Plan B Business
Events

Stop running events on adrenaline.
Start running a real production business.

We work with event planners and production companies doing $165K-$3.3M in annual revenue. Our monthly engagement, no minimum term works toward disciplined deposit collection, vendor coordination systems, and 25%+ project margins - so peak season doesn't burn you out and slow months don't kill cash flow. How fast it moves depends on how seriously you work the plan - what you will see from the first meeting is exactly what is holding the business back.

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Industry Reality

8 patterns we see in most event planners & production companies

85%
how often we see it

Feast-or-famine cash flow (Q4 weddings carry the year)

Root cause: Single-channel revenue. 60-70% of annual revenue from May-October. Slow months are net-loss months.

What we do: Diversify revenue streams: corporate events, non-profit galas, holiday parties, milestone celebrations. Target 35-40% non-wedding revenue within 18 months.

80%
how often we see it

Inconsistent deposit collection (clients negotiating terms)

Root cause: No documented payment policy. Owner caves on deposit terms to win the booking. Cash flow suffers.

What we do: Standardized 50% deposit at signing / 25% at 90 days / 25% at 30 days, written into the contract template. Non-negotiable. Lose the 5% who push back - you don't want them anyway.

75%
how often we see it

Vendor coordination eats 40% of owner's time

Root cause: Every event coordinated via text/email chains with 8-15 vendors. Knowledge lives in owner's head.

What we do: Vendor portals, so coordination stops living in text chains. Standardized vendor onboarding kit. Master vendor checklist per event type. Owner time drops to 15-20% on coordination.

75%
how often we see it

Scope creep destroying project margins

Root cause: Clients adding requests week-of with no change order discipline. Owner-planner absorbs the cost.

What we do: Change order discipline: any addition after the 60-day mark is a paid change order. Documented in the contract system. Average margin recovery: 6-10 points.

70%
how often we see it

No B2B corporate event pipeline

Root cause: 100% B2C wedding/social event focus. Misses the $25K-$100K corporate transactions.

What we do: Build B2B sales motion: LinkedIn outreach to local marketing directors, partnerships with corporate caterers, annual holiday party packages. Target 5-8 corporate accounts within 12 months.

65%
how often we see it

Average event value plateaued at $15K-$25K

Root cause: Generalist positioning. Compete on price against 30 other planners in market.

What we do: Niche down (luxury weddings $75K+, corporate galas, destination weddings, multicultural celebrations). Build portfolio in chosen niche. Average event value 2-3x in 18 months.

65%
how often we see it

Coordinator/assistant turnover at 70%+ annually

Root cause: Below-market pay, weekend-heavy schedule, no career path, burnout from peak season.

What we do: Tiered compensation: salary + per-event bonus + peak season hazard pay. Defined path: Coordinator → Lead Planner → Director. Comp/PTO scheduled to balance peak/off-season.

70%
how often we see it

No CRM, deals tracked in Google Sheets

Root cause: The contract tool is used for contracts and payments only. Pipeline visibility is owner's memory.

What we do: Full CRM deployment: lead capture, pipeline stages, automated follow-up, payment tracking. Target: conversion lifts from 20% to 35%+.

Benchmarks

The numbers we aim at

These are the targets we work toward in an engagement - a bar to measure against, not an average anyone measured for you.

KPITypical starting pointPlan B target12-month goal
Project margin (net of all costs)12-18%28-35%22-32%
Average event value$15K-$25K$40K-$80K$28K-$65K
% revenue from corporate/B2B events5-15%30-40%20-35%
Deposit collected at signing20-30%50%45-55%
Lead-to-booking conversion15-25%35%+28-38%
Owner weekly hours during peak season60-75<5045-55
Repeat/referral client rate (annual)20-30%50%+38-52%
Engagement Model

What working with us looks like

  1. 01

    Month 1: Event portfolio + financial audit

    We pull 24 months of event P&Ls. Every event's quote-to-actual margin, vendor cost analysis, owner time allocation. We identify the 1-2 highest-leverage actions for your specific business.

  2. 02

    Months 2-3: Deposit discipline + CRM overhaul

    We rebuild contracts with the 50/25/25 deposit structure. The CRM is fully deployed with pipeline stages, automated workflows, vendor portals. Change order policy enforced from day one.

  3. 03

    Months 4-6: B2B pipeline + niche positioning

    Corporate event sales motion launches. LinkedIn outreach cadence operational. Niche positioning defined (luxury, corporate, destination, or cultural). Portfolio rebuilt to match niche.

  4. 04

    Months 7-12: Team systems + freedom

    Coordinator tier structure deployed. Project margin dashboards visible weekly. Owner time during peak season drops 25%+. Recurring corporate accounts at 30%+ of revenue. We shift to quarterly cadence.

Common questions from event planners & production companies owners

What size event business is this for?−
Sweet spot: $165K-$3.3M in annual revenue with 2-15 staff including 1099 coordinators - the same band our Hebrew site states in shekels. Below it there are three ways in, not none: the academy at $33/month, the $365 paid diagnostic and B-Start at $365/month - plus business-plan work for an owner who has not opened yet. Above it you usually need a full-time COO or director of operations in-house rather than an outside partner. It is a guide, not a gate - ask and we will tell you straight.
Wedding planners, corporate event producers, or both?+
Both. Wedding planning firms (luxury, destination, cultural), corporate event producers (galas, conferences, product launches), and full-service production companies. The fundamentals (deposit discipline, vendor coordination, project margin) apply universally. Application differs by event type.
HoneyBook vs Aisle Planner vs Dubsado - which do you recommend?+
We do not pick winners between vendors and we do not sell software. The specification: the contract, the deposit schedule and the change-order trail live in one place, vendors get a portal instead of a text chain, and the pipeline is visible without anyone asking you. Any of them will do it. What actually protects margin is the policy underneath - a deposit structure you do not negotiate and a change-order rule that starts on a fixed date - and that policy has to exist before software can enforce it.
Our clients negotiate every deposit term. Can we really hold 50%?+
Yes, and the resistance comes from your own posture more than client expectations. Luxury and corporate clients expect 50% deposits as standard. The 5-10% who push back are the same clients who will scope-creep you to zero margin. Lose them on purpose. Win the right clients.
What about destination weddings and travel logistics?+
Destination wedding firms have additional complexity (travel coordination, currency exposure, vendor scouting). Our methodology adapts: stricter deposit timing (60% upfront for destinations), travel insurance pass-through, and pre-negotiated venue partnerships. Margin profile is typically higher (30-40%) for destination work.
Will you help with hiring lead planners?+
Yes. Lead Planner / Senior Coordinator hiring is the #1 unlock for $1M+ event firms. We help with job descriptions, comp structure, interview process. We don't recruit for you.
What about non-profit galas - different economics?+
Yes. Non-profit galas are typically lower-margin (15-22%) but provide steady off-season revenue, high referral velocity, and community visibility. We help you build them into your annual mix at 15-20% of revenue without diluting your luxury positioning.
Who does the work?+
Ligal Frish and Eitan Eshtemaker - the two co-founders. Direct access, no associates.
What's your fee structure?+
Situation Room: $365 one-time. B-Grow: $1,430/month (most firm engagements). B-Beyond: $2,750/month (multi-discipline firms or production companies preparing for scale). No minimum term and no notice period - you can end it at any time.

Stop running on adrenaline. Build a real production business.

30-minute strategy call. We'll diagnose your top 2 levers and tell you if we're a fit. No pitch. No pressure.

Book My Free Strategy Call