Event Investment Planning Academy
Our structured programme helps you build confidence in managing event-related financial decisions. Running from September 2025 through March 2026, you'll work through real scenarios that matter to Irish businesses and communities.
Built Around Real Event Scenarios
Each module connects to actual situations we've encountered working with festivals, conferences, and community gatherings across Ireland. You'll see how financial planning influences everything from vendor negotiations to contingency reserves.
Budget Architecture
We start with foundation work. You'll learn how to structure budgets that adapt as event details shift, because they always do. Last autumn, one of our participants reworked her corporate retreat budget three times before the deposit deadline.
Risk Assessment Methods
Weather disruptions, vendor cancellations, attendance shortfalls. We examine how to quantify these possibilities and build financial buffers that make sense for your specific event type and scale.
Funding Strategy Development
Sponsorships, ticket structures, grant applications—different events need different approaches. We'll walk through examples from music festivals to business conferences, showing what worked and why.
Vendor Contract Analysis
Reading the fine print matters when deposits and cancellation terms are involved. This section focuses on contract clauses that often catch people off guard, with examples from actual agreements.
Cash Flow Timing
Money moves in and out at different stages. We map the typical timeline from planning through post-event settlement, highlighting where cash crunches tend to appear.
Post-Event Financial Review
The learning happens when you compare projections to actuals. You'll develop a review framework that captures insights for future planning cycles.
Who You'll Learn From
Our instructors bring direct experience from event management, financial planning, and risk consulting roles. They've handled everything from small community fundraisers to international conferences.
Finnian Byrne
Event Finance Specialist
Spent twelve years managing budgets for cultural festivals across Munster. His approach focuses on building flexibility into financial plans so organisers can respond to unexpected changes.
Cillian Henriksen
Risk Management Advisor
Previously worked with insurance providers evaluating event coverage. Now teaches practical risk assessment techniques that connect to real financial decision-making.
Oisín Pelletier
Funding Strategy Consultant
Helped secure sponsorships and grants for technology conferences and trade shows. His sessions cover negotiation tactics and partnership structures that actually hold up under scrutiny.
What This Programme Prepares You For
We're not promising overnight expertise. But you'll finish with practical frameworks and a clearer understanding of how financial planning shapes event success.
Budget Development Confidence
You'll be able to build event budgets that account for typical cost categories and build in realistic contingencies based on event type and size.
Risk Evaluation Skills
Learn to identify financial vulnerabilities specific to your event context and develop mitigation strategies that balance protection with practicality.
Contract Literacy
Understand the financial implications of common contract terms—payment schedules, cancellation clauses, and liability provisions that affect your bottom line.
Stakeholder Communication
Practice presenting financial plans to sponsors, committees, and vendors in ways that build trust and facilitate informed decision-making.