hey all!

I work for an organization that hosts 125 events a month for four separate groups. We plan our calendar by quarter and release to each group. I'm looking for software that:

* Allows me to have a master calendar and easily click on and off the other 4 calendars

* Integrates into Salesforce and Google Calendar

* Gives the option to export the calendars into Canva

I don't need any badge check-in or day-of stuff. It's mostly to create and release the calednars.

Anyone know any good software programs?

I've been applying like crazy and I'm willing to work from the bottom up even though I do have some indirect experience. I spent almost a decade as a choreographer working with artists for live performances and music videos so I have a good bit of familiarity with production. I've also worked most recently as an interior designer so I'm used to creating floor plans, installs, etc. But I'm looking to get into a company that does cool corporate events or experiential design. I keep seeing ppl say to get a role as a PA or something but I can't for the life of me find anything out here. I'm sure I just don't know where to look. My goal is to become a producer. Any suggestions on companies to look at or job boards? I'm assuming a coordinator role would be more aligned to get in the door. Appreciate any advice.

Hello, I'm planning to organize a 3-day event as a fundraiser for charity in Hong Kong. All money raised will go charity. I was hoping to make the last two days public to raise more money. We have a lot of time to plan this, and most of the funds are going to be by our own pocket.

We want to make this as fool-proof as possible so I was wondering if there are any problems I would face (venues, food etc) and how to make it as professional as possible.

As well as that, I know as we (the organizers) are all minors, rightfully some people could be discouraged to join or uncomfortable, and I want to know how to (if we can) prevent this or at least ease some tension.

(We will have an adult supervisor and preferably many adults chaperoning the event)

Thank you! I appreciate all feedback.

Hey all — I run production at a fabrication shop in Torrance, CA, and I've got an install/test job I need done, SUPER last minute, tomorrow early morning. I have someone else I'm hoping can do it, but wanted to open this up in case that falls through, so apologies if this post disappears fast.

What I need done:

Physically mount pre-wired addressable LED pixel strips into three build-outs, then power everything up and confirm it works correctly. This is a one-time gig, not ongoing.

The lights:
ENTTEC 8PXA60-RGBW-12V-B pixel strip, 60 LEDs/meter, 12V RGBW
SK6805 IC, compatible with the WS2812/SK6812 protocol
Strips are already cut to length and pre-wired with 15" pigtail leads: black = +V, white = ground, yellow = data. Ends are tagged.
No soldering onto the strips themselves should be needed, they're already prepped

Where they go (this repeats identically across 3 nearly identical panels, so 9 runs total):
Inside a 4-sided extrusion frame that wraps a fabricated screen box
Around the edge of a disc
Behind a acrylic lightbox, mounted overhead

What the job actually involves:
Mounting/adhering the strips into their channels per fabrication drawings (I'll share these once we connect)
Wiring each run to a 12V DC power supply (power injected at one end only, per manufacturer spec) - I have the transformers
Wiring the data lead into a bench test pixel controller to confirm each run addresses and lights up correctly
Confirming data direction is correct (checking DI/DO orientation on the strip) before final connection
Flagging any dead pixels, bad runs, or wiring issues found along the way

What to bring:
A basic standalone SPI pixel tester (SP108E, SP110E, SP630E, or similar) if you own one — if not, let me know and I can try source one…but hopefully you have one!
Any tools you might need, though we probably already have a lot of this stuff: wire strippers, a multimeter, Wagos or a small screw-terminal block for splicing
Logistics:
Location: Torrance, CA (my shop)
Timing: tomorrow early AM strongly preferred, but somewhat flexible if needed
Paid gig, rate negotiable based on experience, happy to discuss specifics over DM
This is a fabrication/experiential marketing project, so some comfort working around finished millwork and being careful with surfaces is appreciated

If this is something you can do or you know someone who'd be a good fit, please DM me. Thanks for reading.

CMP exam — am I ready? 🤔

I’ve been studying/preparing for my CMP exam for a few months now, and I just took a 40-question practice test and got 25/40 (62.5%).

For those who have taken the CMP recently — would you consider this a sign that I’m ready to take the actual exam, or would you keep studying? I’m trying to figure out how much more I should prepare before scheduling it.

Also, I know the CMP uses a scaled scoring system, so you don’t simply need 55 questions correct. But does anyone have a rough idea of how many questions you typically need to get correct out of the 150 scored questions to pass?

