Event Garde
Event Garde is a Kalamazoo-based consulting firm founded in 2011 that provides facilitation, strategic planning, learning design, and event strategy services to associations and mission-driven organizations, serving 150+ clients across the nonprofit and public sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersKalamazoo, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Event Garde does
Event Garde is a privately held, boutique consulting firm founded in 2011 and headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, specializing in facilitation, strategic planning, learning design, and event strategy for associations and mission-driven organizations. The firm operates five core service lines: Meeting/Event Design and Management, Education Strategy and Learning Design, Facilitation Methods and Strategic Planning, Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB), and Speaking and Writing Engagements. Its underlying methodology is the proprietary Learn, Network, Transfer model, supplemented by frameworks including a Secret Shopper event evaluation methodology, a Conversation Framework for Difficult Dialogues, and consensus-driven equitable community agreements. The firm has seven named consultants led by founder Aaron Wolowiec and has served more than 150 clients since inception.
The business model is professional services revenue generated through project-based, quote-based consulting engagements, augmented by a productized certificate program (FACILIT8me Association Facilitator Certificate Course, delivered on Thinkific, offering 31 CAE-eligible hours), free CAE-credit webinars, and thought leadership content distributed through the Gardian Blog, Healthy By Association podcast, white papers, and a monthly newsletter. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on content marketing, industry visibility (Forbes Business Council, CAE Registered Provider status with ASAE), speaking engagements, and direct client relationships primarily with professional associations, trade groups, nonprofit organizations, and public-sector agencies. The firm maintains two sub-brands: FACILIT8me (a facilitator community and certificate program) and Healthy By Association (a leadership wellbeing initiative for association and hospitality professionals). No software platform, AI/ML capabilities, or recurring subscription revenue are disclosed in the source material.
Event Garde firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Event Garde
- Website
- https://eventgarde.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Event Garde is a Kalamazoo-based consulting firm founded in 2011 that provides facilitation, strategic planning, learning design, and event strategy services to associations and mission-driven organizations, serving 150+ clients across the nonprofit and public sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Event Garde industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting for Associations
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Training, Workshops & Certification Events (MPAGAGAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Event Production & Technical Services (AV/Lighting/Staging) (MPAAAGAB), Incentive Travel Programs & Retreat Events (Offsites) (MPAGAHAH)
Keywords
Where Event Garde is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kalamazoo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Event Garde business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: Event Garde generates revenue through consulting engagements providing facilitation, strategic planning, learning design, and event strategy services to associations and mission-driven organizations. Engagements range from strategic planning retreats to full event management and education portfolio development.
- Certificate Programs (FACILIT8me): Revenue from the FACILIT8me Association Facilitator Certificate Course - a three-month program with 31 CAE-eligible hours. Fall 2026 enrollment is open with early registration deadline of August 3.
- Webinars and On-Demand Content: Free webinars (such as 'Beyond the Plan: Navigating Common Strategic Planning Pain Points') and on-demand educational content generate leads and demonstrate expertise, with some content offering CAE credits.
- Speaking and Writing Engagements: Revenue from thought leadership engagements where team members develop and deliver presentations and articles based on first-hand experiences.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Complimentary Webinars |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Event Garde product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Event Garde is a boutique consulting firm that provides facilitation, strategic planning, learning design, meeting/event design and management, and diversity/equity/inclusion/belonging services to associations and mission-driven organizations. It also delivers the FACILIT8me Association Facilitator Certificate Course and operates the Healthy By Association leadership wellbeing initiative, with all engagements anchored in the proprietary Learn, Network, Transfer methodology.
