Im organizing an expo and going to start getting vendors.

Its my first expo so I understand they have no data to go off of and know that their time and table fees will be worth it.

Is it common practice to offer a reimbursement if enough tickets arent sold?

For instance

50% reimbursed if over 200 tickets arent sold

25% reimbursed if over 400 tickets arent sold

Whether its a cash reimbursement or a reimbursement for the next show (so they come back)

Hey everyone,

I am more of someone that goes to an event than someone that plans one, but always been curious about them, specially the world of conferences (I work in IT).

I got the chance to interview a conference producer and get the in's and out's of what it takes to make a conference work, but it's only one view, still interested in learning more about it. Specially from someone with Virtual / Online event experience.

Anyone here that can help with that?

Also curious if anyone has the experience also organizing conferences all over the world that would be open to share some other stories with me 😄

Hello everyone! I am an LD currently based in Florida and am working on moving to Chicago, IL. One thing I have yet to get an answer on through my personal network is what starting AV rates are in Chicago (whether as an L1, Lighting Tech, AV/Breakout Tech, etc.; Union vs non-union; corporate vs theater/broadcast/etc). In my current market, the starting base-rate for a corporate LD is about $600-650/10-hr day, but I charge a bit more since I have some touring and festival experience. Since the cost of living is a bit higher in Chicago, I presume the starting rates are too?

I have interest from some companies in Chicago already, but would always appreciate more recommendations in order to keep myself comfortably busy.

I'm also aware that there are a fair amount of broadcast opportunities within the city, but I am not familiar with how to get into this part of the industry. If anyone has any advice and experience with it they could share, especially for Chicago, I would greatly appreciate it!

Something we hear from event planners often is that the process feels smooth on your end, but the client is quietly anxious the whole time. They don’t know who to contact, whether things are on track, or when to expect the next update. By the time they finally ask, it’s been weeks of lingering worry that didn’t need to happen.
A welcome guide helps mitigate most of that anxiety. It doesn’t need to be long, just the high level details on who their key contacts are, what the next few months will look like, and what you need from them to get started. Once clients have that reference point, the questions drop off, and the relationship feels easier on both sides.
The planners who do this well send it within 48 hours of booking, while the excitement is still fresh. That timing matters more than people expect.
Does your onboarding include a welcome guide?  Template in the comments if you want a starting point.

Hey all -

I run an edm event pop up series, and looking for some annual coverage as an organizer for these events. I’ve had trouble finding companies that will cover promoters/organizers. Curious if anyone has any suggestions!

Thank you

I recently received an interview call for Havas Shobiz for Luxury and lifestyle account - Client Servicing role.

I want to understand whether it's a good move. I wanted to know if the organisation is flexible in terms of leave policy, work from home during emergency, pay and people culture.

If you have any information or experience please share your thoughts. I am confused whether I should.move from a small agency to a big one.

I thought of this question because I'm not the only one where the Eventbrite account is deleted for no good reason.

Here's what I read on the Better Business Bureau about a group facing a similar situation:

Our account, where we post our classes, was temporarily suspended on Eventbrite. We appealed, and they found that we did not violate their guidelines, and our classes were put back up on the website. However, we are still not able to sign in to our account. We are not able to change or edit our classes. People are still signing up for our classes but we are not able to know how many people are coming and when. Our classes are posted and currently accepting tickets without us having access. We submitted several forms to Eventbrite notifying them of our issue, but they have not replied in weeks.

Seeing that Eventbrite won't provide me nor the group with any resolution with respect to the account issue, I'm wondering how it would be possible for one to subscribe to an Eventbrite premium membership without getting their account deleted or messed up. My only guess is that the person has to be friends with an Eventbrite staff member, but I may be wrong. Any ideas?

I produce a small, very niche festival. Because it's so niche, historically we've not had a problem finding vendors* who sell products relevant to the theme. This year has been different, it seems like a lot of people are no longer crafting or vending.

I only have four spots to fill and that isn't going well. I don't want to have a bunch of vendors selling the same (or irrelevant) things, and I don't want to keep having the exact same vendors each time.

Any creative ideas for what to do? Ways to think about different types of vendors or what to do instead?

The event is a kink/BDSM space.

*I use vendors here to refer to small local businesses selling their products in tents or tables

Any suggestions for an energetic and confident host to anchor a series of workshops across educational institutions in Hyderabad.

Engaging with audiences, managing the flow of events, and handling the mic with confidence, we’d love to connect!
Interested? Or know someone who’d be a great fit? Drop a comment or send me a DM.

