volume and are identical across departments.