Bring EDCAC to Your Next Event!
What you can expect…
At EDCAC, we believe that the numbers, the strategies, and the behind-the-scenes business fundamentals are just as important as the creative work itself. That’s where we come in. Every session is designed to bridge the gap between creativity and business acumen, in a way that is fun, engaging, and actionable. Expect high energy, real talk, and practical frameworks you can implement the moment you leave the room.
Signature Topics
Effective Pricing: Why Profits Alone Won’t Grow Your Business
This session invites event professionals and creatives to see their pricing from every angle. Using the EDCAC Pricing Cycle Model, attendees will learn how to build a price that does two things: generates profit and supports cash flow. Because in a creative business, it’s not enough for the numbers to look good on the spreadsheet. The money has to actually be there when you need it to pay your team, reinvest in your business, and sustain the work you love.
If you’ve ever had a fully booked season and your bank account was still in the red, this session was made for you.
Numbers by Design: A Financial Playbook for Creative Professionals
This session is not your traditional “numbers course.” It’s a creative’s guide to building a financial foundation that actually makes sense for the way you work. Because knowing your numbers isn’t about becoming an accountant, it’s about becoming the most informed, empowered version of the CEO you already are. We’ll even make it fun; if you can design a stunning event, you can absolutely design a financial system that works for you.
From budgeting and forecasting to building your own personalized financial dashboard, attendees will walk away with practical tools, sustainable habits, and a brand new relationship with the numbers that drive their business.
Hire, Partner or Outsource
In this session, we break down three distinct growth strategies — hiring, partnering, and outsourcing — and help creatives understand when to use each one, why each one matters, and how to make it work financially. We’ll also tackle one of the biggest myths in the creative industry: that doing everything yourself means making more money. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t always.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re too busy to grow or you can’t afford to hire, this session will change the way you think about building your business.
A Creative’s 101 Guide to Corporate Procurement & Sourcing
This session is your insider’s guide to the corporate procurement process. Whether you’ve always wanted to land a corporate client or you’re ready to scale your business beyond the individual consumer market, this course breaks down everything you need to know to show up prepared, positioned, and professional. From understanding net payment terms and ACH transfers to navigating the RFP process and positioning yourself as a true strategic partner, not just a vendor.
This session will change the way you approach corporate business development.
Available Speakers
Ekima Smith
Most speakers know finance. Most speakers know events. Very few know both at the deepest level and that’s exactly what sets Ekima Smith apart.
Ekima spent over 20 years in corporate finance, Her expertise spans everything from enterprise capital forecasting and P&L modeling to procurement, sourcing, and supplier relationship management. At the same time, Ekima built The Five Collective from the ground up, a portfolio of event businesses that includes an event venue, a props and rentals company, and EDCAC, her industry education platform. She has lived the operational, financial, and creative realities of the event industry firsthand.
The result? A speaker who brings corporate-grade financial frameworks into the event and hospitality world with credibility, clarity, and a deep understanding of what it actually takes to lead, execute, and grow in this industry. And perhaps most importantly, Ekima has a gift for taking complicated business subjects and strategies that might otherwise feel intimidating and delivering them in a way that is fun, engaging, and built for the creative mind. Her audiences don’t just leave informed. They leave energized.