The Bash

What The Bash does

The Bash, operating since 1997 under the legal entity GigMasters.com, Inc. and headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, runs a two-sided online marketplace connecting party hosts and event planners with local entertainment and event service vendors across the United States and Canada. The platform lists vendors across musical entertainment (DJs, cover bands, jazz bands, mariachi, soloists), variety acts (magicians, comedians, impersonators, face painters), event services (photographers, caterers, bartenders, planners), party rentals, speakers and officiants, and a dedicated virtual event services category. Underlying platform features include vendor profile hosting, search by category and location, quote requests, booking management, a verified reviews system (210,000+ reviews cited), and EventPay, an integrated online payment system powered by Stripe that disburses funds to vendor bank accounts within one to two business days and backs a 100% money-back guarantee.

The company monetizes through two streams: annual vendor membership subscriptions in two tiers (Basic at $129/year for local visibility across three categories and PRO at $219/year for regional visibility across eight categories with double the lead volume) and a 5% transaction fee (with a $20 minimum) applied only when a booking is confirmed. Vendor acquisition emphasizes lead generation value, with claims of an average of 23 leads per month and 90% of vendors receiving their first lead within three days. Demand-side acquisition relies on content marketing and SEO around party themes, planning guides, and free planning tools (budgeter, checklists). The Bash operates as a subsidiary brand within The Knot Worldwide portfolio alongside The Knot and The Bump, and has been positioned since its 2017 rebrand (from GigMasters) to serve all party and event types rather than weddings alone.

Name

The Bash

Legal name

GigMasters.com, Inc.

Website

https://thebash.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Bash is a two-sided online marketplace, founded in 1997 and operated as a subsidiary of The Knot Worldwide, that connects party hosts and event planners in the U.S. and Canada with local entertainment and event service vendors through subscription memberships and per-booking transaction fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Vendor Marketplace

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Live Music Booking (Bands, Soloists, DJs) (HSACAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Party Venue Sourcing & Booking Services (HSACACAL)

Keywords

• Event vendor marketplace
• Party entertainment booking
• Entertainment vendor directory
• Wedding vendor platform
• Event services listings

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwalk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Vendor Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership subscriptions for vendors (entertainers, event professionals) with two tiers: Basic for local visibility (3 categories) and PRO for regional visibility (8 categories) with 2x more leads. Paid annually.
2. Booking Transaction Fees: 5% fee on events booked through the platform ($20 minimum), charged only when a booking is confirmed. This aligns platform incentives with vendor success.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Bash operates a two-sided online marketplace that connects party hosts and event planners with local entertainment and event service vendors across the United States and Canada. Vendors (DJs, bands, magicians, photographers, caterers, party rentals, speakers, officiants) pay annual membership subscriptions for visibility and lead generation, while party hosts search the directory, request quotes, and book vendors. The platform monetizes through vendor membership fees and a 5% transaction fee on confirmed bookings, with payment processing handled through EventPay powered by Stripe.

Product overview

The Bash is a marketplace platform connecting party hosts with local vendors and entertainers nationwide. The core product is a two-sided marketplace featuring vendor profiles across musical entertainment (DJs, cover bands, jazz bands, rock bands, mariachi, soloists), variety acts (comedians, magicians, face painters, impersonators), event services (photographers, caterers, bartenders, planners), party rentals, speakers and officiants, and virtual event services. The platform is powered by EventPay (Stripe-powered payment processing), and offers vendors tiered membership programs (Basic at $79/year for local visibility and PRO at $169/year for regional exposure with 2x leads). Free planning tools include budget checkers, checklists, and themed party inspiration articles. The platform serves both the United States and Canada, with over 525,000 events booked and 210,000+ verified reviews.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Bash Marketplace A nationwide online marketplace connecting party hosts and event planners with local entertainment and event service vendors across all event types, featuring verified reviews, vendor profiles, search by category and location, quote requests, and booking functionality.
• EventPay A secure online payment system powered by Stripe that enables vendors to receive client deposits and balance payments directly to their bank account within 1–2 business days, with a 100% money-back guarantee for buyers.
• Vendor Membership Annual subscription membership for entertainment vendors (DJs, bands, magicians, photographers, caterers, etc.) providing profile listing, category-based visibility, lead generation, quote and booking management, and EventPay payment processing. Available in Basic ($79–$129/year for local visibility across 3 categories) and PRO ($169–$219/year for regional visibility across 8 categories with 2x more leads and a $50 featured-listing coupon).
• Virtual Event Services Catalog of remote vendor services for online events including virtual DJs, virtual magicians, virtual caricature artists, virtual tarot card readers, virtual impersonators, and virtual entertainers for Zoom parties and online celebrations, serving the United States and Canada.

Quantifiable outcome

• Vendors typically receive an average of 23 leads per month
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Knot Worldwide (Parent Company)coreOthersThe Bash is part of The Knot Worldwide family of brands, which also includes The Knot (wedding planning) and The Bump (baby/parenting). The parent company provides corporate infrastructure, privacy policies, and operates the platform under the GigMasters.com, Inc. entity.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe powers the EventPay online payment system on The Bash, providing secure payment processing for vendor transactions. Vendors receive funds directly in their bank accounts within 1-2 business days through this integration.
• The KnotminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSister brand in the wedding planning space. While The Bash focuses on all party types (not just weddings), it is marketed alongside The Knot as part of the same brand family, benefiting from cross-promotion to wedding planners.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GigSalad: GigSalad operates a two-sided marketplace connecting party hosts and event planners with local entertainment vendors (DJs, bands, magicians, photographers). It is the closest direct competitor to The Bash in the party entertainment booking category.
• Thumbtack: Thumbtack runs a large general services marketplace that includes event entertainment vendors alongside home and personal services. It competes for both party hosts and entertainment vendors with similar lead-generation and project-based booking mechanics.
• Bark: Bark.com is a professional services marketplace that connects customers with local professionals across categories including events and entertainment. Its marketplace model, lead-based pricing, and category overlap make it a direct competitor.
• Eventbrite: Eventbrite is a ticketing and event management platform used by organizers hosting parties, performances, and entertainment events. While not a direct vendor marketplace, it competes for event-organizer mindshare and demand in adjacent event services.
• WeddingWire: WeddingWire is a wedding vendor marketplace that, following its merger with The Knot Worldwide, sits alongside The Bash within the same parent ecosystem. It competes for wedding entertainment and service vendors and overlaps heavily in the wedding use case.
• GigMasters (legacy brand context): GigMasters is the legacy brand identity of The Bash prior to its 2017 rebrand. The corporate entity GigMasters.com, Inc. continues to operate the platform under The Bash consumer-facing name.

Broad incumbents

• The Knot: The Knot is The Bash's sister brand and the flagship wedding planning platform within The Knot Worldwide. It offers vendor marketplaces and planning tools that compete with The Bash in the wedding category while benefiting from significantly larger brand awareness and traffic.
• Yelp: Yelp is a broad local services and reviews platform that surfaces event entertainment vendors (DJs, photographers, caterers) in local search results. While not purpose-built for party booking, it competes for both vendor discovery traffic and party-host intent.

Others

• Zola: Zola is an end-to-end wedding planning platform with vendor directories and registry services. It overlaps with The Bash in wedding entertainment vendor discovery and competes for the same wedding party-host demand pool.
• Angi: Angi (formerly Angie's List) is a leading home and local services marketplace. While focused on home services, its marketplace model and prosumer lead flow overlap operationally with The Bash's entertainment vendor lead system.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Pinterestpinterest.com/thebash
• Xx.com/thebash
• Facebookfacebook.com/gigmaster
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-bash

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Bash