Budgeting For Corporate Events

If I was the Head of Events at a $100M ARR SaaS, and had a $1,000,000 event budget, here’s the exact playbook I’d run (with budget): BACKGROUND: Replicating SaaS is only getting easier. Building moats is not. The best moat you can build is your community. That should be the #1 focus of every GTM team. Here’s the event program: 1. Flagship Event 60% of budget is going here. Pair on the back of a major product announcement. Use sponsorship and ticket sales to generate another $500k - $1m Attendance: 50% customers, 20% BoFu, 10% partners, 10% MoFu Invest in niche influencers. Make your event the “it” event. 2. Field Marketing Target 15-20 cities Bring in 1-3 partners. Total cost per city should be < $10k including travel Attendance: 20% Customers, 20% BoFu, 40% MoFu, 20% ToFu Get your SDR team onboard. Watch response rates go from <1% for cold outbound to >18% with dinner invites 3. Webinars / Virtual Full time role + $1,000 per event for promotion & speaker gifts 3 objectives here Build relationships with speakers Generate content You can’t be in every city every month. Use this to maintain mindshare throughout the year Attendance: 10% Customers, 10% BoFu, 40% MoFu, 40% ToFu (I'd use Accelevents to manage 1 through 3) 4. 3rd Party Events Only invest in the top 3-5 industry events Spend $50k - $100k per event Host a micro event at each You can’t build a moat from 3rd party events so I’d focus on our owned event program. 5. Content distribution Any remaining budget goes to content distribution. You’re building a brand around your events. Allocate 90% of budget to creating and distributing short form video. Not lengthy sessions. Look, it’s a lot of work. But it can define your brand. And your brand will be the only thing that matters when products get commoditized. P.S. Your CEO and CMO need to believe in events. What would you change? How would you allocate your budget? One platform can run all your owned events. Check out Accelevents --> https://hubs.la/Q03d3MZ70

Venture funding can get a business started, but working capital keeps companies alive. In times of fluctuating federal funding and fleet-footed investors, climate founders need a reliable #workingcapital strategy to extend runway, scale smarter, and avoid unnecessary dilution. We go deep on these under-appreciated financing instruments and the when, what, and how to wield them in Sightline Climate (CTVC)‘s Working Capital Playbook. TLDR: 💳 Debt stabilizes cash flow. Credit lines, term loans & venture debt fund operations but require assets or revenue. 💡 Hybrid instruments bridge early gaps. SAFEs & convertible notes offer flexible funding without immediate dilution. 🏗️ Grants fuel deep tech. Government & catalytic capital de-risk FOAK projects and unlock follow-on investment. 🔄 Creative financing frees up cash. Factoring, revenue-based financing & invoice advances fund growth without equity. 🏛️ Policy & community capital add leverage. Green banks, philanthropy & state incentives provide non-dilutive funding. Nerd out on the full pros & cons analysis, self-assessment questionnaire, and case studies with Enduring Planet, DexMat, Thea Energy, HSBC Innovation Banking, Rondo Energy, and Breakthrough Energy in the report below 👇 https://lnkd.in/ettJuAGv

This is the anatomy of a driver-based forecast for a staffing company. You can apply the same techniques to your business model too. There are two revenue streams within a single business: 1. Temp staffing + contract placements 2. Direct hires They share many of the same recruiters and salespeople. They sit in the same office. But the unit economics are completely different for each line of business. A good driver-based forecast model should treat them as such. Temp Staffing Channel: In temp staffing, you're effectively renting people out. Revenue is the hourly bill rate. Cost is the hourly pay rate. The spread is the mark-up and equals the gross profit per hour. When you multiply that by the hours forecast to be billed, you get the total gross profit per placement. And when you multiply that by the total heads, you get your total contribution. Direct Hire Channel: In direct hire, you're not renting people. You're permanently placing them with a customer, collecting a one-time fee. This is typically a percentage of the hire's first-year-salary. There are usually milestones in the calendar and the fee isn't paid in full until those milestones are met. The volume math, cost structures, and cash conversation are completely different between temp staffing and direct hire. If you build one combined revenue line for both channels, you lose the ability to decipher the drivers of each. When I see FP&As focus on top-down and bottom-up forecasting, they're often missing the reality that forecasts aren't that clean and obvious. There are activities that drive the revenues. Driver-Based Scenario Modeling: On the left-hand side of the model, you see three distinct scenarios: low, mid, and high. Each has its own set of operating assumptions. On the right-hand side of the model, you see a 5-year forecast. But if you look closely, you can see that I've assigned to each year a respective scenario. 2025 pulls from low while 2026-2029 pull from mid. Why are these labels blue? Because I'm using data validation drop-downs. If the FP&A analyst decides to change the scenario or inflation adjustment, it can be done with the click of a button (or alt + down arrow if you're rabidly against using your mouse). I called this a driver-based scenario picker. You don't have any assumptions hard-coded into the forecast. They're all dynamic and flexible, driven by the scenario picked on the left. Why does this matter? Because if you ever want to model different assumptions, you can do it without rebuilding the model. You toggle the tag and everything downstream updates. The objective of a model like this isn't to be fancy or perfect. It's to be useful and defensible. The discussions we'd have with the recruiting and sales team focus on the drivers in play and the plans we have for the future. Question for you: how have you applied similar driver-based methods to your company?

