TLDR (Summary)
The best CRM software for event planners is Plutio ($19/month).
Generic CRM software tracks contacts, deals, and email history, but event planning requires different context. Event planners need to see event timelines with milestone tracking, vendor relationships with contract status, guest list changes with RSVP updates, budget allocations across vendor categories, and day-of coordination details all connected to each client profile. Plutio builds CRM around the event lifecycle rather than the sales funnel, so client profiles show the complete journey from initial inquiry through successful event delivery.
The event management software market reached $15.5 billion in 2024, driven by demand for integrated platforms that connect planning, coordination, and execution. Event-specific CRM connects timeline context to client profiles instead of requiring planners to dig through separate spreadsheets, email threads, and vendor databases to reconstruct event details before planning meetings.
For additional strategies, read our client onboarding guide.
What is CRM software for event planners?
CRM software for event planners is software that tracks client relationships across inquiries, event planning phases, and recurring events with complete venue details, vendor relationships, timeline visibility, and budget tracking.
The distinction matters: generic contact management stores names and emails, sales CRM tracks leads through deal pipelines, and event planner CRM tracks the complete event lifecycle including venue contracts, vendor coordination, guest management, and budget status. Event-focused CRM connects to scheduling, timeline management, and invoicing.
What event planner CRM actually does
Core functions include storing client contact information and event preferences, tracking inquiries through consultation and booking, maintaining venue and vendor relationships per event, logging timeline milestones and deadlines, tracking budget allocation and vendor payments, and organizing guest lists with dietary restrictions and seating requirements. Every detail connects to the client record and event project.
Sales CRM vs event management CRM
Sales CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce track leads converting to customers. Event planner CRM tracks what happens after booking: venue confirmations, vendor coordination, timeline execution, and client communication throughout planning. When an event contract signs, sales CRM considers the deal closed. Event CRM is just beginning the coordination work that makes events successful.
What makes event planner CRM different
Event planners face unique coordination challenges: clients planning multiple events over years, vendors requiring specific load-in windows, timelines with interdependent tasks where delays cascade, and budget adjustments based on final guest counts. Without CRM that connects client profiles to event execution details, venue confirmations sit in email, vendor timelines live in spreadsheets, and budget tracking happens in separate software... so answering "has the florist confirmed delivery time?" requires checking four different places.
When CRM connects to venue details, vendor coordination, timeline management, and budget tracking, client relationships become event execution hubs. Every question has immediate answers, every detail lives in context, and no confirmation gets lost between systems.
Why event planners need CRM software
Event planners who grow beyond 5-8 simultaneous events face a compounding problem: every new event adds vendor coordination, timeline management, and client communication that doesn't scale, and scattered event details are where mistakes happen on event day.
Venue confirmations, vendor timelines, guest count changes, budget adjustments, and day-of coordination multiply with each event. Without a tool that connects these details to client profiles, confirmations fall through cracks, timelines get out of sync, and event day arrives with critical details scattered across email threads, spreadsheets, and Airtable databases.
The scattered event details problem
According to research, 36% of work time goes to admin. For event planners specifically, that means 10-15 hours per week spent hunting for vendor confirmations, updating multiple timeline spreadsheets, reconciling budget changes, and answering client questions about details you already received but can't immediately find.
If your event planning rate is $100/hour (based on typical $6,000 full-planning packages at 60 hours of work), those 10-15 hours represent $1,000-1,500/week of potential billable time. That's over $4,000-6,000/month in opportunity cost, not counting the stress of scrambling for vendor contracts three days before an event.
The fragmentation problem
You planners stack 5-7 disconnected tools: HoneyBook or Dubsado for client contracts, Aisle Planner or Planning Pod for design and timelines, Airtable or Google Sheets for vendor tracking, Dropbox for contracts, and email for client communication. Each tool handles one function, but none share data automatically.
