Cold email software for event planners
Acqro gives corporate event planners and trade show organisers cold email that researches each prospect's company before writing. Below: verified federal data on the industry across all 50 states, the buyers it sells to, and a playbook for outreach that earns replies.
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How many event planners are in the United States?
The United States had 6,270 establishments in NAICS 561920, convention and trade show organizers, in 2023, employing 81,648 people. The largest markets by establishments were California, Florida and New York. Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns.
Event planners in the US by the numbers
- US establishments
- 6,270+2.0% vs 2022Census CBP 2023, NAICS 561920
- Paid employees
- 81,648Census CBP 2023
- Average annual pay
- $54,363Census CBP 2023
- Firms under 10 employees
- 83.0%Census CBP 2023
- Largest state
- CaliforniaBy establishments, CBP 2023
Census does not publish a separate category for corporate event planners and trade show organisers; figures use NAICS 561920, Convention and Trade Show Organizers, the closest official industry. 83.0% of establishments have fewer than 10 employees, so most firms in the industry run outbound with a founder or a very small sales team. The 1,012 firms with 10 to 249 employees are the ones most likely to be building a repeatable outbound process.
The five largest states hold 45.3% of all establishments. Among states with at least 100 establishments, the fastest growth between 2022 and 2023 was in North Carolina (+15.1%), New Jersey (+8.4%) and Texas (+7.9%). Growing markets bring new competitors and new buyers at the same time, which rewards outreach that is specific rather than volume-driven.
Event planners by state
All states and DC ranked by number of establishments, with the change since 2022.
| Rank | State | Establishments | Employees | Change vs 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 1,072 | 12,110 | +2.7% |
| 2 | Florida | 574 | 6,195 | +3.4% |
| 3 | New York | 466 | 6,257 | −1.3% |
| 4 | Texas | 437 | 5,927 | +7.9% |
| 5 | Georgia | 292 | 4,988 | −6.1% |
| 6 | Illinois | 266 | 4,221 | −5.3% |
| 7 | Nevada | 198 | 10,394 | +4.8% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 195 | 2,797 | −2.0% |
| 9 | Colorado | 189 | 2,396 | 0.0% |
| 10 | Washington | 184 | 1,224 | +4.5% |
| 11 | North Carolina | 168 | 1,216 | +15.1% |
| 12 | Arizona | 167 | 903 | −0.6% |
| 13 | New Jersey | 167 | 1,572 | +8.4% |
| 14 | Virginia | 145 | 1,276 | −5.2% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | 131 | 1,469 | +2.3% |
| 16 | Minnesota | 123 | 703 | +1.7% |
| 17 | Maryland | 113 | 1,762 | −1.7% |
| 18 | Michigan | 111 | 1,727 | 0.0% |
| 19 | Oregon | 102 | 838 | +2.0% |
| 20 | Missouri | 99 | 1,180 | +6.5% |
| 21 | Ohio | 96 | 1,314 | −5.9% |
| 22 | Tennessee | 96 | 1,948 | +14.3% |
| 23 | Indiana | 82 | 653 | +12.3% |
| 24 | Utah | 70 | 1,452 | −5.4% |
| 25 | South Carolina | 66 | 267 | −1.5% |
| 26 | Wisconsin | 63 | 412 | −7.4% |
| 27 | Connecticut | 58 | 1,003 | −4.9% |
| 28 | Louisiana | 56 | 679 | +5.7% |
| 29 | District of Columbia | 40 | 456 | −11.1% |
| 30 | Oklahoma | 40 | — | +21.2% |
| 31 | Kentucky | 36 | 427 | 0.0% |
| 32 | Iowa | 34 | 433 | +13.3% |
| 33 | Alabama | 30 | 367 | +3.4% |
| 34 | Kansas | 29 | 108 | +7.4% |
| 35 | Idaho | 26 | 291 | 0.0% |
| 36 | Hawaii | 25 | 90 | +19.0% |
| 37 | Rhode Island | 25 | 165 | +13.6% |
| 38 | Maine | 24 | 293 | +14.3% |
| 39 | New Hampshire | 22 | 389 | +4.8% |
| 40 | Delaware | 21 | — | +16.7% |
| 41 | Montana | 21 | 99 | +16.7% |
| 42 | New Mexico | 17 | — | +6.2% |
| 43 | Arkansas | 16 | 156 | +14.3% |
| 44 | Nebraska | 15 | 94 | −11.8% |
| 45 | Wyoming | 13 | — | +18.2% |
| 46 | South Dakota | 10 | 40 | 0.0% |
| 47 | Vermont | 10 | 21 | +25.0% |
| 48 | Mississippi | 9 | 71 | 0.0% |
| 49 | Alaska | 7 | — | 0.0% |
| 50 | North Dakota | 7 | 45 | −22.2% |
| 51 | West Virginia | 7 | — | 0.0% |
Who event planners sell to
Common buyer industries for corporate event planners and trade show organisers, with US establishment counts and how many have 10 to 249 employees.
