An experiential marketing and events team

A Monthly Capability Retainer gives your organization ongoing access to DH MEC LLC’s full scope of experiential marketing, event, and creative capabilities — for a fixed monthly fee, on a set meeting rhythm, with no hiring and no agency minimums. Three tiers start at $1,799 per month. What changes between them isn’t what you can ask for; it’s how often we meet, how much we report, how available we are, and how much of the execution we carry.

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What a capability retainer is

Most organizations in our range face the same math. A full-time marketing or events hire costs $65,000 to $90,000 plus benefits, and still only gives you one skill set. A project-based agency gives you many skill sets, but only when there’s a project, and the relationship restarts from zero every time.

A retainer sits between the two. We hold time for you every month, we already know your story and your standards, and you draw from the whole capability list as your calendar demands it — heavy on event production one quarter, heavy on grant writing and editorial the next, without renegotiating anything.

This is built for organizations that have already launched and are now running continuously: a season, a programming calendar, a venue with a door that opens every day.

The three tiers

Core — $1,799 per month

For the organization that wants a steady strategic partner and will carry execution in-house.

• Bi-weekly strategy sessions
• Access to our full scope of capabilities
• Email support between sessions
• Quarterly progress summary
• Collaborative, ongoing partnership

Plus — $2,750 per month

For the organization with an active calendar that needs weekly rhythm, written reporting, and someone on the ground each quarter. Most clients choose this tier.

• Everything in Core
• Weekly strategy sessions
• Monthly written reporting
• Priority availability
• One on-site day per quarter
• Vendor and artist sourcing

Premier — $4,000 per month

For the organization running continuous programming that wants us carrying execution alongside strategy. Limited availability.

• Everything in Plus
• On-call availability
• Monthly on-site presence
• End-to-end vendor and artist management
• Dedicated event coordination
• First access to our collaborator network

Tier Comparison

	Core — $1,799/mo	Plus — $2,750/mo	Premier — $4,000/mo
Strategy session cadence	Bi-weekly	Weekly	Weekly
Access to full capability scope	Yes	Yes	Yes
Email support between sessions	Yes	Yes	Yes
Written reporting	Quarterly summary	Monthly	Monthly
Availability	Scheduled	Priority	On-call
On-site presence	By arrangement	One day per quarter	Monthly
Vendor and artist sourcing	—	Yes	Managed end to end
Event coordination	—	Supported	Dedicated
Collaborator network access	Standard	Standard	First access
Quarterly scope review	Yes	Yes	Yes

Every capability, at every tier

All three tiers draw from the same body of work. Nothing on this list is locked behind a higher tier — the tier determines pace and how much execution we carry, not what you’re allowed to ask for. Deliverable deadlines are agreed upon during onboarding.

Experiential marketing

Experiential marketing strategy · brand activations and pop-ups · market research · marketing audits · sponsorship activation and administration · community engagement · sales architecture development

Events and experiences

Event planning and production · curated event experiences · exhibition planning · collaborative project management · vendor and artist sourcing · vendor management · event staff and volunteer coordination · venue management

Creative and editorial 

Storytelling strategy and standards · concept development · creative consulting · curatorial strategy · editorial strategy and publications · artist management · branding guides · graphic design · grant writing and administration · creative workshops

Bring us the goal — a full room, a funded program, a launched brand — and we assemble the scope around it.

Who this is for

We work with experience-driven organizations: arts and cultural institutions, hospitality groups, food service brands, tourism and destination organizations, wellness and lifestyle companies, property management firms, and nonprofits with operating budgets of $250,000 and up.

A retainer is usually the right structure when one of these is true:

• You have a recurring calendar — a season, a program cycle, a rolling event schedule
• You have no in-house marketing or events function, and hiring one isn’t the right next move
• You have staff, but they’re executing rather than deciding, and nobody is holding the strategy
• You just finished a 90-Day Launch Transformation and want the momentum to continue

Who should choose something else

If you’re introducing something new and there’s a date on the calendar, the 90-Day Launch Transformation is built for that and will serve you better than a retainer’s first ninety days. If you need one specific thing — a grant written, a venue managed, a workshop run — those are available à la carte with no retainer required. And if you haven’t settled your story yet, start with the Storytelling, Systems & Standards consultation; a retainer built on an unresolved message just spends more months on it.

How we work

We identify and facilitate. We don’t build software, we don’t resell it, and we don’t take vendor commissions — when we recommend a caterer, a fabricator, a photographer, or a platform, the recommendation is the entire transaction. You pay them directly at their rate.

DH MEC LLC is a two-person firm by design. We assemble collaborators around each engagement rather than carrying a bench, which is why Premier availability is limited and why the person in your strategy session is the person doing the work.

Questions we get

How much does a monthly retainer cost? Core is $1,799 per month, Plus is $2,750, and Premier is $4,000, at a 12-month term. Shorter terms carry a 15% or 25% adjustment.

What’s the minimum commitment? None, but the published rates assume twelve months. Nine to eleven months adds 15%; under nine months adds 25%.

Are event costs included in the monthly fee? No. The retainer covers our strategy, creative, coordination, and time. Venue, catering, production, printing, talent, and media spend are paid directly to those vendors at their rates, with no markup from us.

Can I change tiers mid-engagement? Yes. Scope is reviewed quarterly and we move clients up or down rather than rewriting the agreement. Most clients start at Core and move to Plus when the bi-weekly rhythm starts feeling too far apart.

Do I have to do a launch package first? No. Many retainer clients come through the 90-Day Launch Transformation, but you can step directly into a retainer after the Storytelling, Systems & Standards consultation.

Do you work outside Charlotte? Yes. Strategy sessions are virtual, and we travel for on-site days. Travel is billed separately for clients outside the Charlotte region.

What if I only need one thing? Grant writing, venue management, volunteer coordination, creative workshops, and website design are available à la carte on a project basis, with no consultation or retainer required.