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Research · Events & Hospitality

Research support for events & hospitality professionals who can't afford to guess

By Zack Pennington, CEO Updated

Whether you're sourcing a venue for a 500-person corporate conference, vetting caterers for a destination wedding, or building a competitive rate analysis before a client proposal, the research phase eats hours you don't have. Nacho Executive Assistants handle the legwork: sourcing options, comparing specs, and organizing findings, so you're walking into every decision with solid information instead of a gut feeling. This is especially useful during peak planning cycles when your attention needs to stay on client relationships and logistics execution.

Tools we work with: LinkedIn Sales Navigator Apollo.io SEMrush SimilarWeb

Can a Virtual Assistant handle research for event and hospitality businesses?

Yes. Nacho matches event and hospitality businesses with a vetted, 100% US-based Specialist who owns research week after week, not a one-off task. You start with a $300 Delegation Strategy Plan, set a monthly Talent Budget from $1,000, and we match you in about a week.

See how the match works What a Talent Budget costs Book a discovery call

How it works

How your Specialist owns research for event and hospitality businesses

A Nacho EA working in the events and hospitality space typically starts by getting a clear brief from you: event type, date range, guest count, budget parameters, geographic constraints, and any non-negotiables like AV capabilities or catering exclusivity clauses. From there, they work independently using tools like Google Workspace, Airtable, and Cvent's supplier directory to build out structured comparison documents across venues, vendors, or destinations. They cross-reference reviews on platforms like The Knot Pro, Yelp for Business, and TripAdvisor, and will reach out directly to vendors via email to request availability, pricing, and spec sheets on your behalf. You receive an organized summary, usually a spreadsheet or shared doc, with sourced options ranked against your criteria, so your job is to review and decide rather than dig. Your Client Success Manager sets this workflow up during onboarding so the EA understands your preferred formats and client-facing standards from day one.

Off your plate

What your Specialist takes off your plate

Before handing off a research project, write down the three or four criteria that would actually eliminate an option: things like a room capacity minimum, a hard budget ceiling, or a required in-house catering policy. The most common mistake first-time delegators make is giving a vague brief and then spending as much time clarifying back-and-forth as they would have spent doing the research themselves. A tight brief upfront means your EA can work independently and deliver something you can actually use.

  1. Venue Sourcing & Comparison

    Research venues by capacity, location, AV specs, catering policies, and pricing, then compile findings into a side-by-side comparison doc using Airtable or Google Sheets.

  2. Vendor Vetting

    Identify and vet caterers, florists, photographers, or AV companies by reviewing portfolios, checking references, confirming licensing, and summarizing fit against your event requirements.

  3. Destination & Hotel Block Research

    Research destination options for multi-day events or retreats, including hotel block availability, room rates, attrition policies, and proximity to event venues.

  4. Competitive Pricing Analysis

    Gather market-rate data on event packages, catering minimums, or rental fees to help you position proposals competitively or evaluate whether a vendor quote is reasonable.

  5. Permit & Compliance Research

    Research local permitting requirements for outdoor events, noise ordinances, liquor licensing, or temporary structure regulations in a specific city or county.

Your stack

Tools our team works with

We adapt to your existing stack, no forced migrations.

Gemini
G2
SEMrush
Claude
SimilarWeb
Statista

...and many more!

Client proof

Trusted by event and hospitality businesses

Nacho supports event and hospitality businesses including Chava Group, Couret Leadership Lab, Generations Now, and 2 others, handling everything from research to broader operational support.

The model

What delegating to Nacho actually looks like

This is ongoing delegation to one vetted, US-based person, not a task posted to a marketplace.

  1. Start with a Delegation Strategy Plan

    A one-time $300 onboarding fee pairs you with a Client Success Manager who maps what to hand off first. See the full process.

  2. Get matched in about a week

    We match you with a vetted, 100% US-based Specialist in your time zone. If the fit is not right, the Nacho Guarantee re-matches you free.

  3. Set a monthly Talent Budget

    Budgets start at $1,000 a month and draw across Executive Assistants from $40/hr, Specialists from $65/hr, and Fractional Executives from $125/hr. Up to $200 of unused budget rolls over each month. See pricing in detail.

  4. Three months, then month to month

    The initial term is three months so the working relationship has time to compound, then it rolls month to month. Book a discovery call to size yours.

Talent Budget

What delegating research costs for event and hospitality businesses

Drag the sliders to build a monthly plan that fits your workload.

Executive Assistants
from $40/hour
10 hours $400
Specialists
from $65/hour
20 hours $1,300
Fractional Executives
from $125/hour
0 hours $0
Your monthly budget
$1,700

Starting at $1,000/month. One-time $300 onboarding fee includes your Delegation Strategy Plan.

Good questions

Frequently asked questions

Can a Nacho EA reach out to venues or vendors directly on my behalf?
Yes: EAs can contact venues, caterers, and other vendors via email to request availability, pricing, and spec sheets. You'll typically set them up with a branded email alias or they'll reach out from a Nacho address with your context included, depending on your preference.
How does this work if my research needs vary a lot from event to event?
That's the norm in events and hospitality, and it's well-suited to Nacho's hourly model. You brief the EA on each project individually, and your Client Success Manager helps establish a standard intake template during onboarding so that even one-off requests get handed off cleanly without a lot of back-and-forth setup.
Is 36 time entries across all industries enough to know this service works for events?
It's an honest number, research is a supporting service at Nacho, not the highest-volume offering. What it tells you is that EAs are actively handling this work, and the events and hospitality context is a strong fit given how much pre-event sourcing and vendor comparison work exists in this industry. The best way to evaluate fit is to start with one scoped research project during your onboarding period.

Ready when you are

Stop losing hours to research you could delegate

Nacho's onboarding includes a Delegation Strategy Plan built around your actual workflow: so your EA is ready to handle venue sourcing, vendor vetting, and more from week one. Plans start at $1,000/month with a one-time $300 onboarding fee.

Not sure yet? See how it works, compare the Executive Assistant, Specialist, and Fractional Executive roles, or read why we stayed 100% US-based.