Tolo Events

What Tolo Events does

Tolo Events is a Seattle-based, privately held event production, design, and management firm founded in 2002 by Shelly Tolo. The company provides integrated live-event services spanning five core offerings: Event Production (audio, video, lighting, staging, scripting, tenting, on-site management), Fundraising Events (donor cultivation, corporate sponsorship, auction management, special appeals for nonprofits), Event Design (custom décor), Brand Activations (product launches, experiential marketing), and Holiday Décor (seasonal commercial and residential installations). Tolo positions itself as one of the few event companies that creates, designs, and oversees all key elements of an event experience internally, eliminating the need for clients to coordinate multiple vendors.

The business operates on a project-based professional services model with custom quote-based pricing per engagement; no standard pricing tiers are publicly disclosed. Its GTM motion is enterprise field sales via direct consultation, with lead generation supported by a website portfolio of case studies and organic social presence (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest). The company serves two primary verticals: nonprofit organizations (Seattle Opera, Temple University Hospital, Alzheimer's Association, American Heart Association, Make-A-Wish, National MS Society) and corporate enterprises (Amazon, Microsoft, Nintendo, Expedia, Alaska Airlines, Ben Bridge, Funko, K9 Natural). Geographic footprint is nationwide despite the Seattle headquarters.

Tolo Events is led by Shelly Tolo (President and Founder, Carnegie Mellon Master's in Public Management, 2023 Washington State Festival and Events Association Hall of Fame inductee) supported by a 13-person team including senior producers with 20-30+ years of experience. The firm has no external funding, is a Washington State LLC, and reports no parent company or institutional investors. Performance is validated through client fundraising outcomes rather than its own disclosed revenue — its nonprofit clients collectively raised $30M+ in 2025, with marquee results including Temple University Hospital's gala growing from $315K to $1.5M and Seattle Opera's Big Opera Party raising $1.026M.

Name

Tolo Events

Legal name

Tolo Events LLC

Website

https://toloevents.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tolo Events is a Seattle-based event production, design, and management firm serving corporate and nonprofit clients nationwide. Founded in 2002, it provides integrated event services including fundraising galas, brand activations, custom event design, and holiday décor installations for clients like Amazon, Microsoft, and Seattle Opera.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Production Services

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Event Planning & Production (HSACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gala, Fundraiser & Nonprofit Event Catering (THAHAKAF), Special Effects (Pyro, Lasers, Confetti, Fog) (MPAGAKAF), Event Stagehands & Production Support Crew (HSACAEAJ)

Keywords

• Event production services
• Corporate event planning
• Fundraising event management
• Event design decor
• Brand activation events

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Event Production Services: Custom event production services for corporate and nonprofit clients, including event design, fundraising events, brand activations, and holiday décor. Revenue is project-based, one-time fees for specific events.
2. Fundraising Event Management: Strategic fundraising event planning and execution for nonprofit organizations, including donor cultivation, auction management, and special appeals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tolo Events is a full-service event production company that creates, designs, and produces live event experiences for corporate and nonprofit clients across the United States. Its core offering spans event production (audio, video, lighting, staging, tenting, on-site management), nonprofit fundraising galas, custom event design and décor, brand activations, and seasonal holiday décor installations. All key elements of an event are handled in-house, eliminating the need for clients to coordinate multiple vendors.

Product overview

Tolo Events is a single, unified event production service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company provides five integrated service areas: Event Production (core production services), Fundraising Events (nonprofit-focused), Event Design (custom décor), Brand Activations (customer engagement), and Holiday Decor (seasonal installations). Additional support services include venue scouting, permitting, catering coordination, photography, videography, entertainment booking, valet, security, and virtual/hybrid event management. The five core offerings function as interconnected service lines within a single business rather than separate product tiers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Event Production Full-service event production encompassing audio, video, lighting design, staging, scripting, tenting, and on-site management for live corporate and nonprofit events. Delivered to enterprise clients requiring turnkey production support.
• Fundraising Events
• Event Design
• Brand Activations
• Holiday Decor

Quantifiable outcome

• $30M+ raised for non-profit clients in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• ILEA (International Live Events Association)minorOthersProfessional affiliation membership demonstrating commitment to industry standards and professional development in live events management
• NACE (National Association for Catering and Events)minorOthersProfessional affiliation membership for catering and events professionals, supporting industry best practices
• Visit Seattle PartnerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner with Visit Seattle, the destination marketing organization for Seattle, indicating local tourism/hospitality industry collaboration
• NSBA (National Small Business Association)minorOthersProfessional affiliation supporting small business interests and advocacy

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AOO Events: Seattle-based boutique event design and production firm offering end-to-end corporate and nonprofit event services. Directly comparable in geography, scale, service mix (design, production, décor), and target client segments to Tolo Events.
• Rafanelli Events: Boston-based full-service event management and design firm serving corporate, nonprofit, and private clients with integrated planning, design, and production. Closely matches Tolo's boutique, owner-led positioning and nonprofit/corporate client mix.
• Kehoe Events: Chicago-based event design and production studio specializing in corporate, nonprofit, and social events with a strong design-led, full-service model. Directly comparable to Tolo in service scope and boutique client base.
• Frost Productions: New York-headquartered full-service event production company providing event design, lighting, audio, staging, and décor. Comparable to Tolo's integrated design + production model, though operating at a larger scale.
• MKG: Experiential marketing agency producing brand activations, corporate events, and immersive experiences for major brands. Comparable to Tolo's brand activation and corporate event work, though MKG is materially larger and more tech-integrated.

Broad incumbents

• LMG: National provider of event production, video, lighting, and AV services for live events, meetings, and broadcasts. Overlaps with Tolo's production capabilities but operates as a much larger AV/production incumbent rather than a design-led boutique.
• Sparks: Philadelphia-based experiential marketing agency producing brand experiences, exhibits, and corporate events globally. Comparable in brand activation and corporate event work but operates at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth than Tolo.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global experiential brand experience agency producing events, activations, and sponsorships for major brands. Overlaps with Tolo's enterprise brand activation work but as a broad incumbent with much larger scale, multi-region offices, and deeper technology integration.
• Freeman: Largest U.S. events services company offering event design, production, AV, and logistics. Comparable in full-service production capability but as a major incumbent with substantially more resources, geographic footprint, and corporate event clients than Tolo.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: Global experiential marketing agency specializing in brand experiences, events, and activations for enterprise clients. Comparable to Tolo's brand activation work but operates globally with materially larger scale and integrated marketing technology capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ToloEvents
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Tolo-Events/307595229214
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tolo-events-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/toloevents
• Pinterestpinterest.com/toloevents

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tolo Events