Unlocking New Revenue Streams with SaaS Models A few years ago, I sat across from a startup founder who had built a brilliant product—an AI-powered analytics tool for eCommerce businesses. The problem? They were struggling to scale. Their high upfront costs and one-time licensing fees limited customer acquisition. “We have a great product, but revenue is unpredictable,” he admitted. I’ve seen this challenge time and again—companies with exceptional tech but outdated monetization models. That’s when I asked him, “Have you considered transitioning to SaaS?” Fast forward 18 months, and that same startup saw a 3x increase in revenue, higher customer retention, and expansion into global markets. That’s the power of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Why SaaS is Driving Business Growth The SaaS market is projected to reach $908 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 18.7% (Fortune Business Insights). Businesses are increasingly moving away from traditional software licensing to subscription-based, cloud-enabled solutions, unlocking new revenue streams and market opportunities. At Devsinc, we’ve helped numerous clients transition to SaaS, and the benefits are clear: 1- Recurring Revenue Stability: Unlike one-time sales, SaaS provides predictable, subscription-based income. 2- Scalability: SaaS businesses grow exponentially with minimal incremental costs. 3- Global Reach: Cloud-based delivery removes geographic limitations. The Real Impact of SaaS: A Case Study One of our eCommerce clients, initially selling packaged software, struggled with declining sales. We helped them pivot to a SaaS-based model, offering monthly subscriptions and AI-driven customer insights. The results? A 42% increase in customer lifetime value and 60% higher user engagement. The Future of SaaS: AI, Verticalization, and Automation By 2026, 70% of software products will shift to SaaS-based models (Gartner). Emerging trends include: - AI-powered SaaS: Automating workflows and enhancing decision-making. - Industry-Specific SaaS: Tailored solutions for sectors like healthcare, fintech, and retail. - Usage-Based Pricing: Charging customers based on consumption, increasing flexibility. Building a Successful SaaS Business Transitioning to SaaS isn’t just about moving to the cloud—it’s about redefining how value is delivered. Companies that invest in customer-centric experiences, seamless onboarding, and continuous product evolution will lead the market. The conversation with that founder wasn’t just about switching business models—it was about embracing a new mindset. SaaS is more than software; it’s a strategy for sustained, scalable growth. For companies looking to unlock new revenue streams, the question isn’t whether to adopt SaaS—it’s how quickly they can adapt. The future belongs to those who can innovate, iterate, and deliver continuous value. Are you ready to make the shift? #SaaS #BusinessGrowth #RecurringRevenue #TechInnovation #DigitalTransformation

🤔 Can debt be an appropriate tool to finance the Creative Industries in Africa? This debate has been going on for years. 💰 Most investors currently active in the Creative space are Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) -- essentially very large, multinational banks. They have many financial tools at their disposal, but debt is the less risky one as the lender's expected return is directly baked into the price of the loan (the interest rate). 😱 On the other side are creative entrepreneurs who, for the most part, are small business owners extremely vulnerable to the vagaries of their home market -- currency devaluations and forex risk, political instability, unpredictable taxation, rising interest rates, and value chain disturbances. They don't want to be burdened by a loan when the path ahead is so unclear. When I was running my first business, a company in Kenya called Buni Media, my year was consumed by finding work and raising money to sustain our 80-person team. And every year, it almost felt like starting from scratch. That was pressure enough -- I would have never taken a loan I wasn't sure how to repay. 💡 But a recent partnership between Orange Bank and Birimian Ventures is showing that debt facilities geared towards the creative sector can work, if they are thoughtfully designed and managed. 🎉 In September 2022, Orange Bank and Birimian launched a $167,000 pilot debt program targeted at fashion companies in Ivory Coast. As of July 2023, 21 companies had been financed, with a repayment rate of 100%. 🚀 Last week, the two partners announced a new $836,000 fund, which will expand its reach to other sub-sectors of the creative industries. This time, the program is backed by IFC - International Finance Corporation's guarantee facility, which means that Orange and Birimian can take more risks. So what did Orange and Birimian do to generate such positive results? ✅ They focused on one sub-sector in which Birimian had deep expertise. ✅ Birimian used its sector knowledge to pre-select companies and prepare them to apply for a loan. Out of 80 submissions, they selected 21 (26%). ✅ The product was packaged as a short-term loan to assist designers with the production of their next collection, so the loan had a clear and concrete purpose: to purchase raw material, lease equipment and pay for labor costs over a defined period. It would also be immediately repaid from the sales of the products. The short duration of the loan limits the impact of the interest rate on the borrower. ✅ Birimian then continued working with the selected companies throughout the period, providing coaching, access to markets and visibility. The same model could be applied to finance the creation of other products that have a short route to market: TV series, music album, art exhibition, and more. #Africa #creativeindustries #fashion #financing