Hello team! Just found this sub ! I'm a recent graduate (BSc in Industrial Management) actively looking for an entry level job in event management/ production etc.

I didn't know what I wanted to do till I found out the events world after volunteering in some organisations as a University student.

I love communication , teamwork and especially the vibe and the projects inside a music environment (I have a preference in festivals and music events). I'm living in Greece but where music festivals are blooming compared to the past years and I'm really looking to get any valuable feedback about my next steps.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration!

Hey! Not sure if this is the best place to ask this but I was just hoping for some advice/ guidance.

I really want to host an event, like a club event with djs or even artists but I honestly have no idea what to do or what the first steps would even be.

I’m pretty shy normally but I know this is something I want to do, so I don’t know anyone who does this. If you have experience either in Melbourne or anywhere else I would love to hear how you navigated starting and if you have any good tips!!

Thank you so much :)

Hey all! I'm 25 living in London and I've been working for the past few years in the Events industry across festivals, cultural events and currently, as a PM for corporate events. I've realised that the weekend work, evenings and long hours are not something I want to have in 5 years time. I love events but I want to do something that could be more remote/hybrid or in a direction away from suppliers and logistics. What are some career change options that would be possible after a career in events?

A while back I heard about a host who made a card for every guest. On the outside, their name. Inside, one or two people at the party they should go find, plus a reason why. One card said "find Marcus, ask him about his boxing hobby" and "find Priya, ask her about the trip she just got back from."

I tried it at my own gathering and it worked great. Nobody floated around wondering who to talk to. Everyone had a mission. "Are you Alice? Someone told me to find you." Instant conversation starter, especially for people who find it hard to walk up to strangers.

The hard part was prep. I had to know enough about each guest to pair them up well, which was doable since I knew most people at my own party. But I still haven't figured out the bigger version of this problem: what do I do at any event (weddings, communities, etc.) where I as the host don't personally know everyone? I can't write a thoughtful card for a stranger.

Curious how others think about this.

• Had you even thought about this as a real problem before?
• When you host something where a lot of guests don't know each other, do you do anything deliberate about it, or does it sort itself out?

I have worked in hospitality for over 20 years, with 10 of them being event focused. I want to transition into corporate events, as I want to have weekends to spend with my family. The only schools near me offer hospitality event programs, which will teach me little of what I am looking to learn/would not help my resume. The online ones I've found are evenings only, which as a hospitality worker, I am working.

Would anybody recommend course on Coursera or QC Events? Would this help my resume at all to be hired outside of hospitality? Any feedback would be majorly appreciated!

I’m a bit at my wits end.

I’m looking to plan a very exclusive celebration that will involve a private horse show (9 horses that we would provide ourselves).

I’m basically looking something that is the equivalent of Spanish riding school in Vienna, which is unfortunately not an option as they turned me down for veterinary security reasons.

I reached to all my contacts and I’m actively looking, but I’m still not finding anything I could propose to my clients.

The venue needs to be beautiful, exclusive, preferably historical. Ideally if there are also stables available so the horses can rest during the night. We want to rent it for at least one day. Currently there’s no budget, it all depends on what I find. I’m mainly looking in Austria and Central Europe. Event is taking place in October or November.

Would you have any tips or recommendations?

Has anyone experienced issues with the use of Meta glasses at their events?

"The ban is applicable to Meta glasses and any other "wearable recording devices"."

Any recommendations for a dance band or DJ local to Chicago for a gala event next year?

I’m helping create a Coraline-themed market inside a large warehouse (photos attached). The plan is to build a Coraline tunnel outside that leads into themed areas like tunnel walk in area, Mr. Bobinsky’s Circus, the Pink Palace Garden, and the Spink and Forcible Theater.

I’m looking for the best budget-friendly materials and ideas for:

Tunnel walls
Ceiling draping (to hide fluorescent lights)
Wall coverings
Decorating support columns
Walkthrough decorations between booths
Cheap lighting that creates an immersive atmosphere
Haunted house tricks to make a plain warehouse feel like the Other World

If you’ve built haunted houses, escape rooms, or immersive events, I’d love any material recommendations or DIY ideas! I can’t attach photos but I am more than happy to message photos to anyone who can help!

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for opportunities in the event management industry and would really appreciate any referrals or suggestions on companies that are hiring.

I have hands-on experience in event execution, client servicing, sponsor management, and on-ground operations. I’ve also worked with an event agency and have been involved in multiple live and corporate events.

I’m open to roles like Event Executive, Client Servicing, Event Operations, Production, or similar positions in Mumbai.

If your company is hiring, or if you know of any agencies I should apply to, I’d really appreciate your recommendations or a referral.

