helping event organisers and host cities to Bid, Plan & Produce better Events.
20+ years of major event experience — consulting, advice, and ready frameworks to plan smarter and deliver better events.
Join my FREE Newsletter for new insights of smart event organising twice a week (at least). Check my latest work here.
→ Hi, I’m Jesse Kiuru. Full-Stack Event Strategist. Event Planner. Advisor for Major Events. Read more.
Key Areas and Frameworks I Help With
-

10-Step Strategy Roadmap for Major Events
Build a clear strategy with connected steps — from vision to projects, from values to branding strategy.
-

9-Step Method to Estimate Real Economic Impact
Estimate Real Impacts of a major event. See what stays in the local economy — clear tools to estimate and report real impact.
-

Program and Project Planning for Major Events
Turn big ideas, strategic insights and must-do’s into logical structure, timelines, roles and deliverables — so your event runs on track, on time and on budget.
-

14-Step Winning Recipe for Event Bidding
Step-by-step structure for planning and pitching stronger major event bids.
Focus Your Time Where It Matters. Use Ready-to-use PROVEN Templates for the Rest.
Major events organising moves from bidding to strategy work, planning, preparation, implementation, and delivery.
Each stage needs clear thinking and strong choices to keep things moving the right way.
This is your shortcut: ready-to-use guides, templates, frameworks, and checklists to adapt what works, keep teams aligned, and focus your time where it matters most.
Do the right things right in event organising — without starting from scratch.
I’ve built and tested 100+ practical tools or templates with host cities and organisers — so you can use them straight away for smarter way to bid, plan and produce your events.
→ Get a free sample — see how these tools work before you use the full set.
-
Tools and templates for cities and organisers to check feasibility, measure impact, and build a bid that holds up under real questions.
Includes:Feasibility Study Checklist
Desk Research Checklist
Event Economic Impact Calculator (Real Estimates)
Venue Investment Impact Calculator
Event Legacy Planner Sheet
Competitor Bid Analysis Tool
Decision Maker Influence Map & Strategy
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Transition Sheet from bidding to organising committee
-
Practical templates and frameworks to build a strategy that holds up — from big vision to daily actions.
Includes:10-Step Major Event Strategy Roadmap (Framework)
KPI Tracking Sheets
Program & Project Planning Framework
Business Model &Revenue Strategy Planner
Brand Platform Canvas
And more
-
Detailed templates and sheets to plan, budget, schedule, and run every part of your major event project — from the first milestone to on-the-day delivery.
Major Event Program Planning Template
Master Timeline Planner
54 Core Competencies Guide (skills mapping)
Master Budgeting Template
Stakeholder Monitoring Table
Event Customer Journey Planner
Customer Group Matrix
Event Daily Runsheet
Event Rundown Sheets
Venue Population Estimator
Customer Wow Sheet (experience design)
Cheat Sheet for Master Planning Tasking
Cheat Sheet for Event Planning Tasking
Cheat Sheet for Event Delivery Tasking
Risk Register & Contingency Plan
Contract Matrix & Co-Organizer Responsibility Matrix
-
Tools and templates for host cities and venue owners to check real impact, compare venue options, and lock in clear hosting agreements.
Includes:Real Major Event Economic Impact Calculator (Guide + 10-table worksheet)
Winning Recipe for Major Event Bidding
Event Venue Scorecard (analysis tool)
Local Hosting Contract Templates (define city–organiser roles)
Event Venue Development Framework (Guide + templates)
-
Guides and calculators to estimate and show the real economic impact of your major event — before, during, and after delivery.
Includes:Guide for Calculating Real Major Event Economic Impact
Major Event Economic Impact Calculator (10-sheet)
Simple Estimator for Major Event Economic Impact
Event-Related Investment Impact Estimator
-
Item description
A full Notion-based walkthrough to help host cities and organisers build their own calculator — using the 9-step model for estimating the real major event economic impact (Not just spending!). Clear logic, editable steps, no consultants needed.
The full 9-step calculator built for host cities and organisers who need to move beyond total spend and show what actually stays in the local economy. A practical, ready-to-use, Google Sheet template.
A practical guide to define the programs and projects that turn your strategy into real work — clear structure, right focus, no guesswork. Step 8 of the Strategy Roadmap for Major Events.
A practical guide to define what your event stands for — and how people will remember it. Step 10 of the Strategy Roadmap for Major Events.
A practical guide for defining what must go right under each Strategic Objective — so your event delivers what it promises, even under pressure. Step 4 of the Strategy Roadmap for Major Events.
