Event production / planning software, built around E&O, TABC and run-of-show / production timeline builder

Arkathos gives a event production a workspace tailored to how the work actually runs — This workspace is built around producing events end-to-end — booking the date, coordinating vendors and run-of-show, and billing deposits to milestones. Arkathos tailors a event production workspace around 5 agents: Quartermaster, Sentinel, Treasury, Scribe, Herald.

Compliance a event production can't afford to miss

Watchtower tracks every license, bond, insurance policy, and continuing-education requirement for a event production, with renewal cadences and staged reminders so nothing lapses.

• A event production must maintain a Business registration / annual report, through the State Secretary of State (business entity registration / annual report), which renews every year.
• A event production must maintain a General Business License, which renews every year.
• A event production must maintain a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), through the Events Industry Council (EIC), which renews every 5 years.
• A event production must maintain a Special Event Permit, through the Municipal Clerk / Local Special Events Office, which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• The Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) carries a continuing-education requirement of 25 hours every 60 months (25h Industry education (aligned to the 9 CMP-IS domains)).
• A event production must maintain a Temporary Food Service Permit (catered events), through the Local Health Dept, which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• A event production must maintain a Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP), through the International Live Events Association (ILEA), which renews every 3 years.
• A event production must maintain a Tent / Temporary Structure Permit, through the Local Fire Marshal, which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• The Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) carries a continuing-education requirement of 40 hours every 36 months (20h Continuing Education (min 20 of the 40 total points), 20h Leadership & Involvement).
• A event production must maintain a Sales & Use Tax Permit (rental/resale of goods), through the State Dept of Revenue, which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• A event production must maintain a Certified Professional in Catering and Events (CPCE), through the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE), which renews every 5 years.
• A event production must maintain a Liquor Liability / Host Liquor Insurance (events serving alcohol), which renews every year.
• The Certified Professional in Catering and Events (CPCE) carries a continuing-education requirement of 30 hours every 60 months (30h Educational contact hours (catering & events)).
• A event production must maintain a General Liability Insurance (venue COI requirement), which renews every year.
• A event production must maintain a Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance, which renews every year.
• A event production must maintain a Public Display Fireworks / Pyrotechnic Operator License (required only if using pyrotechnics), through the State Fire Marshal (in NJ, the operator is licensed by the state Dept. of Labor; the display permit is issued by DCA Division of Fire Safety), which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• A event production must maintain a Special-event permit (incl. tent/temporary-structure & amplified-sound/noise permits), through the Local municipality (special-events office / fire / building / police), which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• A event production must maintain a Workers' Compensation Insurance (if employees), which renews every year.
• A event production must maintain a Temporary food establishment / caterer health permit, through the Local or county health department, which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• A event production must maintain a Special-event / caterer's liquor permit (per event), through the State Alcoholic Beverage Control authority (e.g., NY SLA, TX TABC, NJ ABC), which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• A event production must maintain a General & liquor liability insurance, through the Licensed commercial insurer, which renews every year.
• A event production must maintain a Professional liability / Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance, through the Licensed commercial insurer, which renews every year.
• A event production must maintain a Cyber liability insurance, through the Licensed commercial insurer, which renews every year.
• A event production must maintain a Workers' compensation insurance, through the State-regulated workers' compensation insurer / state fund, which renews every year.

Everything Arkathos runs for a event production

These are the agents set up first for a event production — and because it's one platform, every plan includes all 16 Arkathos agents. Also included whenever you need them: Guardhouse, Courier, War Room, Armory, Marshall, Mint Warden, Vault Keeper, Watchtower, Bulletin Board, Client Portal.

• Quartermaster — Online booking & appointments, Calendar & availability, Events & waitlists, Automated reminders, Job dispatch & scheduling.
• Sentinel — Contact & lead management, Deal / estimate pipeline, Task & follow-up tracking, SMS & email outreach, Pipeline reporting.
• Treasury — Invoicing & payment collection, Expense tracking, Accounting & bookkeeping, Business tax prep & filing, Recurring billing & subscriptions, Financial dashboards & reports.
• Scribe — Document & contract templates, E-signature, Proposal & form builder, PDF / Word export.
• Herald — SEO & get-found content, Social media scheduling, Email & newsletter campaigns, Brand voice & content studio, Review & reputation growth, AI-overview & directory visibility.

Your tailored event production workspace

These are net-new, event production-specific capabilities — not a generic CRM bolted onto your industry.

