Plan B Business
Events

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

We work with event planners and production companies doing $500K-$5M in annual revenue. Our 12-month engagement gets you to 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.

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Industry Reality

8 patterns we see in >70% of event planners & production companies

85%
frequency

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%
frequency

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 policy in HoneyBook contracts. Non-negotiable. Lose the 5% who push back - you don't want them anyway.

75%
frequency

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: Aisle Planner or HoneyBook vendor portals. Standardized vendor onboarding kit. Master vendor checklist per event type. Owner time drops to 15-20% on coordination.

75%
frequency

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 HoneyBook. Average margin recovery: 6-10 points.

70%
frequency

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%
frequency

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%
frequency

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%
frequency

No CRM, deals tracked in Google Sheets

Root cause: HoneyBook used for contracts/payments only. Pipeline visibility is owner's memory.

What we do: Full HoneyBook or Dubsado deployment: lead capture, pipeline stages, automated follow-up, payment tracking. Conversion lifts from 20% to 35%+.

Benchmarks

The numbers we hit

KPIMarket avgPlan B targetAfter 12 mo
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 + HoneyBook overhaul

    We rebuild contracts with 50/25/25 deposit structure. HoneyBook 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: $500K-$5M annual revenue with 2-15 staff (including 1099 coordinators). Below $500K, you're still in owner-operator mode and need different help. Above $5M, you typically need full-time COO/Director of Operations - we'd hand off.
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?+
HoneyBook for most planners under $2M revenue (best balance of CRM + contracts + payments). Aisle Planner for wedding-focused firms wanting deep vendor coordination. Dubsado for larger firms needing custom workflow automation. We help you choose based on your situation. We don't sell software.
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?+
Diagnostic: $1,500 one-time. Advisor: $3,500/month (most firms, 12-month engagement). Partner: $8,500+/month (multi-discipline firms or production companies preparing for scale).

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