What portfolio materials should I prepare before selling my event planning company?
Gather photographs and short case studies of your best events, client testimonials, a list of event types you handle, and sample budgets and timelines. Pair them with records of the clients and vendors behind each. Buyers want to see the quality of the work and the system that produces it.
Choose a mix of events rather than only the glamorous ones. A buyer wants to see range: weddings, corporate meetings, fundraisers, launches. For each, assemble photos, a one-paragraph summary, the size of the team, the planning timeline and what went well. Add a candid note about a challenge you solved.
Gather client voices. Written testimonials and review pages help, as do references who agree to speak with the buyer after the sale is firm. Make sure you have permission to show client names and images, and ask your lawyer about the photo and privacy terms in your contracts.
Show the system. Include sample budgets, timelines, vendor checklists, run-of-show documents and contract templates. These prove that the business runs on process and not just on your instincts, and they give a buyer something to keep using. Round it out with your brand material: website, social accounts, design files and any awards. Confirm who owns the images and the accounts. If a freelance photographer holds the rights to the pictures, sort that out first. Keep everything in one organized folder for the buyer’s review.
Key takeaways
- Show range across event types, with a short case study and photos for each.
- Include templates, checklists and sample budgets that prove your process.
- Confirm permission and ownership for photos, names and online accounts.
- Keep everything in one organized folder so the buyer can review it easily.
Related reading
12 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Selling
- Expert answerHow do I prepare a wedding planning business for sale?
- Expert answerHow do I prepare an event rental business for sale?
- Expert answerHow do I prepare a forklift or material handling business for sale?
- Expert answerHow do I sell a business with a portfolio of leases at multiple locations?
- Expert answerHow do I show a buyer my deck company’s finished-project portfolio?
- Expert answerHow do I pass on a tutoring centre’s lesson materials and curriculum?
Buying
- Expert answerCan a buyer call something material just to avoid closing?
- Expert answerDoes “material” have a specific meaning in a purchase agreement?
- Expert answerHow do I find a forklift or material handling business for sale?
- Expert answerShould I buy an existing event planning business or start one?
- Expert answerWhat should I check before buying an event planning business?
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaIndustryHow to sell your business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
Deavo is an advertising and listings platform, not a brokerage, law firm or valuation firm. This page is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and rules differ by province. Confirm anything you rely on with a qualified professional before you act on it.