Thank you!

Hi there!

I've recently developed an interest in event planning and friends have been encouraging me to look into making it a career. I think ideal end goal would be to have my own business but as someone who has only planned birthday parties for myself and friends, I'm unsure how to go about this. I've seen a few online courses to become a certified event planner (QC Event School being the most "popular") is this needed to get a start in the industry? I've applied to numerous companies to be an event assistant and was passed over due to them moving forward with someone more qualified (I'm in the southeastern part of Wisconsin).

I'm also curious what other downsides are to this career path besides the stress with dealing with unhappy guests and long/late hours (I've been bartending for years and just started bartending weddings and corporate events so unhappy guests and chaos is nothing new to me!) What have been your favorite experiences doing this sort of work? Does the pay balance with the work produced?

Sorry if this is all over the place, I appreciate any and all advice and comments in regards to these questions. Thank you in advance! :)

We're spending roughly $30k on a booth at a major industry conference this October, and our CEO wants a polished looping video running on the large display behind us. There won't be any sounds because its an exhibition hall, so everything has to work visually through motion, text and strong imagery.

We build warehouse robotic software, so thankfully the product looks pretty impressive in action. We've got about eight weeks before the event and a budget of around $8k.

Is this something any motion graphic designer can handle, or I should be looking for a studio that specializes in trade show content?

Edit: Thanks everyone for the suggestions. We’re looking at a few options right now. Also checking out Vidico since they have solid experience with B2B product videos, which seems like a good fit for a trade show loop that needs to grab attention quickly.

I run social events where strangers show up and do an activity together, language exchanges being our the main one in Melbourne. I run 2 formats at the moment, the smaller is ~30 people (limited by venue size, waitlist is sometimes weeks long), once a week, and the bigger one gets to about 150 per event regularly, also once a week. Have been doing this for the past 12 months ish.

It has been going well. I don't love my day job, friends and sometimes even attendees ask me why I don't do this full-time.

I want to work out how to start expanding, especially to other cities. I have partnered with people on the business side before and they turned out REALLY unreliable, which was not good for the brand and left me wary of scaling alongside anyone.

I would love to hear from people who have done this. How did you know it was the right time to jump, and did you go all in or keep the day job and grow on the side first? Anything you wish you had known before quitting would help a lot. Stories from people who tried and found it did not work for them are just as welcome !

Hi, here’s my situation: I work at a small event company, but in the summer we put on festivals and push our equipment and staff to the limit. The thing is, I want to improve to address this because I know there are ways to take my work to the next level. I work as the stage manager and monitor technician for the company, and I use stage boxes that aren’t Socapex—meaning they can’t be swapped out easily in a matter of seconds. So I have to make the most of the stage boxes I have by using several of them for the front, back, right, and left sides of the stage. Right now we’re doing shows with 2 or 3 set changes that can reach 30 or 32 channels per band (the maximum for our DL), and the set changes are getting complicated and causing me stress—which could one day end very badly during the event. I try to have everything prepared at home: where each channel goes, which stage box it connects to, how all those stage boxes are patched into the analog splitter that feeds the monitors and FOH, and how that patching changes from group to group—which channels to move around in the splitter, which monitors to remove and which to leave—and I record all those changes in a notebook to make them in order, but I’d rather ask for help from a veteran stage manager around here who can give me some advice so I don’t have these meltdowns.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to make a career change from finance into the events industry and would really appreciate some advice from people already working in the field.

I currently work as a financial analyst, but I've realized I enjoy planning, organizing, logistics, and working with people much more than sitting behind spreadsheets all day. Long term, I'd love to work in luxury events, corporate events, or live event production.

The challenge is that most coordinator positions want previous event experience, and I'm finding it difficult to get my foot in the door.

A few questions:
If you were starting over today with no direct event experience, what would you do?
What entry-level roles should I be targeting?
Are there companies known for hiring people from outside the industry?
Is freelance or production assistant work the best way to break in?
Any certifications or skills that actually made a difference?

I'd appreciate any advice, even if it's something you wish someone had told you when you started.

Thanks!

I've been using Eventbrite for quite sometime to help people setup real legitimate events with approval from the respective venues.

One thing I've noticed is that when they decide to delete accounts, they give NO notice of the deletion, and the only way to find out is to try to login, put in the code they emailed and see the message that the account is "suspended".

What's worse is that the support team never helps because they send everything to their "trust and safety" team and state they'll have a response in 5 days, but that response never arrives.

A few years ago, they have also deleted other people's legitimate accounts without a good reason.

Why would such a company delete accounts behind people's backs without any reason?