A practical guide to define what your event must achieve — not everything it could do, but what has to hold for it to succeed. Step 3 of the Strategy Roadmap for Major Events.
A practical guide to define the principles that shape how we act, how we decide, and how we work together — from the board meeting to the volunteer break room. This issStep 4 of the Strategy Roadmap for Major Events.
A practical guide for defining what you team do every day to move toward that future. A mission statement that describes how your strategy shows up in daily decisions. Step 2 of the Major Event Strategy Roadmap.
A practical guide for defining the long-term direction of your major event — and why that direction must mean something before any goal, plan, or message gets written. Step 1 of the Major Event Strategy Roadmap.
A practical guide for defining how your event generates income - and what has to hold before any budget, bid, or sales target gets signed off. Step 9 of the Major Event Strategy Roadmap.
This blueprint is ideal (Read: A-Must-Have) for Host Cities and Organizers of Major Events aiming not just to participate, but also to win the most suitable event bidding projects. Developed by Jesse Kiuru, based on real-life winning Major event projects like FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (2017/2029), MXGP Finland or IMGA Winter World Masters Games 2028.
A compact one-sheet template listing key tasks for Event Directors during the event delivery phase. Focuses on monitoring, communication, improvement, and operational oversight to ensure a flawless live event experience.
A comprehensive cheat sheet guide listing 167 essential tasks for the event planning phase, helping organizers translate strategic vision into detailed plans. This tool ensures all logistical, operational, and coordination aspects are covered for a smooth event execution.
A comprehensive guide for event organizers to navigate the master planning phase of large events. This template lists 67 essential tasks, from defining event vision to developing risk management plans, ensuring that all critical aspects of planning are addressed before moving into detailed event preparations.
A comprehensive tool for event organizers and host cities to evaluate the viability of hosting major events. This template covers six critical areas—Host City, Event Rights Holders, Event Organizers, Local Ecosystem, Venues, and Feasibility Reporting—through over 100 sub-tasks, ensuring a thorough and structured assessment. Includes a bonus event bidding master program for a step-by-step guide to successful bidding.
An essential tool for managing all partnerships involved in the production of a major event. This template provides a complete overview of each partnership, tracking financial terms, deliverables, exclusivity, visibility rights, and compliance. It helps event organizers minimize risks, facilitate renegotiations, and maintain transparency across multiple contract categories.
This Direct Economic Impact Template helps you estimate how your event affects the local economy. No complicated formulas. No guesswork. Just a clear way to see the financial impact of participant based events or admission based events. Includes 4 Google Sheets anyone can use.
A must-have tool for any event organizer, this template helps define the six essential focus areas of event production and the 54 core competencies every successful event management team needs. Use this guide to ensure your team is equipped with the right skills for delivering exceptional event experiences.
A comprehensive tool to define, allocate, and manage tasks, responsibilities, and financial obligations across multiple co-organizers. Ensure clear accountability and smooth event execution by using this matrix to track venue management, revenue allocation, operational costs, and contractual duties.
Organize and track your event’s key milestones, programs, and timelines across multiple years and phases. This essential tool provides a frame for quarter-to-quarter and month-to-month timelines to ensure your event runs smoothly and all critical tasks are completed on time.
Use this essential tool to help idenitfy, track, manage, and engage your event’s key stakeholders effectively, ensuring smooth collaboration and alignment across all stages of event planning.
Use this tool to provide a clear overview of key event Programs tracking objectives, responsibilities, milestones, and status across all phases to ensure smooth coordination and successful execution.
Why even well-structured event teams stall — and how the Inputs–Outputs–Timing model turns purpose into plans that deliver under real-world pressure.
Why even well-funded, well-staffed event plans collapse — and how the FOR–WHY–BY model keeps major event programs clear, owned, and delivering under pressure.
Five task types. One model. The thinking framework that stops major event projects from drifting, overloading, and burning budgets before they go live.
Most major event plans collapse not because of bad ideas — but because the structure underneath can’t hold the complexity. This article breaks down the hidden chaos event teams face, why more tools won’t save you, and the shift toward a 4-layer structure that actually scales.
Most event impact reports look impressive — millions in spending, hundreds of thousands of visitors. But are we really measuring impact? After reviewing 20+ major event reports, I discovered most don’t tell us what actually stayed in the local economy. This article breaks down three key lessons and why real impact is more than just activity.
Effective program planning starts with logic. Explore the five-step framework that connects ideas to results and powers successful event planning for major events
Program planning is the foundation of every successful sports event. Discover the five key questions that guide your strategy and turn plans into lasting results.