This fragmentation creates daily friction: checking email for a vendor confirmation, then updating the Airtable vendor tracker, then updating the Google Sheets timeline, then emailing the client with status, then hoping you didn't miss updating the budget spreadsheet. Five systems to update for one vendor confirmation. Across 15 events with 10 vendors each, that's 150 potential update chains... and every missed step is a detail that can go wrong on event day.
The missed coordination epidemic
Missed vendor confirmations affect nearly every event planner at some point. A caterer says yes over email. You update your notes but forget to update the shared timeline. The client checks the timeline, sees "pending," and emails asking if catering is confirmed. You reassure them it is, then realize the florist's load-in time conflicts with catering setup... but that would have been obvious if both vendor times lived in one connected timeline instead of separate email threads.
The issue compounds because events have interdependent timelines. Venue load-in determines when vendors arrive. Vendor setup determines when photography starts. Photography timing affects when guests arrive. One missed coordination cascades through the entire event day schedule.
The scaling tipping point
You planners hit a threshold around 12-15 simultaneous events where the manual approach breaks down. At this point, you're either spending more time updating spreadsheets than coordinating events, or you're dropping details. Vendor confirmations go unchecked, timeline changes don't propagate to all clients and team members, and you start declining good opportunities because you can't imagine managing more complexity across disconnected systems.
Connected CRM software absorbs the coordination work that would otherwise scale linearly with each new event. Plutio handles venue details, vendor relationships, timeline updates, and budget tracking automatically... leaving event planners to focus on creating exceptional experiences instead of hunting through email for that one vendor confirmation.
CRM features event planners need
The essential CRM features for event planners connect client relationships and event history with venue management, vendor coordination, timeline execution, and budget tracking while handling the unique patterns that event planning work requires.
Core CRM features
- Client profiles with event history: Every past and upcoming event connected to the client record. When a client returns for their annual gala, last year's vendor list, timeline, and budget are right there. No rebuilding context from scratch.
- Inquiry tracking through booking: Prospect status from initial contact through consultation, proposal, and signed contract. See which inquiries need follow-up, which proposals are pending, and which consultations are scheduled this week.
- Event preference documentation: Color schemes, style preferences, must-have vendors, dietary restrictions, family dynamics affecting seating. Details that make events personal stay attached to client profiles and flow into new event planning.
- Referral source tracking: Which clients came from venue referrals, past client recommendations, wedding shows, or Instagram? Source tracking shows which channels produce bookings and inform marketing investment.
- Communication history: Every email, message, and conversation logged with context. When a client mentions "that photographer we discussed in March," the conversation thread shows exactly which vendor and what was decided.
Event planner-specific features
- Venue relationship management: Preferred venues, venue coordinator contacts, load-in rules, capacity limits. Event planners working with the same venues repeatedly build institutional knowledge that speeds future planning significantly.
- Vendor contact database: Caterers, florists, photographers, rental companies, entertainment, transportation. Contacts organized by category with performance notes, pricing history, and reliability ratings from past events.
- Guest list management: Names, dietary restrictions, plus-ones, table assignments. When guest count changes from 150 to 165, budget calculations and catering numbers update together instead of requiring manual reconciliation across spreadsheets.
Platform features that multiply value
- White-label branding: Custom domain, logo, colors. All client-facing communications show your event planning brand, not third-party software logos. Clients experience your company at every touchpoint.
- Unified inbox: All client messages arrive in one place. Reply to timeline questions, budget inquiries, and vendor confirmations without opening email. Complete conversation history stays attached to the event.
- Permissions: Control who sees what. Clients see their event timeline and budget but not your vendor pricing or internal coordination notes. Vendors see their delivery times but not other vendor details.
- Automations: Create rules that trigger actions without your involvement. When a client signs a contract, the event project creates with all planning phases. When vendor confirmation deadline passes, reminders send automatically. When final payment processes, day-of timeline shares with all vendors.
The deciding factor for event planners is integration depth. CRM software that connects with venue details, vendor relationships, timeline management, budget tracking, and client portals eliminates the duplicate data entry that consumes 10+ hours every week per event.