• Run-of-show / production timeline builder (Quartermaster): Minute-by-minute event timeline with call sheets, cue list, and crew/vendor assignments per slot, exportable as a day-of run sheet. The defining artifact of a production shop with no current home.
• Vendor coordination CRM + COI/contract tracking (Sentinel): A vendor directory with per-event vendor lists, booking status, and insurance certificate (COI)/contract tracking, since venues require vendor liability proof and planners coordinate dozens of suppliers per event.
• Event budget vs actuals with deposit/milestone schedule (Treasury): Per-event budget line items, client deposit booked as a liability until delivery, and a milestone payment schedule that drip-releases revenue and triggers staged invoices.
• E-signature signing flow for production contracts (Scribe): Public signer page with ESIGN/UETA audit trail so cancellation/force-majeure contracts and vendor agreements sign without leaving the platform; the scribe_signatures table exists but the signer surface does not.
• Day-of-coordinator 1099 roster + per-event payout (Marshall): W-9 onboarding and per-event assignment/1099-NEC payout for coordinators and assistants who are contractors, not W-2 payroll.

The agents and tabs you get

Quartermaster for a event production surfaces Calendar, Events, Bookings, Chat, Availability. Sentinel for a event production surfaces Overview, Contacts, Tasks, Chat. Treasury for a event production surfaces Invoices, Draft estimate, Pipeline, Sales tax, Chat. Scribe for a event production surfaces Documents, Templates, Chat. Herald for a event production surfaces Compose, Schedule, Analytics, ✦Studio, Chat, Brand voice.

Frequently asked questions

best event planning software for small business

Look for all-in-one tools combining CRM, proposals, contracts, invoicing, floor plans/BEOs and timelines (Planning Pod, HoneyBook, Cvent). Arkathos bundles CRM, scheduling, invoicing, payroll and marketing under flat pricing with no per-seat fees.

how much does event planning software cost per month

Solo-planner tools run about $19-$90/month; venue platforms $199-$319; enterprise thousands per year—often plus transaction and per-attendee fees. Arkathos uses flat pricing with no per-seat charges.

do i need a license and insurance to start an event planning business

Usually a local business license and sales-tax permit, plus general liability insurance (about $500/yr) and workers' comp if you hire. Alcohol or public-space events need extra permits. Requirements vary by city and state.

what is a banquet event order (BEO) and how do i make one

A BEO is the master document listing every event detail—date, guest count, timeline, menu, floor plan, vendors and staffing. Planners build it, get client sign-off, then share with staff. BEO software standardizes it.

best crm for event planners to manage leads and clients

Industry tools like Planning Pod or HoneyBook fit venues and solo planners; HubSpot, Zoho or Pipedrive suit growing agencies. Arkathos includes a CRM alongside scheduling, invoicing and marketing so leads-to-booked flows in one place.

how to send event contracts and collect a deposit online

Use software that bundles proposal, e-sign contract and invoice so clients view, sign and pay in one step; set a deposit at booking with installment schedules and automated reminders (HoneyBook, Planning Pod, Agiled).

free event planning software instead of spreadsheets

Free options include Trello, Asana, Airtable and Cheddar Up for tasks, budgets and payments, but they aren't event-specific. Dedicated tools centralize timeline, budget, contracts and files as one source of truth as you scale.

how do i make an event budget and keep it on track

Build line items for venue, catering, staffing and rentals, add a 10-15% buffer, and track deposits and due dates. Budget software (Planning Pod, ClearEvent, Cvent) updates costs and revenue in real time.

is there one app to run my whole event planning business

Yes—all-in-one platforms replace scattered spreadsheets and apps. Planning Pod and HoneyBook cover CRM-to-invoicing; Arkathos goes further with 16 agents spanning finances, CRM, scheduling, payroll, compliance and marketing under flat pricing.

What licenses and insurance does a event production need?

Arkathos tracks 21 items for a event production, including Business registration / annual report, General Business License, Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Special Event Permit. Each renewal and expiration is monitored in Watchtower with staged reminders.

What continuing education is required for a event production?

The Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) carries a continuing-education requirement of 25 hours every 60 months (25h Industry education (aligned to the 9 CMP-IS domains)). The Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) carries a continuing-education requirement of 40 hours every 36 months (20h Continuing Education (min 20 of the 40 total points), 20h Leadership & Involvement). The Certified Professional in Catering and Events (CPCE) carries a continuing-education requirement of 30 hours every 60 months (30h Educational contact hours (catering & events)). Watchtower logs hours by category and flags shortfalls before the deadline.

Which Arkathos agents does a event production get?

Arkathos tailors a event production workspace around 5 agents: Quartermaster, Sentinel, Treasury, Scribe, Herald.

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