How to host a paint and sip
Paint and sip is the perfect ticketed small event: materials define capacity, the painting defines the duration, and the wine dissolves the fear of painting badly. Every seat is a kit — which means every RSVP is real money, and prepaid booking isn’t optional, it’s the business model.
What does each painter need?
- The kit — canvas, easel or table stand, 3–5 brushes, acrylics, water cup, apron or old-shirt warning on the event page.
- Table covering and paper towels — cleanup planning is venue diplomacy.
- One reference painting — pick a design a first-timer can finish in two hours; show it on the event page so guests know what they’re signing up to paint.
- A hair dryer — dries layers between steps and keeps the room on schedule. The pros all carry one.
Guided or freestyle?
Guided step-by-step (an artist walks the room through one painting) is what most guests want — structure is the product, exactly like structured formats elsewhere. Freestyle “open studio” nights work for returning regulars. If you’re not an artist, hire one for a per-event fee and keep the ticketing margin.
How do you price seats?
Materials cost per kit plus the artist fee divided by seats, then margin — which is why paint and sip prices like a workshop, not a party. Cap seats at what tables and kits allow; a waitlist backfills cancellations automatically so a prepped kit never goes unused. Per-seat ticketing — flat 5%, 0% on Plus.
How do guests find paint and sip nights?
“Paint and sip near me”, “paint night [city]”, “sip and paint tickets” — date-night and girls’-night intent, booked days ahead. The page that converts shows the painting, the price with everything included, and “no experience needed” in the first line. Cafés and wine bars host for the bar spend — the same venue math as trivia night. Strong markets: Austin, Gurgaon, Barcelona.
Run it on Espeya
Prepaid seats matched to kit count, waitlist, reminders, check-in — and a recurring calendar once the format proves out. Promotion playbook here.