CRM software pricing for event planners
CRM software for event planners typically costs $20-165 per month, with integrated platforms providing complete functionality for venue coordination, vendor management, and timeline execution.
What event planners typically pay for CRM tools
- HoneyBook: $39-78/month
- Dubsado: $40-60/month
- Aisle Planner: $50-70/month (event-specific)
- Planning Pod: $59-165/month (event-specific)
Event-specific tools offer design features and timeline templates but often lack complete invoicing or require separate payment processing. Generic client management tools handle proposals and contracts but miss event coordination features like vendor load-in schedules and guest list management.
Plutio pricing (February 2026)
- Core: $19/month: Unlimited CRM plus venue tracking, vendor coordination, timeline management, proposals, contracts, invoicing, and client portals.
- Pro: $49/month: Unlimited clients, 30 contributors for team collaboration, advanced permissions for vendor and client access.
- Max: $199/month: Unlimited team, white-label with custom domain, single sign-on for enterprise clients.
The ROI calculation for event planners
- Coordination time saved: Connected CRM eliminates 10+ hours per week previously spent copying vendor confirmations between spreadsheets, updating timelines, and searching for contracts. At $100/hour event planning rates, that's $1,000/week or $52,000/year in reclaimed billable time.
- Reduced mistakes: When venue details, vendor timelines, and budget tracking live in one system, day-of coordination runs smoothly. Fewer missed confirmations, fewer timeline conflicts, fewer budget surprises.
- Repeat client efficiency: When a corporate client books their annual gala, last year's vendor list, timeline template, and budget serve as the starting point. Setup time drops from 3 hours to 30 minutes.
CRM software ROI comes through coordination efficiency. Event planners using Plutio report reclaiming 10-15 hours per week previously lost to updating spreadsheets and hunting for vendor confirmations. Plutio pays for itself by freeing up time for one additional event per quarter.
Why Plutio is the best CRM for event planners
Plutio handles CRM as part of a complete event planning platform where client relationships connect to venue details, vendor coordination, timeline management, and budget tracking rather than as separate tools that need manual connection.
Client profiles show complete event context
Every client record displays their event history, upcoming events, venue preferences, vendor relationships, and budget status. When a client emails asking about floral delivery time, you open their profile and see the florist confirmed 2pm arrival for their March 15 wedding. No checking email, no opening spreadsheets, no guessing. The answer lives in the client profile alongside every other event detail.
Venue relationship tracking
Track preferred venues with coordinator contacts, load-in rules, capacity limits, and setup requirements. When planning at a familiar venue, load-in times, vendor access points, and timeline templates are already documented. New events at known venues start with proven coordination details instead of researching from scratch every time.
Vendor coordination connected to timelines
Vendor contacts attach to event projects with specific delivery times, setup requirements, and payment schedules. When the caterer confirms their 11am arrival, that time appears on the event timeline visible to the client in their portal. When load-in shifts from 10am to 11am due to venue constraints, the caterer, florist, and rental company all see the updated timeline. One change propagates to all clients and team members instead of requiring individual emails to each vendor.
Guest list management with budget integration
Guest lists track names, dietary restrictions, plus-ones, and table assignments. When guest count increases from 150 to 165, catering quantities and budget calculations adjust automatically. The client sees updated budget in their portal. The caterer receives updated headcount. Budget and logistics stay synchronized without manual reconciliation across spreadsheets.
Event timeline visibility for clients and vendors
Timelines show every milestone from vendor confirmations through day-of execution. Clients access their event timeline through branded portals and see exactly what's confirmed, what's pending, and what's coming up next. Vendors see their specific delivery windows and setup times. Everyone works from the same timeline instead of outdated email versions sent weeks ago.
