How to use the event ticket tier revenue planner
- List each ticket tier with its price, the seats available and the number you expect to sell. The example tiers are values to replace.
- Enter the fixed costs of the event and the cost per attendee. Open the advanced options for ticketing fees, as a percent and a flat amount per ticket.
- Choose the sales order used for break-even: cheapest tickets first, dearest first, or all tiers in step.
- Read the profit at your expected sales, the break-even number of tickets and the profit if every tier sells out.
Formula
kept per ticket = price x (1 - fee percent) - flat fee - cost per attendee
profit = sum of (kept per ticket x tickets sold) - fixed costs
break-even in an order: sell tickets one tier at a time in that order and count the tickets until the kept money reaches the fixed costs
all tiers in step: break-even = fixed costs / average kept per seat, rounded up
Sales are counted in whole tickets, so a tier that is partly needed is rounded up to a whole number of tickets.
Three tiers
Early bird at $25 (100 seats, 80 expected), General at $45 (60 seats, 40 expected) and VIP at $90 (20 seats, 10 expected) bring in $2,000 + $1,800 + $900 = $4,700 from 130 tickets. With $4 per attendee ($520) and $3,000 of fixed costs the profit is $1,180.
Each early bird ticket keeps $21, each general $41 and each VIP $86. Selling cheapest first, the early birds contribute $2,100, leaving $900, which takes 22 general tickets: break-even is 122 tickets. Selling dearest first, the 20 VIP tickets contribute $1,720 and 32 general tickets cover the rest: 52 tickets. With all tiers in step it takes 86. If every tier sells out the profit is $3,280. With a 10 percent fee and $1 per ticket, profit at the expected sales falls to $580.
Why the order of sales matters
Tickets in different tiers keep different amounts, so how many you need to cover the fixed costs depends on which ones sell first. Early discounts often sell first, which is why the cheapest-first case is the cautious one. If premium seats sell early, you cover costs with fewer tickets. The "all tiers in step" option is a middle case that assumes each tier sells in proportion to its seats. Comparing the three shows how much your plan depends on the mix.
For a single price and a single cost, the break-even calculator is enough. To set a fundraising target, see the fundraiser goal calculator, and for the catering part of the cost, the catering cost per head calculator. For the space you need, the tent size calculator adds up floor area.
What the planner does not model
It uses only the prices, seats and costs you enter. Sales tax, refunds, comped tickets, sponsorship income, merchandise, no-shows and payment timing are left out, and so are discounts and promo codes beyond the tiers you list. Fee settings are yours to enter because ticketing services charge differently. Treat the results as a worksheet to test plans before you commit, and update it as real sales come in.
Assumptions and limits
- Prices, seats, expected sales, costs and fees are example values until you replace them.
- Every expected ticket is sold at the tier price. Discounts, promo codes and comps are separate tiers if you want them counted.
- Cost per attendee applies to every ticket sold. Fixed costs do not change with attendance.
- Fees come off the ticket price, a percent and a flat amount per ticket, both entered by you. Taxes are not included.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between fixed costs and cost per attendee?
Fixed costs, such as the venue and staff, are paid whether 10 or 100 people come. Cost per attendee, such as food, rises with each guest. The planner subtracts the second from every ticket and the first from the total.
Why do three break-even numbers appear in the examples?
The number of tickets needed depends on which tiers sell. Cheapest first needs the most tickets, dearest first the fewest, and all tiers in step lies between. Pick the order that matches how your sales usually go.
What does "not reached" mean?
Even if every seat in every tier sells, the money kept per ticket does not add up to the fixed costs. You would need higher prices, lower costs or more seats.
How do I show a negative profit?
A loss is shown in parentheses, such as ($2,820.00). It means the expected sales do not cover the costs you entered.