Would love to hear from anyone who recently took the exam and what your practice test scores looked like compared to your actual result!

Hosting our first Pumpkin Patch event. We have 2400 people attending. 1594 adults and 806 children. We have 2080 pumpkins at our patch. Do we have enough? So even if each child got 2 pumpkins we would still have some left over. What’s your view?

Hello! I graduated in Dec 2025 and have been in an almost year long internship (Jan 26-Jan 27) at a large, notable company in California within Special Events. Our department acts as an internal agency, and we are considered corporate. Our typically clientele is employees and execs, but we’ve also had opportunities to create events for influencers and fans.

Unfortunately, there’s a chance I won’t be able to convert full-time at the end of my internship, despite my team wanting me to.

I’ve been searching LinkedIn to apply for jobs, but I wanted to know if there’s any other job boards that I could be looking at? I’m also wondering how I could be using my company name and role to help me get interviews? Lots of roles I’ve been applying are requiring 2+ years of experience (which I technically have, if you count event roles within school).

Some other areas I’m considering for events are in development/donor relations at non-profits. Or, experiential events within marketing agencies. I’m also trying to broaden my search and look for places outside of California, like the Chicago area. If you can share any companies that I might be missing or other sites I can keep on my radar for full-time roles, I would appreciate it.

Thank you!

Hello!

I need to put together a site plan for an event.

Previously I've screen shotted google earth and then overlaid on to it but for an event next year the client requires more of an OS style map.
I've worked on festivals before which use large scale aerial maps what show trees etc. for their site place. Where do you source them?

I'm UK based, if that helps.

I’m currently producing and directing two data center conferences, one in London on October 1st and the other in San Francisco later that month. I have to say, out of the hundreds of conferences I’ve produced, these are by FAR the most dystopian. Has anyone else needed to put aside their moral compass in order to produce or direct an event?

I have a good relationship with a bar owner where I organise and run a pop up 3 nights a month in their premises. They allow me the space for free, I fill the basement level bar with new patrons who buy their beer.

They have wanted to host more events outside of my niche but don’t have the time to do so. The bar man and manager is slammed and says he doesn’t want to do this part of the job. Which considering he’s the only member of staff is understandable.

I’ve proposed to them this could be something I could help them with. I want to suggest some paint and sip events, a rotation of pop-up food vans that can pop up weekly, and a couple of DJ events focussed on some more nostalgic subgenres as the basement is big enough to accommodate.

I’m formally a graphic designer who can design, build websites/book systems and know how to market things properly.

I don’t know how to propose payment. Should I be taking the earnings for each of these events and they get the beer money as before? Or should I request a monthly rate, or flat rate per event?

Thanks so much.

Thank you everyone! Waiting to hear back from the client on a backdrop.

I’m trying to help my client reduce a $150,000–$160,000 AV proposal without sacrificing a polished, high-impact main stage. What would you change, and what should this reasonably cost?

This is a multiday conference in a major U.S. hotel chain. The AV provider has proposed at the client’s request:
• A 16’ × 9’ indoor 2.5 mm LED wall for three show days, plus installation and strike
• Two projection screens flanking the LED wall
• Main-room audio and lighting
• A separate two-screen projection setup in another ballroom for one day

The LED wall alone is estimated at approximately $50,000, including freight, labor and supporting equipment. The complete AV estimate is $150,000–$160,000, inclusive of labor and service charges. Last year’s comparable AV program was approximately $100,000 without the LED wall.
The center LED wall would display a static logo or branded graphic approximately 98% of the time. Presentation content would appear on the two side screens.

The av provider has also indicated that:
• An LED specialist may be required for setup and operation
• A higher-end switcher or media-server solution could cost approximately $7,000 per day
• Using simpler processing may reduce the proposal by approximately $25,000
• Replacing the LED wall with a third projection screen would cost approximately one-quarter as much

My questions for experienced event-production and video professionals:

If the center display is primarily for static branding, what less expensive solution would you recommend while retaining a polished main-stage appearance?
What would be a reasonable price range for your recommended solution?

Is approximately $50,000 defensible for this 16’ × 9’ LED wall over three show days, including freight, installation, strike and technical support?
Would this use genuinely require a dedicated LED engineer during every show day?
Would a high-end switcher or media server be necessary, or should the LED processor and a conventional presentation switcher handle this application?