Budget tracking with category breakdowns
Budget allocation by category shows venue costs, catering, florals, photography, entertainment, rentals, decor, transportation. Each category displays allocated amount, vendor quotes, deposits paid, and balance due. When floral costs come in $1,200 over estimate, you see the budget impact immediately and can discuss reallocation with the client before finalizing.
Intake forms that populate client profiles
Vision questionnaires capture event preferences, style inspiration, must-have elements, and vendor priorities. Responses flow directly into client profiles and event projects. Color palette preferences inform design decisions. Dietary restriction lists go to the caterer. Vendor priority rankings guide outreach. Information captured once serves the entire planning process.
Payment schedules tied to planning milestones
Payment structures based on planning phases send invoices automatically. 30% retainer at booking, 30% when vendors are confirmed, 40% two weeks before the event. Milestone completion triggers invoice generation. Clients receive payment reminders. You see payment status on the client record without checking separate accounting software.
White-label everything
Use your own domain. Upload your logo, set your brand colors and typography. Every client-facing touchpoint shows your event planning brand. Proposals, contracts, client portals, timelines, invoices... all carry your identity. Clients experience your company, not third-party software.
Unified inbox for all client communication
When a client messages about vendor status, replies to a timeline update, or asks about budget, the message appears in one inbox. Reply directly without opening email. Complete conversation history stays attached to the event. No searching through email threads from three months ago trying to find what was decided about centerpiece height.
Everything runs from one platform with your branding, your event coordination logic, and your client experience. That's CRM designed for how event planning actually works.
How to set up CRM in Plutio
Setting up CRM in Plutio takes 2-3 hours for initial configuration, then 10-15 minutes per event after your templates, vendor database, and timeline structures are in place.
Step 1: Configure default settings (30 mins)
Set your default payment terms (50% retainer at booking, milestone payments at vendor confirmation deadline and two weeks pre-event), preferred currency, and tax settings. These defaults apply automatically unless overridden for specific events. Consider documenting your standard vendor categories (venue, catering, florals, photography, entertainment, rentals, decor, transportation) for consistent organization across all events.
Step 2: Create event templates (1-2 hours)
Build 3-5 templates covering your common event types. For event planners, recommended templates include:
- Full wedding planning: Complete coordination from vendor selection through day-of execution. Includes venue research phase, vendor confirmation phase, timeline finalization, rehearsal coordination, and day-of management. Payment schedule: 30% retainer, 30% at vendor confirmation deadline, 40% two weeks before event.
- Partial wedding planning: Venue already selected, coordination starts at vendor selection. Simplified timeline with vendor coordination, design support, and day-of management.
- Day-of coordination: Client handled planning, you manage execution. Timeline focuses on vendor arrival confirmation, setup oversight, and event day flow management.
- Corporate event: Company gatherings, galas, conferences. Different vendor priorities (AV, staging, catering) and payment structures (often invoiced post-event instead of retainer-based).
- Social event: Birthday parties, anniversaries, celebrations. Scaled-down vendor coordination and simplified timelines.
Step 3: Connect integrations (20 mins)
Link Stripe and/or PayPal for client payments. Connect your calendar (Google Calendar or Outlook) for consultation scheduling and event day coordination. Test each integration before using with clients to make sure payment processing and calendar sync work correctly.
Step 4: Import existing vendor database (30 mins)
Upload existing vendor contacts via CSV export from your current system. Organize by category: venues, caterers, florists, photographers, entertainment, rentals. Include performance notes from past events ("florist always early, caterer needs 30-minute reminder before service"). The vendor notes become searchable and accessible for future events instead of living in memory.
Step 5: Test with one real event
Run through the complete workflow with an actual client rather than a test account. Send the proposal, convert to event project, add vendors with delivery times, share timeline through client portal, process milestone payment, and walk through day-of coordination. Real interaction reveals friction that test scenarios miss. Does the venue coordinator need portal access? Do vendors need timeline visibility? Does budget tracking make sense to clients? Adjust based on actual use.
