How does Mercedes Jackson’s method outperform traditional event planning strategies?

I focus on turning sponsorships into the primary funding source, so I am not relying on my own money or my clients’ pockets to make an event happen. Traditional planning often starts with “what’s our budget?”; I start with “who benefits from this audience enough to pay for it?”

Because I’ve produced 10+ events fully funded by sponsors (including my own birthday), my method forces you to:

• Design events that brands actually want to underwrite
• Build repeatable sponsor relationships instead of one‑off deals

What part of your current event strategy do you feel is holding you back the most: funding, sponsors, or access to opportunities?