| Buyer industry | Establishments | 10–249 employees | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Publishers | 18,425 | 5,923 | 1,011,187 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 225,945 | 22,061 | 1,736,343 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | 147,902 | 16,492 | 1,310,504 |
| Wholesale Trade | 382,081 | 113,787 | 6,236,357 |
How event planners should run cold email
Corporate event planners and trade show organisers sell conference, trade show, incentive and corporate event planning and production. These are the contacts, triggers and messages that make a first email relevant rather than generic.
Who to email
- Head of marketing or field marketing
- Events manager
- Executive assistant or chief of staff for internal events
- HR lead for company-wide gatherings
Signals worth researching
- Upcoming conferences, user events or sales kick-offs announced publicly
- Job posts for event or field marketing roles
- Rapid headcount growth that makes internal events larger
- Past events listed on the company website
What to say
- Reference a specific past or upcoming event
- Speak to attendee experience and workload relief for the internal team
- Offer ideas for one event rather than a full service overview
What to avoid
- Seasonal mass blasts with no event context
- Generic venue lists
Cold email for event planners, answered
How many event planners are there in the US?
There were 6,270 establishments in NAICS 561920 (Convention and Trade Show Organizers) in 2023, employing 81,648 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
Which states have the most event planners?
By establishments in 2023: California (1,072), Florida (574), New York (466), Texas (437) and Georgia (292). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
How do event planners find corporate clients with cold email?
Companies that already run events are the best prospects. Look for past conferences, user summits or sales kick-offs on their website and in announcements, then reference a specific event and offer a relevant idea for the next one.
Who books corporate events?
Marketing and field marketing teams run customer-facing events, while HR, executive assistants or chiefs of staff often organise internal gatherings. Larger companies may have a dedicated events manager.
Is cold email legal in the United States?
Yes. The federal CAN-SPAM Act permits commercial email to business contacts without prior consent, provided the message identifies the sender accurately, uses a truthful subject line, includes a valid physical postal address and a working opt-out, and honours opt-out requests promptly. CAN-SPAM applies in every state and preempts most state commercial email laws, except provisions aimed at falsity or deception. This is general information, not legal advice.
Explore related pages
Event Planners by state
Other industries
Sources and methodology
Every figure on this page comes from a federal statistical release and is shown with its source and reference year. Figures the agencies withhold or publish with high noise are left out rather than estimated. Page updated September 17, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 and 2022: establishments, paid employment for the pay period including March 12, annual payroll, and establishments by employment size. Industries use NAICS 2017 codes.
- Industry definition: NAICS 561920, Convention and Trade Show Organizers, used as the closest official category for corporate event planners and trade show organisers.
Built for event planners who sell to a finite list
Acqro researches every account on your list and writes the first email from what it finds.
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