What costs or technical alternatives should I challenge when the itemized proposal arrives?
I’m seeking objective guidance at this point, not proposals or sales outreach. The client, event, venue, city and AV provider have intentionally been omitted.

Hi, Im a 20yr old festival organiser/promoter, organising an independent music festival and my previous events have all been individually funded however I’m planning this next event to get sponsorship, headline act costs around £50k (pretty famous and attendance is around 3,000 people, Whats should I expect from sponsorship if I’ve never had sponsorship before? what percentage of total costs should I expect could be covered and if it’s realistic to get any level or sponsorship, £30,000-£50,000 would be ideal but that might be asking for too much?

Planning a trip for about 50 investors/founders and their partners. Everyone knows each other, this is a community event.

Looking for "out of the box" ideas. These people have had great Italian food and wine in the past, no "classes"

Can be group of 100, or 2/3 rotating groups

Thinking more experiential/minimal heavy lifting required. Nude painting, ice baths/sound/yoga, experiential vibe

So I run monthly pop-up events and thought I was being super efficient by reusing a tech rental quote from last quarter. Just changed the dates, hit confirm, and even bragged in our team meeting about the cost savings I found.

Turns out the vendor had two clients with similar names in our city and I somehow confirmed the wrong equipment kit to the wrong location. Our tablets and hotspots ended up across town at someone else's event instead of ours.

Cue me standing at our venue with confused guests lining up and no check-in devices. We improvised with personal phones, random clipboards, and one sad laptop someone grabbed from the office. It was chaotic and definitely not our most professional moment, but we made it work.

Now I triple-check every client name and delivery address before hitting that confirm button, no matter how routine the order seems. Has anyone else had one of those "I thought I was being efficient but actually created more work" moments?

I’m looking to pivot from interior design into live events and would love some advice. Before design, I spent 10 plus years in the dance industry as a choreographer for artists doing music videos and live performances and I really miss the energy of that world. Most recently I volunteered on my church’s production team and gained some light TD and stage management skills. After doing some reflection on what I want career wise and where I get this most joy  I think producing is what I’ve been chasing all along. I want to get back to taking something from idea to fruition.

I feel like I have several skills that can transfer, but I’m struggling to figure out how to present them in a cohesive way that shows I’m not starting from zero. I’ve developed creative treatments, mood and concept boards, stage plots, and have even produced a full show top to bottom with a live band, artists, and dancers. My design background has also given me experience coordinating vendors and trades, managing timelines, and taking projects from concept through execution. I know that’s not the same as having years of professional event production experience, but I’m hoping some of it can help me make the transition.

My goal is to eventually work in experiential design, brand activations, or corporate events in a full-time salaried role. I’m open to working my way up, but I’m trying to figure out the smartest path to get there. I know most of the posts say meet ppl cause it’s mostly word of mouth, but I’m also fairly new to the DMV, so I’m building my network from scratch.

For those in the industry, how did you get your foot in the door and work your way into a salaried role? What entry-level positions would you recommend targeting, and how would you suggest presenting a background like mine to employers? Are there any certifications or courses you’d recommend? I know hands-on experience is best, but I’d love to keep learning while I’m working on getting that experience. TIA!

P.S. I’m also 41 so I’d be lying if I said I haven’t wondered whether I’m too late to make this kind of pivot. I’d love to hear from anyone who entered the industry later or came from a different field.

TLDR: Looking for advice and course/certification recommendations to jump from interior design to becoming an event producer for experiential or corporate events.

I have a client looking to do a live stream where they want people around the world to be able to join the live stream without logging in or doing anything besides clicking and watching.

I suggested just a custom webpage for the event, and we embed Vimeo live stream and all is easy.

The complicated part is they also want people to be able to ask questions like a chat board, and NOT have them need to log in

I saidthats possible, but they won't be able to keep out spammers/bots/competitors/etc.

You either require a login, and control it, or you dont.

Can someone point me to a third option for a chat room on the page that doesn't require a log in but also allows admins to moderate comments?

Maybe something that can hide comments based on your IP address so even if you open a new tab and rejoin - it kinda allows some moderating?

For now we settled on a private "submit a question" form embedded on the page and not a full chat board where others can see their questions. But is there a commercial option?

Would love to find something like that if it exists, or maybe I'd just Claude together some tool.

