8 Event Planning Business Success Stories [2024]

Updated: February 24th, 2024
Start An Event Planning Business

Event planners handle different tasks related to making the business a success. Some of the event planner’s responsibilities include:

  • Conducting research
  • Creating the event design
  • Finding an ideal site
  • Arranging for food, décor, and entertainment
  • Planning logistics to and from the event
  • Sending invitations
  • Supervising at the site etc

To start this business on a budget, begin by honing your organizational and communication skills.

Next, create a detailed business plan outlining your services, target market, and pricing structure.

Utilize free or low-cost online tools for marketing, and consider starting small by offering services for smaller events before expanding your business as you gain experience and resources.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a event planning business:

1. Simply Decor and Events ($420K/year)

Akshay Patel, founder of Simply Decor, Tents, and Events, came up with the idea for his event rental and decor business after throwing a big party with a limited budget. Unable to afford professional decor, Patel made his own decorations and caught the attention of a bride who ended up becoming his first client. Since then, the business has grown, generating upwards of $380,000 a year, and Patel has learned the importance of innovative advertising strategies and standing his ground.

How much they make: $420K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 2

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How I Started A $35K/Month Event Decor Business

Akshay Patel's event rental and decor business, Simply Decor, Tents, and Events, saw an average ticket price of $2,000, as their advertising budget decreased from $20k to $5k, leading to 40% of their clients coming through social media advertising, 30% from expos, and 30% online in google, yahoo, and other platforms.

Revenue
Akshay grew the business to $35K/month
Costs
It cost Akshay $500 to start the business
Read by 16,849 founders

2. Interactive Entertainment Group ($4.8M/year)

Gregg Dukofsky, the founder of Interactive Entertainment Group, came up with the idea for his business after his friends visited his recording studio and had fun creating their own music video. This inspired him to launch his first product, Super F/X Music Videos, which was a hit at a local amusement park. Since then, Dukofsky has expanded his inventory to include hundreds of unique entertainment products, resulting in the growth of his business to include corporate events and prestigious clients.

How much they make: $4.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $27.4K
Current team size: 12

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How I Started an Award Winning Event Production Company

From a booth at a flea market to a 400k/month revenue generator, learn how this event production company pivoted to focus on corporate events, garnered top private companies recognition by Inc., and reinvented itself through virtual offerings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

About
Gregg started Interactive Entertainment Group over 35 years ago
Revenue
Gregg grew the business to $400K/month
Costs
It cost Gregg $27400 to start the business
Read by 7,073 founders

So... can you actually make money with a event planning business?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

3. Mystery ($1.8M/year)

Shane Kovalsky, the Co-founder of Mystery, came up with the idea for his business after experiencing a perfect weekend in Austin and wondering how he could recreate that surprise and delight for others. He started by planning surprise nights out on the town for friends and family, and with the customer love and a compelling business model, Mystery was born. Now, they have successfully pivoted to B2B virtual events and corporate gifting, engaging with over 20,000 users in just over 2 years.

How much they make: $1.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 16

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Successfully Pivoting From Surprise Event Planning To B2B Events And Corporate Gifting

Mystery is an experiences platform with over 20,000 engaged users in just over two years, offering a surprise element to virtual events and corporate gifting.

About
Shane started Mystery about 5 years ago
Revenue
Shane grew the business to $150K/month
Costs
It cost Shane $1000 to start the business
Read by 7,127 founders

4. Entire Productions ($1.3M/year)

Natasha Miller came up with the idea for Entire Productions when she was double and triple booked for private parties as a performer. Instead of turning down the gigs, she offered to bring in other talented performers and manage the whole process, unknowingly creating a mini empire. With a focus on experience design, Entire Productions has now grown into a fast-growing event and entertainment production company, primarily serving corporate clients in tech and pharma.

How much they make: $1.3M/year
Current team size: 6

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How Natasha Miller Started A $4M Event Management Company

Entire Productions is a fast-growing event and entertainment production company with an emphasis on experience design, primarily working with corporate clients including many Fortune 500 companies in the tech and pharma industries, boasting a growth of 148% and a goal of reaching $20M annual mark.

About
Natasha started Entire Productions about 23 years ago
Revenue
Natasha grew the business to $108K/month
Read by 7,749 founders

So... can you actually make money with a event planning business?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

5. Ticket Tailor ($6M/year)

Jonny, the founder and CEO of Ticket Tailor, came up with the idea for his ticketing platform while studying software engineering at Birmingham University in 2005. As a music fan, he wanted to create a website called "What's on in Brum?" to showcase local events. Through his experience building ticketing systems for clients and the frustration with high fees and data sharing from ticketing agencies, he saw an opportunity to create a scalable software product that would make ticketing more affordable and convenient for event creators.

How much they make: $6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 8

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How I Started a $150K/Month Ticketing Platform That Sells More Than 5 Million Tickets A Year Worldwide

A successful ticketing platform that grew from a side project into a business that issues over 5 million tickets annually, using a combination of cold calling, word of mouth, and partnerships to attract and retain customers while navigating the challenges of COVID-19.

About
Jonny started Ticket Tailor over 13 years ago
Revenue
Jonny grew the business to $500K/month
Costs
It cost Jonny $1000 to start the business
Read by 10,265 founders