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Over-customizing too early: Start minimal and refine based on actual use. Build the full wedding template, the day-of template, and one corporate template. Handle edge cases by customizing the closest template per event rather than trying to create templates for every possible scenario upfront.
- Ignoring mobile: Download the mobile apps during setup and test key workflows. Event day coordination happens on your phone, not at a desktop. Verify vendor contact lookup, timeline checking, and client messaging work smoothly on mobile before relying on them when managing three events in one weekend.
- Skipping automation setup: Configure vendor confirmation reminders, payment deadline notifications, and timeline sharing rules during initial setup. These automations save hours every week once events start flowing.
Build templates for the 80% cases that cover most of your events. Handle the other 20% by customizing the closest template per situation.
CRM organization for event planners
Organizing CRM creates clarity and enables efficient event coordination. Without structure, event details become noise scattered across profiles. With structure, every vendor confirmation and timeline update builds toward successful execution.
Client categorization for event planners
- Active clients with upcoming events: Currently planning events scheduled in the next 6 months. These clients need regular coordination, vendor updates, and timeline management.
- Past clients who might return: Completed events with potential for future bookings. Annual corporate galas, milestone birthday parties, family weddings. Maintain relationship with periodic check-ins.
- Prospects in consultation: Inquiries received, consultations scheduled or completed, proposals pending. Track through stages from first contact to signed contract.
- Preferred vendor relationships: Caterers, florists, photographers, venues you recommend regularly. These relationships deserve special organization for quick access when planning new events.
- Referral sources: Venues, photographers, past clients who send you new business. Track referral patterns to understand which relationships produce bookings.
Event pipeline stages
- Initial inquiry: Contact received, basic event details collected (date, type, guest count, budget range).
- Consultation scheduled: Discovery call or in-person meeting set. Prepare by reviewing inquiry details and researching event type if unfamiliar.
- Consultation completed: Met with potential client, discussed vision and scope, ready to send proposal.
- Proposal sent: Detailed proposal with service tiers and pricing delivered. Follow up at day 3 and day 7 if no response.
- Contract signed: Client committed, event planning begins. Import event details into project, set up vendor categories, establish timeline structure.
Information to track per event
- Event date, time, and location with backup date if outdoor
- Guest count with expected final headcount range
- Budget total and allocation by category
- Venue details including coordinator contact, load-in time, vendor access points
- Vendor relationships with delivery times, setup requirements, payment schedules
- Timeline milestones from vendor confirmation deadlines through day-of execution
- Client preferences including color palette, style inspiration, must-have elements
- Dietary restrictions and special accommodations for guests
Proven methods
- Update vendor status immediately after confirmations rather than batching at end of day
- Log timeline changes as soon as venue or vendor details shift
- Review event projects weekly to catch approaching deadlines before they become urgent
- Use consistent vendor categories across all events so filtering works reliably
- Document performance notes on vendors immediately after events while details are fresh
Organized CRM enables instant answers when clients ask about event status. Structure serves coordination and execution.
Client portals for event planners: CRM connection
Client portals connect CRM data to client-facing access, creating smooth event planning experiences. What you organize internally becomes what clients experience when checking their event status.
Portal as event planning hub
Clients access their complete event through branded portals. Timeline milestones, vendor confirmations, budget status, guest list, and documents in one place. CRM data powers what clients see. When the florist confirms delivery time, the client sees it in their portal timeline. When guest count increases and budget adjusts, the client sees updated numbers. Your internal coordination becomes their direct visibility without you sending individual update emails.
Consistent experience
Portal presentation reflects the organized event coordination in CRM. Professional, consistent client experience across proposals, contracts, timelines, budget updates, and payment processing. Every touchpoint carries your event planning brand. Clients never see third-party software logos. They experience your company from inquiry through event day and beyond.
Self-service access
Clients find their own timeline details, vendor confirmations, budget status, and documents. CRM organization supports client self-service without administrative burden. No more back-and-forth emails asking "has the caterer confirmed?" or "what's our current budget?" or "can you send me the floor plan again?" Clients check their portal and find answers themselves while you coordinate vendors and manage timelines.
