9 Event Management Company Success Stories [2024]
Do you have a basic understanding of events, possess great communication skills, and aren’t afraid to talk to C-suite executives, event attendees, donors, brand sponsors, and vendors?
Event management is a profession that is growing rapidly. Experts estimate that the event management and planning industry will experience a growth rate of 10% in a few years.
You can use your skills and passion by starting an event management company. Event management is not only an exciting career, but it is also a profitable business opportunity, with endless opportunities, you can focus on social and entertainment events, and corporate events, or become a general event management company.
In this list, you'll find real-world event management company success stories and very profitable examples of starting a event management company that makes money.
1. 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 money it makes: $6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 8
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.
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 money it makes: $4.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $27.4K
How many people on the team: 12
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.
3. 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 money it makes: $1.3M/year
How many people on the team: 6
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.
4. EMS Events ($600K/year)
Amana Feline's "aha" moment came when she saw event organizers struggling with equipment rentals, prompting her to start EMS Events in 1997. Today, her company generates $50K monthly, serving 500-600 events annually in London.
How much money it makes: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 25
Case study about the growth of an event production company in London that started in 1997, now making $50K monthly and aiming to reach $90K by offering event equipment and services such as LED video walls, sound systems, and lighting hire, serving corporate events and focusing on exhibitions for revenue growth.
5. Spacehuntr ($600K/year)
Dietrich, a retired investment manager, came up with the idea for Spacehuntr after experiencing the dread of traditional corporate meetings. Initially focused on coworking spaces, a pivotal moment came when they helped a lost client find a unique venue in Brussels. They realized they could specialize in helping foreign clients find unique spaces for international events, leading to a spike in demand and steady growth.
How much money it makes: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 10
Spacehuntr achieved a +700% growth in 2019 with revenues, despite the global pandemic, on track to match that growth in 2020, by launching a 360° platform for businesses to book and manage unique Work, Play & Stay spaces, catering to international corporations such as Airbnb, Netflix, and Uber.
6. VIPER by KCH ($480K/year)
Celeste Durve and Kelsi Kitchener came up with the idea for VIPER after working as interns and freelance production assistants in the nightlife industry. Frustrated by the lack of organization and management at events, they decided to create a "side hustle" where they could handle guest check-in and bring their friends along to help. Their idea quickly grew into a successful business, and today, VIPER is valued at over a million dollars with a team of 26 and a strong client list.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How many people on the team: 0
VIPER, an all-female event operations team, was self-funded by two young entrepreneurs and is now valued at over a million dollars thanks to sales, strong branding, and a list of clients including Travis Scott, Kanye West and politicians, with plans for future expansion into tech, experiential space, and real estate.
7. Elegante Catering ($240K/year)
Since the launch, Elegante Catering has focused on online marketing and SEO to attract and retain customers. The founder leveraged their previous experience in online marketing and utilized targeted blog posts and social media to drive traffic to their website. Additionally, they prioritized customer feedback and created menus based on customer preferences to ensure customer satisfaction and retention.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 10
Elegante Catering founder, Nestor Nidome, details his journey from failed DJ business to a $20k/month catering company, emphasizing the importance of online marketing and customer feedback as key contributors to his success.
8. EventBookings ($120K/year)
Mark Thomas, the founder of EventBookings, came up with the idea after witnessing the difficulties event organizers face in hosting events for universities worldwide during his career in the educational photography industry. He realized the need for a platform that could help event organizers remain organized throughout the chaos of event planning. With EventBookings, he created an all-in-one event technology platform that makes it effortless to sell event tickets online. Since its launch, EventBookings has hosted over 10,000 events and attracted 1,500 event organizers worldwide.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $60K
How many people on the team: 25
EventBookings is an all-in-one event technology platform that helps event organizers remain organized throughout the chaos of event planning and is now running the business with 25 employees and is currently on track to reach their next revenue target of $1M.
9. Entrepreneur Power Hour ($12K/year)
Bobby Housel, founder of Entrepreneur Power Hour, came up with the idea for his business during his sophomore year at the University of Michigan. After realizing that the world of college entrepreneurship was fragmented and lacking in community, he started hosting meetups for student entrepreneurs, which quickly grew to over 300 founders. Through word of mouth and a successful appearance on a popular entrepreneurship podcast, the business launched organically and has since been focused on building a strong community for college founders.
How much money it makes: $12K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 4
Learn about how Entrepreneur Power Hour grew to over 300 student founders across two college campus communities and their plan to expand nationwide and empower alumni to invest in the next generation of college founders through their syndicate fund, Founder's Cupid.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
