How to use this calculator
- Enter or choose fixed event costs.
- Enter or choose sponsorship and other fixed income.
- Enter or choose average ticket price.
- Enter or choose ticketing and payment fees.
- Enter or choose cost per attendee.
- The paying attendees to break even updates as you type. Use Copy result or Share to keep it.
Method
Contribution = Price × (1 − Fee%) − Cost per attendee; Break-even attendees = ⌈(Fixed costs − Sponsorship) ÷ Contribution⌉
- Fixed costs
- costs that do not change with attendance
- Sponsorship
- income that does not depend on ticket sales
- Contribution
- what each extra attendee adds after fees and their own cost
Worked example
- Contribution = $60 × 0.95 − $22 = $35.
- Costs to cover = $20,000 − $5,000 = $15,000.
- 15,000 ÷ 35 = 428.6, rounded up to 429 attendees (85.8% of 500).
- Sold out: 500 × $35 − $15,000 = $2,500 profit.
The event breaks even at 429 paying attendees, 85.8% of capacity; a sell-out makes $2,500.
What the result means
If break-even needs more than about three-quarters of capacity, the event has little room for a slow sale. Raise the price, cut fixed costs or secure more sponsorship before committing.
Assumptions and limits
- All attendees pay the average price; complimentary guests should be added to the cost per attendee or fixed costs.
- Uses one average price; tiered or early-bird pricing changes the mix over time.
Questions
Why round up?
You cannot sell part of a ticket, and 428 tickets would leave the event slightly short.
Should staff and speakers count?
Count their costs (in fixed costs or cost per attendee) but not as paying attendees.