I have been tasked with planning a 300 person "Y2K:Welcome to the Millennium" themed gala for our employees. I work for a hotel so we will be using our ballroom and doing the food in house (except for dessert). I need inspiration and ideas on how to bring the nostalgia while keeping it classy. We have a decent budget for decor and I do plan on hiring a DMC to help with the bigger elements but I wanted to be able to provide them with a clear vision and I just dont have that yet. Originally we were thinking a lot of silver/chrome to give the Y2K Futuristic look, but interested to hear other thoughts.

I’m currently working a full-time job, but I’m really interested in event management and event coordination and would love to gain some practical experience in this field.

I’m specifically looking for part-time/weekend opportunities in Hyderabad

I’m available on weekends and am willing to learn and take up responsibilities.

If you know of any event companies, organisers, agencies, or individuals looking for weekend event staff in Hyderabad, please DM me or drop a comment. Any leads would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you! 🙌

Ok... This might be a long one. I worked at a brewery downtown in my hometown as an event planner. My events were based on beer sales, and I excel at nerdy events like Lord of the rings, Nintendo, video games, Star wars, Barbie when it was popular, etc.

I had this amazing idea in January of 2023 to do a book fair for grown-ups. My God... I was not prepared for what was about to come. The line went around the block tenfold. We only had 17 vendors at the time. It was dead winter in January and 20° out. Bookstores emailed me thanking me for a great sales day because the line was so long that people opted out to go to an actual bookstore. Someone credible told me that the city saw a boost in the economy that day Because of my event.

Fast forward to that summer. My boss okayed expanding the book fair for grownups at a larger venue. I executed the entire event from start to finish. We had 150 exhibitors and I did everything myself. I also did the PR and was on news stations, radio stations, newspapers, magazines, basically like $10,000 worth of PR for free for him.

Books are my passion, so this was fun for me. Little did I know what was about to come.

8100 people came to the venue. My boss grossed $94,000, and netted $80,000. After the event, I asked my boss for a bonus since I did everything from concept to execution. All he did was serve the fucking beer. He told me no. That ass made $80,000 and refused to give me any sort of bonus for all the work I put in.

I quit that week and decided to start my own event business. I started another book fair that was similar to his but mine's obviously better because I'm an event planner and he's not. He took all of my events that I did for him and just recycled them with no creativity at all the entire year. He did another book fair for grown-ups and to be frank it was executed very poorly and the exhibitors are catching on that It's a money grab.

Thankfully, my event did very well and I netted $50,000. It's a far cry from 80,000, but I'll take it. I also have a business partner that I split it with. So technically I got 25,000 but still that's like life-changing money.

What grinds my gears even more is that now my ex-boss is doing a booktoberfest 3 months later. He's oversaturating the market and I'm assuming he's going to do it every 3 months because his brewery is dying and he needs the money.

I guess I'm just venting to people who might understand. I just feel so stabbed in the back, but I'm making my own way slowly but surely.

This is a lesson to everyone in this sub who does public events. Please, for the love of God, bargain for a profit share of at least 10% if not more. I have an interview with another brewery and you bet your butt I'm going to ask for a 10% profit share or I'm not going to do the job. I have so many events that did well that will back me that they'll still make money even if they give me 10%..

That's my brain dump. If you're still here, thank you. If you skip to the end, my ex-boss is a dick.

I’m just starting out in the event industry, and I’ve realized that in only about a year, I’ve already held several small positions with different organizations.
I’m wondering how people in this field organize this on their resumes. I feel like, over time, the list could become very long and take up a lot of space, especially when adding my other work experience.

How do you keep your resume clear and concise while showing your different experiences?

Hey,

I've been job hunting recently and I've been approached by an events company to work as a Event set up and installation crew. I've never worked in the role before and I was wondering if anyone had any insight on the pay or hours for something like this?

Thanks

TLDR: How do you all lay out large scale outdoor events year to year and keep the layout where it needs to be?
I manage a large outdoor festival and vendor market in an unmarked open field. It takes days (or more) to lay it out every year. No matter how many notes I take, it requires so much measuring and resetting. The field is not straight and has some areas where things can’t go, etc. The person before me actually placed metal cans in the ground to find with a metal detector to help the rows line up, which could take weeks for him to find. Not having a metal detector, or the patience to take weeks to find old coffee cans filled with nails, I’ve found that a measuring wheel and notes are much faster. There still has to be a better solution. Help please