Product overview
Event Garde is a consulting firm offering professional services (not a software platform) focused on facilitation, strategic planning, learning design, and event strategy for associations and mission-driven organizations. The core portfolio consists of five consulting service lines: Meeting/Event Design & Management, Education Strategy & Learning Design, Facilitation Methods & Strategic Planning, Diversity Equity Inclusion & Belonging, and Speaking & Writing Engagements. The company also operates two sub-brands: FACILIT8me (an Association Facilitator Certificate Course offered through Thinkific) and Healthy By Association (a leadership wellbeing initiative). Content resources include The Gardian Blog, an On-Demand Learning Library, and podcast content. The Learn, Network, Transfer model underpins all service delivery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FACILIT8me: A safe space for facilitators of all knowledge and experience levels to learn, network, and transfer their takeaways and lessons learned. Also includes the Association Facilitator Certificate Course delivering CAE-eligible hours across facilitation competency domains.
- Healthy By Association (HBA)
Products and services
- Meeting/Event Design & Management Consulting service helping association and mission-driven clients design and manage meetings and events of all shapes, sizes, and scopes, leveraging the latest meeting trends, event formats, tools, templates, and technology.
- Education Strategy & Learning Design
- Facilitation Methods & Strategic Planning
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
- Speaking & Writing Engagements
- FACILIT8me Association Facilitator Certificate Course
Quantifiable outcome
- 150+ clients served since 2011
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Event Garde
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Event Garde technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Event Garde partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Potatoes USAminorEvent Garde provides facilitation services for Potatoes USA, with a facilitation engagement scheduled for July 7, 2026 in Denver, CO.
Scale indicators1 record
Expansion highlights6 records
Event Garde competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TBA Global: Event and meeting management consultancy with proprietary meeting design and production services. Directly comparable to Event Garde on meeting/event design and management for association and corporate clients.
- Interaction Associates: Consulting firm specializing in facilitation, leadership development, and collaborative work for mission-driven organizations. Direct overlap with Event Garde on facilitation training and strategic facilitation engagements.
- Association Management Center (AMC): Association management firm offering strategic planning, event management, and education programs for member-based organizations. Directly comparable vertical focus and service mix to Event Garde.
- McKinley Advisors: Association strategy and research consultancy serving associations and member-based organizations. Closely comparable to Event Garde across facilitation, strategic planning, and meeting design for association clients.
- Mariner Management: Association management company providing full-service management including events, education, and strategic planning. Comparable to Event Garde in serving state and national associations with similar service lines.
Broad incumbents
- SmithBucklin: Large-scale association management and services firm offering strategic planning, meetings, and member engagement services. Overlaps with Event Garde in association consulting and event design at significantly greater scale.
- Kellen Company: Association management firm providing full-service management including meetings, education, and strategic services to trade and professional associations. Comparable vertical and event-related offerings to Event Garde.
Others
- Potomac Strategies: Strategic consulting firm serving associations and nonprofits on governance, strategy, and member engagement. Adjacent/partial overlap with Event Garde's strategic planning work for associations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Event Garde social profiles
Digital presenceEvent Garde financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Event Garde leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Event Garde funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Event Garde M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Event Garde
What does Event Garde do?
Event Garde is a boutique consulting firm that provides facilitation, strategic planning, learning design, meeting/event design and management, and diversity/equity/inclusion/belonging services to associations and mission-driven organizations. It also delivers the FACILIT8me Association Facilitator Certificate Course and operates the Healthy By Association leadership wellbeing initiative, with all engagements anchored in the proprietary Learn, Network, Transfer methodology.
Is Event Garde a public or private company?
Event Garde is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Event Garde founded?
Event Garde was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Event Garde based?
Event Garde is headquartered in Kalamazoo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Event Garde make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are certificate Programs (FACILIT8me), webinars and On-Demand Content and speaking and Writing Engagements.
Who are Event Garde's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TBA Global, Interaction Associates, Association Management Center (AMC), McKinley Advisors and Mariner Management. Broad incumbents are SmithBucklin and Kellen Company. Potomac Strategies is listed as an others.
Does Event Garde have an API?
No public API is recorded for Event Garde.
What industry is Event Garde in?
Event Garde's product category is Management Consulting for Associations. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAGAJ, Training, Workshops & Certification Events, with a secondary code of MPAAAGAB, Event Production & Technical Services (AV/Lighting/Staging). Its NAICS code is 561920 and its SIC code is 8742.