Make money planning events with style and impress your clients. 'Start & Run a Meeting and Event Planning Business' shows would-be business owners how to start and run a successful enterprise planning events of all kinds-from weddings and private parties to corporate events, meetings, conferences, and sporting events. This book will show you not only how to organize events, but also how to run the business itself. Keeping track of all the many details involved in putting on a successful event is easy when you have the checklists, schedules, tips, and experts' advice you need. Written in the step-by-step style that has made the Start & Run series the best of its kind, this indispensable guide will help readers to make any event-and event planning business-a resounding success.

1 So You Want to Be an Event Planner 1
1. Why Read This Book? 1
2. Who Am I? 2
2.1 What is PEAR? 7
3. Who Are You? 9
4. Truths and Misconceptions about Event Planners 11
5. Day and a Week in the Life of an Event Planner 12
6. Rules for Event Planners 17
7. Start-up Tasks 17
2 Types of Planners 21
1. Types of Event Planners 21
1.1 Planner 21
1.2 Producer 22
1.3 Designer 24
3 Find Your Location, Space, and Equipment 27
1. What Kind of Space Do You Need? 27
1.1 Location, location, location 27
2. What Kind of Equipment Do You Need? 31
4 Business Plan, Templates, Worksheets, and Other Forms 33
1. Creating a Business Plan 33
1.1 Set Goals 34
CONTENTS
vi Start & Run a Meeting & Event Planning Business
2. Other Templates and Forms 40
2.1 Email template ideas 40
2.2 Phone answering and voicemail templates 40
2.3 Other letters and business worksheets 41
3. In-house Contracts 41
5 Set Your Pricing and Event Budgeting 53
1. Know Your Costs 53
2. Pricing 53
3. Levels of Event Planning Pricing 59
3.1 Affordable 59
3.2 Noticed 59
3.3 Referred 60
4. Event Budgeting 62
6 Business Paperwork, Accounting, and Insurance 69
1. Business Names and Tax Numbers 69
2. Business Licenses and Permits 70
3. Accountants and Bookkeepers 70
3.1 Writing off items 70
3.2 Daily paperwork 71
4. Insurance 73
7 Promoting and Marketing Your Business 77
1. Promoting Your Business 77
1.1 Marketing etiquette 78
2. The Marketing Pieces 79
2.1 Business card 80
2.2 Website 80
2.3 Social media 81
2.4 Flyers, pamphlets, rack cards, and brochures 82
3. Other Ways to Promote Yourself 82
3.1 Join local organizations 87
3.2 Practice an elevator speech 87
3.3 Get some free publicity 87
Contents vii
8 Networking 89
1. Who to Connect With 93
9 Why Some Event Planners Are Better Than Others 101
1. Why Some Event Planners Get Hired over Others 101
2. Making Your Event Stand Out: Modern Tips 102
3. Technological Advances in Event Planning 103
4. Greening Your Event 104
10 Fortune Is in the Follow-Up 107
Download Kit 109
Checklist
1 Start-Up Checklist 18
Samples
1 Business Plan 35
2 Phone Answering and Voicemail Rules 42
3 Introductory Letter 43
4 Destination Wedding Contract 45
5 Start-Up Costs Worksheet 54
6 PEAR Sample Budget 65
7 Event Budget Worksheet 67
8 Expense Reimbursement 72
9 Invoice 74
10 Income Ledger 75
11 Expense Ledger 76
12 PEAR Rack Cards 83
13 PEAR Service Pamphlet (Weddings by PEAR) 85
14 Networking Connections 94