Why Budget Cuts Could Be the Best Thing for Our B2B Marketing Strategy Here's a perspective that might raise some eyebrows: Marketing budget cuts can be an unexpected opportunity for B2B marketing leaders. In fact, what if we considered offering to reallocate some of our budget to another group? Before we dismiss this idea, let's consider four reasons why this counterintuitive move could be our most strategic play. ►Spotlight on Product-Market Fit - If our product isn't resonating with the market, no amount of marketing can make up for it. It's like trying to out-exercise a bad diet, it won't work. By shifting funds, perhaps to Product or Engineering, we're addressing root causes. And stop chasing leads that aren't a good fit in the sales process. Remember, product-market fit issues can stem from various sources. We can't out-campaign a poor fit, but we can reallocate resources to improve it. ► Narrow Our Focus, Amplify Our Impact - As we go from "growth at all costs" to sustainable profitability, it's time to be more selective. We need to identify key segments where we can deliver the most value cost-effectively. A focused approach often outperforms broad, spray-and-pray campaigns, even with a smaller budget. It's about maximizing impact, not just managing with less. ►Optimize the Entire Funnel - Low conversion rates or high churn? Increasing marketing spend without working on these issues is like trying to fill a leaky bucket. Sometimes, our best move is to support Sales and/or CS through funding and joint efforts. By doing this, we're not just helping other teams, we're amplifying the effectiveness and ROI of marketing initiatives. ► Leverage AI Strategically - AI and automation can be transformative for optimizing spend. The key is to upskill our team to use AI responsibly, enhancing our creativity and strategic thinking, not replacing it. Maximize the potential of our existing martech platforms with their AI capabilities. Work faster, better, and smarter by using AI responsibly. By proactively addressing budget constraints in this way, we can: ► Demonstrate strategic thinking based on deep market insights ► Create opportunities to reset cross-functional expectations and goals ► Build strong alliances across the exec team ► Position marketing as a driver of overall business success, not just marketing metrics When we hear "budget cuts," our instinct is to go defensive. However, a well-planned offense can be more effective. By leveraging our market insights and making tough strategic calls, we're playing the long game for the entire business. As we prepare for budget season, let's change the narrative. Instead of merely defending our budgets, let's show how marketing can drive more value across the org, even with limited resources. It's time to redefine our role as strategic business leaders. What are your thoughts? #MarketingLeadership #StrategicMarketing #BudgetPlanning #SustainedProfitability #ResponsibleAI GrowthPath Partners

Most decisions in the real world come with constraints. In supply chains, in finance, in energy systems, I rarely see a problem that is unconstrained. The challenge is not just choosing an action, it is choosing one that fits within limits. Some constraints are grounded in physics and economics. You cannot ship what you do not have. You cannot store more than your warehouse can hold. A supplier might only sell in truckload increments, or impose a minimum order quantity. These are hard constraints, and they shape the feasible set of actions. But not all constraints come from the outside world. Many come from inside the organization. I have seen budgets locked in months before actual sales were known. A department might be given a $300M cap on annual purchasing, not because that number was optimal, but because it was available. The budget is fixed. The environment is not. And the decision-maker is now stuck navigating a constraint born of a meeting, not a model. This is where sequential decision-making requires more than clever optimization. It requires thoughtful design. When I build decision systems, I begin by separating real constraints from artificial ones. The first category is unavoidable. The second can be challenged. A budget constraint may make sense when decisions are made manually and infrequently. But if the system can re-evaluate priorities daily, using current data, then a static budget becomes an unnecessary straightjacket. Good decision design means surfacing the true drivers of value. That includes understanding why a constraint exists, what risk it is meant to manage, and whether it still serves that purpose. Often, I find that constraints were introduced to simplify a broken process. Once the process improves, the constraint can be removed. Sequential Decision Analytics gives us a way to test these ideas in practice. We can simulate trade-offs, evaluate new policies, and determine whether the business is better off with a flexible rule or a fixed one. We stop relying on inherited rules and start learning from experience. The goal is not just to make better decisions within constraints but also improve the constraints themselves when possible. We do not have to accept every limit as permanent. Some are just placeholders for a better system we have not yet built. And when that system arrives, we owe it to the organization to set it free.

