Making the Common Uncommon

The Challenge: A national organization approached Coulter Events with a unique challenge … the centerpiece of their programmatic base, an annual event, was enjoying strong attendance and market success, but was hemorrhaging money. In short, its expense metrics were out of control, and absent a new approach, the event would have to be discontinued.

The Challenge: A national organization approached Coulter Events with a unique challenge … the centerpiece of their programmatic base, an annual event, was enjoying strong attendance and market success, but was hemorrhaging money. In short, its expense metrics were out of control, and absent a new approach, the event would have to be discontinued.

Coulter Events' Response: In examining the event, Coulter Events determined that the structural reasons for the disparity between expense and revenues were not going to be easily resolved. Simply increasing registration fees and/or slashing expenses would negatively impact demand elasticity and cheapen an event that had developed a strong brand. While this seemingly straight-forward approach would potentially result in short-term relief, Coulter Events determined that it would dim the long-term prospects for the event. Instead, Coulter Events recommended a new configuration and market approach for the event, advocating conversion from a single major market event to a series of community-based events. To add power to its confidence in the recommendation, Coulter Events agreed to acquire the rights to the event and provide to the organization a guaranteed annual payout. This not only eliminated the need for the organization’s event staff, it replaced a large cost center with a guaranteed new revenue center.

The Result: The deal was consummated, and Coulter Events launched community-based events that bring first-tier events to audiences that would normally have to travel to national hubs to receive a similar quality of programming.