Two-way visibility
Portal interactions feed back into CRM. When clients view the timeline, download vendor contracts, or update guest count, you see that activity. The engagement data informs your coordination approach. If a client hasn't checked their portal in three weeks despite major vendor confirmations, a quick call confirms they're engaged. If they're checking daily, they're invested and probably anxious for updates.
Event continuity for returning clients
Portals maintain relationships across events. When a corporate client returns for their annual gala, last year's event details, vendor list, and timeline are available for reference. They see what worked, what changed, and how this year's event builds on past success. Connection maintained between events strengthens long-term client relationships.
Portals make CRM client-facing. Internal coordination translates to external transparency without constant manual updates.
How to migrate CRM to Plutio
Migration from another CRM software typically takes 3-5 hours of active work spread over a weekend, with the best time to switch being between event seasons rather than mid-planning when you have 10+ active events requiring daily coordination.
Step 1: Export from your current tool
Most CRM software provides CSV export for client data, vendor contacts, and event history. Here's what to export from common tools:
- HoneyBook: Export clients and projects from Settings. Download vendor contact database. Save active event timelines as reference documents.
- Dubsado: Export contacts and projects from Reports section. Download proposals and contracts for active events as PDF backups.
- Aisle Planner: Export client information, vendor contacts, and budget data. Download floor plans and design boards you'll reference for future events.
- Airtable/Spreadsheets: Export vendor databases and event tracking spreadsheets directly as CSV files.
Step 2: Build templates in Plutio (2-3 hours)
Use your exported content as reference to create new event templates. Start with your most common event type (full wedding planning or day-of coordination). Recreate 3-4 core templates initially rather than trying to migrate every event variation you've ever handled. Focus on forward-looking workflows for new events, not historical event reconstruction.
Step 3: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect payment processing (Stripe, PayPal), calendar sync (Google Calendar, Outlook), and any specialized tools you rely on (accounting software, email marketing). Test each integration before using with real clients to make sure payments process correctly and calendar events sync properly.
Step 4: Import client and vendor data (30 mins)
Upload your client CSV to Plutio. Map fields appropriately (name, email, phone, event date, event type). Import vendor database with categories (venues, caterers, florists, photographers). For clients with upcoming events, create their event projects manually initially rather than trying to automate complex event data migration. For historical clients you may never work with again, consider whether import is necessary or if archiving in the old system makes more sense.
Step 5: Run parallel for new events
Use Plutio for all new client inquiries and bookings while keeping the old system active for events already in planning. Running parallel avoids the complexity of migrating mid-planning coordination and gives you time to learn the new system on fresh events. As active events on the old system complete, those clients transition to Plutio for future events without disrupting current coordination.
Step 6: Phase out the old tool
Once all active events on your old system complete (typically 2-4 months depending on your event calendar), cancel that subscription. Export final archives of completed events for your records before cancellation. Maintain PDF backups of key documents (contracts, timelines, vendor lists) for reference even after the old system is no longer accessible.
Common migration pitfalls to avoid
- Trying to migrate everything: Focus on upcoming events and your vendor database. Historical event data from three years ago can remain in archives. Migrate what serves future planning, not what preserves every detail of past events.
- Switching mid-event season: If you're coordinating 15 weddings between May and September, don't migrate in June. Wait until your busy season ends and start fresh events in the new system.
- Not testing payment processing: Verify Stripe or PayPal integration works with a real (small) test transaction before relying on it for $3,000 retainer deposits.
- Skipping template refinement: Your first event in Plutio will reveal template improvements needed. Adjust your templates based on actual use rather than assuming the first version is final.
The investment in migration pays back in coordination time saved on every future event. Plan for one weekend of setup and 2-3 events as learning opportunities, then benefit from connected CRM eliminating hours of spreadsheet updates and vendor confirmation tracking going forward.