Planning a major sports event starts with programs—the strategic building blocks that guide every decision and task. Explore the essential programs that drive event success.
Planning a major event is like solving a 40,000-piece puzzle. Learn how structure turns chaos into clarity, ensuring every task fits into the bigger picture of event planning success.
Event bidding can transform a city's future, attracting large-scale conferences, festivals, and sporting events that drive economic growth, tourism, and community engagement."
These elements are crafted to highlight the importance of event bidding while attracting search engines and readers with key benefits like growth, economy, and tourism.
Securing major events is a game-changer for host cities, but the process is far from simple. Learn how the Major Event Funnel can help cities streamline their bids, overcome common pitfalls, and land major events that boost the local economy and community pride.
Understanding and segmenting your customer groups is the key to delivering personalized, memorable event experiences. Learn how to identify the unique needs of your event’s audience and ensure no group is overlooked. Plus, download our free Customer Group Template to get started, using code OCTOBERFEST!
A story of Sunny Valley highlights the crucial difference between the surface-level economic activity generated by events and the deeper, long-term benefits of retaining money within the local economy. For true economic growth, it is not enough to focus on the movement of money; cities must prioritize how much of that money remains in the community, benefiting local businesses, workers, and infrastructure for lasting impact.
The Stakeholder Engagement Program is one of the first—and most crucial—programs to kick off when planning major events. By engaging key partners early, building trust, and maintaining open communication, you set the foundation for smooth event execution and long-term success.
One key part of the event bidding feasibility study is understanding what event owners value most in a host city. By focusing on venue quality, economic incentives, public support, and more, cities can tailor their bids to align with the event owner’s priorities. This guide covers essential factors to evaluate.
Cities considering bidding for major events must estimate economic, social, and environmental impacts early on. Here are 15 key areas to help make the best decision
Many cities compete to host large events, relying on economic impact projections to justify their bids. But do these numbers tell the full story? This blog explores the difference between economic impact and retained money, emphasizing how important it is for local economies to focus not just on how much money flows through the city, but how much stays and continues to benefit the community.
Understanding the difference between economic impact and economic retention is crucial when hosting major events. While the economic impact of an event represents the total money generated, economic retention reveals how much of that money stays in the local economy. This blog explores the importance of economic retention, compares scenarios, and offers practical tips for increasing the local benefits of hosting events. It's an essential read for cities in the event bidding process.
Organizing an event can be exciting and challenging, but the key to success lies in mastering the fundamentals. From defining your vision to managing resources and timelines, these core principles will guide you in delivering an unforgettable event. Learn how to structure your event and keep it on track with this simple yet comprehensive approach.
Find out how better event planning leads to improved customer experience, increased productivity, and stronger ROI. Learn key strategies and tools for event management.
Explore and download essential event management tools to enhance your event planning and execution. Find templates for every phase of your event project.
Discover the secret to winning large-scale event bids with this 14-step guide. From aligning the event with your city’s strategy to ensuring a top-notch venue and host city network, learn how to craft a winning bid that positions your city as the ideal host for major events.
Uncover the secrets to mastering event planning. Learn the key steps to designing exceptional experiences, from event concept to execution, and how to avoid common pitfalls for a seamless, successful event.
Discover the 6 key phases of event production that every organizer needs to master. From the initial concept to post-event analysis, learn how to manage each stage to ensure a successful, well-executed event that leaves a lasting impression.
Explore how to create exceptional customer experiences at your events. Learn practical strategies like streamlining services, optimizing touchpoints, and delivering unique value to your attendees. Elevate satisfaction and build lasting loyalty through thoughtful event planning.
Is your event planning in trouble? Learn about the 6 most common warning signs of a struggling event project and how to avoid costly mistakes. From poor communication to inadequate planning, find out how to steer your event back on track with insights that help you succeed.
Discover how to explain event planning to a 8-year-old using the 'Event Magic Cube' model. Break down complex concepts into simple tasks that anyone can understand. A must-read for event professionals looking to simplify and streamline their planning process.
Learn the six essential steps to flawless event planning, from concept to execution. This guide will help you organize events efficiently, create memorable customer experiences, and improve your event management skills. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, these strategies will make your events stand out.
Master event planning with a simple, step-by-step approach. Learn how event management is like solving a Rubik’s Cube and become a better event professional.
Contact Me to Start Something Great Together
Direct Mail: jesse(at)bonacube.com
WhatsApp: +358 50 585 7441
Check my other sites:
A proven planning structure for how major events actually get delivered — across programs, projects, sub-projects, and tasks. Built for clarity, control, and connection to purpose — not just checklists. This is the full operating model behind real execution.