In the midst of federal research funding cuts and grant freezes, we need alternative ways to fund science. Here are some opportunities that caught my attention: ▫️ Astera Institute - founded by Jed McCaleb and Seemay Chou, Astera incubates high-leverage science and technology projects at their earliest stages through their residency and open science programs. They back creative, high-agency scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs who are passionate about pursuing open first, high impact and future focused projects, especially innovators whose work isn’t a match for other institutions. https://lnkd.in/g45bPNgP ▫️ Schmidt Sciences - part of Eric and Wendy Schmidt's philanthropic initiatives. Their Polymaths program backs professors and interdisciplinary misfits with $2.5M+ to explore wild, risky ideas, whereas their Fellows program places the world’s best emerging scientists in new research domains. https://lnkd.in/gwNC7Fda ▫️ Simons Foundation - founded by Jim and Marilyn Simons to champion basic science through grant funding. There is currently an open call for high-risk theoretical mathematics, physics and computer science projects of exceptional promise and scientific importance. https://lnkd.in/g5CX-Gmk ▫️ Lux Capital - Lux just committed $100 million to back academic research that also has commercial potential, such as biotech and artificial intelligence. They offer both counsel and capital to pathbreaking scientists and help push their research and careers forward. https://lnkd.in/gt5vKe_m ▫️ Decentralized Science (DeSci) - science-focused decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) are communities and platforms that use blockchain technology and decentralization to reform funding and collaboration in science. e.g. 🔹 ValleyDAO - funds and provides translational support for synthetic biology research 🔹 VitaDAO - funds aging research and democratizes ownership of intellectual property 🔹 Molecule AG - funding and tokenization platform for biopharma intellectual property What other funding models or programs are you excited about?

Most manufacturing companies deploy capital by adding resources. More people, bigger budgets, and longer timelines. We deploy capital by setting the constraint first. 90% fewer employees and 90% smaller budgets. If you tell a team of 100 people to build a factory, they'll come back with a plan that requires 100 people. If you tell a team made up of the right 10 people to build the same factory, they'll find a way to do it with 10. Maybe they will need a few more along the way, but not 90 more. The constraint forces different decisions. You can't throw bodies at problems. You have to eliminate steps, automate ruthlessly, and design for the team that will get the job done, rather than the team that other people have used in the past. Large OEMs plan projects around existing organizational structure. If you go to a group of 1,000 people at a major OEM and say, "build this factory," they'll come back with a $6 billion plan and leadership might negotiate it to $5.5 billion. But the plan still assumes business as usual. It assumes the same staffing as the last project, the same suppliers as the last project, and the same results as the last project. The team likely isn't scoping the project by saying, "could we still deliver if this group was cut to 300 people?" When we hire, we lead with the constraints as the expectation. This is the scale of the company, this is the budget, and this is the team size. People who want to solve problems under those conditions choose to be here. People who don't, don't. That's how you build manufacturing capacity an order of magnitude cheaper than companies believe is possible.

🎬 FILM FINANCING 101: A Practical Guide for Storytellers, Investors & Indie Producers 💼 Making a great film takes creativity. Financing it takes strategy. This new series will break down the real mechanics behind independent film financing, not the vague “get a grant or an investor” advice, but a look under the hood at how producers actually structure a budget and raise funds. I’ll walk through the building blocks of indie film finance, including: ✅ Private equity (and what new producers often overlook) ✅ Government and private grants (free money—but not without strings) ✅ State & international tax incentives (and how to turn them into cash before filming) ✅ Pre-sales and sales agents (and the fine print that can save or sink a deal) ✅ Crowdfunding (what it is and isn’t good for) ✅ Gap financing, bridge loans, and leveraging distribution guarantees ✅ Studio partnerships, negative pickups & acquisitions (what it really means when a studio “backs” an indie) Each post will include examples from real-world projects, from micro-budget hits to Oscar winners, and break down how different financing tools come together to make a film possible. If you're an aspiring producer, creative entrepreneur, or investor looking to understand how this business actually works - this is for you. Follow along and feel free to jump into the conversation as we roll these out. #FilmFinance #IndependentFilm #Producing #CreativeBusiness #FilmInvesting #EntertainmentFinance #ApoliticalStorytelling #IndieFilm #DesertPirateProductions