Start-up cost
$2,000-$20,000
Event planning start-up $2,000-$20,000 (StartCosts, 2026, single-source vendor estimate). Source: StartCosts, industry start-up cost guides, 2026. Lab cost band: under $5K to $25K.
This is one source. Treat it as a starting figure, not a quote, and get local prices before you spend.
The field in numbers
These are Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for the wider field, not for this business alone.
Industry (Census)
Convention and Trade Show Organizers (NAICS 561920)
Solo owners in the wider field
142,631 (Other Support Services)
Average gross sales per solo owner
$38,062 a year, before costs (gross sales, not profit)
Still open after 1, 2, 5, 10 years
76.9%, 67.4%, 48.9%, 34.2% (all businesses in the sector, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Does it fit you?
The Startup Lab asks a few plain questions about your money, time and what you like doing, then narrows 910 businesses to the few that fit. The $10 report on this business adds itemized costs, your county’s numbers and Groundwork Alumni access.
