Event Planner: Best Referral Sources
Who should be sending you clients, and the rooms they are already sitting in.
Get the networking events worth showing up to
Tell us where you are. We will send you the best rooms for event planners and the next meeting dates. Add a ZIP and this page will also show your local chapters and which seats are open.
Most business owners network where their competitors are, not where their referral partners are.
Your own trade group is for learning. Your partners' groups are where the work comes from. Everything below starts with one question. When something happens that makes people need event planners, who else gets a call that same week?
Event planners sell to both individuals and businesses, and most of the work starts when a family plans a wedding or milestone event. It is planned well ahead, so the introduction has to happen early. Most clients buy once, so the flow of new names is the whole business.
- Wedding or major eventwhen a family plans a wedding or milestone event
- Rebrand or launchwhen a business launches or rebrands
- Retirementwhen somebody retires
- Business formationwhen somebody starts a company
- New babywhen a couple has a child
Who should be sending you clients
Who you should be sending clients to
Ranked by what starts the job, not by who sounds close to your trade.
The same list, turned around. Give first and the rest follows.
- 01
Digital Marketing Agency
They send you work69Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
Digital marketing agencies hear about it when a business launches or rebrands, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 02
Public Relations
They send you work66Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
PR firms hear about it when a business launches or rebrands, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 03
Photographer
Two-way62Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event
You and photographers both get the call when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 04
Attorney Intellectual Property
They send you work62Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
IP attorneys hear about it when a business launches or rebrands, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 05
Financial Advisor
They send you work61Trigger: somebody retires
Financial advisors hear about it when somebody retires, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 06
Web Developer
They send you work61Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
Web developers hear about it when a business launches or rebrands, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 07
IT Services / Managed IT
They send you work61Trigger: somebody starts a company
IT and managed service providers hear about it when somebody starts a company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 08
Insurance Health & Benefits
They send you work59Trigger: somebody retires
Health and benefits brokers hear about it when somebody retires, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 09
Florist
You send them work59Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event
You hear about it when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, before florists do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 10
CPA / Accountant
They send you work59Trigger: somebody starts a company
CPAs hear about it when somebody starts a company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 01
Caterer
You send them work71Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event
You hear about it when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, before caterers do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 02
DJ & Entertainment
You send them work66Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event
You hear about it when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, before DJs and entertainment companies do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 03
Photographer
Two-way64Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event
You and photographers both get the call when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 04
Florist
You send them work63Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event
You hear about it when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, before florists do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 05
Jeweler
Two-way59Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event
You and jewelers both get the call when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 06
Videographer
You send them work58Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event
You hear about it when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, before videographers do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
Where those people actually are
Ranked by how many of your best partners are in the room, and how much work each one can send you.
EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)
Your partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
Owners above a revenue bar, meeting in private. Few referrals, but the ones that happen are big and close fast.
Find your local chapter →Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.
- 01
EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
Owners above a revenue bar, meeting in private. Few referrals, but the ones that happen are big and close fast.
Chapter finder → - 02
Your city or county chamber of commerce
Chamber of commerceYour partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.
Chapter finder → - 03
LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities
Online communityYour partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.
Chapter finder → - 04
Industry Slack & Discord communities
Online communityYour partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, IP attorneys, and web developers.
Where professional and technical trades actually talk now. Referrals happen in private messages, not in the channel.
- 05
Vistage
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and financial advisors.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Chapter finder → - 06
State CPA society
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: financial advisors and CPAs.
A CPA is the person most business owners trust most. Sponsors can go to chapter meetings and classes.
Chapter finder → - 07
Your local estate planning council
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: financial advisors and CPAs.
Estate lawyers, CPAs, bankers, and insurance people in one room on purpose. It was built for this kind of referral.
Chapter finder → - 08
BNI
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
The biggest referral group in the world. You meet every week. Only one person per job. They expect you to show up.
Chapter finder →
EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)
Your partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
Owners above a revenue bar, meeting in private. Few referrals, but the ones that happen are big and close fast.
Find your local chapter →Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.
- 01
EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
Owners above a revenue bar, meeting in private. Few referrals, but the ones that happen are big and close fast.
Chapter finder → - 02
Your city or county chamber of commerce
Chamber of commerceYour partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.
Chapter finder → - 03
LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities
Online communityYour partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.
Chapter finder → - 04
Industry Slack & Discord communities
Online communityYour partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, IP attorneys, and web developers.
Where professional and technical trades actually talk now. Referrals happen in private messages, not in the channel.
- 05
Vistage
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and financial advisors.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Chapter finder → - 06
State CPA society
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: financial advisors and CPAs.
A CPA is the person most business owners trust most. Sponsors can go to chapter meetings and classes.
Chapter finder → - 07
Your local estate planning council
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: financial advisors and CPAs.
Estate lawyers, CPAs, bankers, and insurance people in one room on purpose. It was built for this kind of referral.
Chapter finder → - 08
Prime Time Business Network
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
A South Florida referral group. Only one person per job in each chapter. So your competitors are kept out, and your referral partners have the other seats.
See chapters →
Let us be straight with you. For event planners, a weekly referral group is not the best pick. Your partners gather in professional groups instead, so spend your time there. We would rather say that than sell you a seat you do not need.
Is your seat open?
Prime Time takes one event planner per chapter. Put in a South Florida ZIP above and we will show you which seats are open.
Add a ZIP code at the top of the page to see which seats are open.
Prime Time doesn't operate where you are yet.
We have fifteen chapters in South Florida and none near you. Telling you to join would be bad advice. The rooms above are the real answer where you are. We can email you the one page version and let you know if we open near you.
Send me those roomsHave the next meetings sent to you
The rooms above are the answer. This is when they meet. Tell us where to send it and we will email you the next dates for event planners, with the one page plan.
We already know your trade and your area from this page, so there is nothing else to fill in. We do not ask for a phone number. Every email we send has an unsubscribe link.
Your one-page action plan
Five partners, five things to say, three rooms. Print it and keep it in the car.
Networking plan: Event Planner
The five people who should be sending you clients
- Digital Marketing Agency (They send you work)
Shared trigger: a business launches or rebrands - Public Relations (They send you work)
Shared trigger: a business launches or rebrands - Photographer (Two-way)
Shared trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event - Attorney Intellectual Property (They send you work)
Shared trigger: a business launches or rebrands - Financial Advisor (They send you work)
Shared trigger: somebody retires
The three rooms to be in
- EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization): Your partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
- Your city or county chamber of commerce: Your partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
- LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities: Your partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
- EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization): Your partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
- Your city or county chamber of commerce: Your partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.
- LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities: Your partners are in this room: digital marketing agencies, PR firms, and IP attorneys.