How to price event tickets without guessing

Most organisers price tickets by looking at what a similar event charged. That tells you what the market tolerates, not whether your event pays for itself. Start from the other end.

1. Add up what the event costs

List every cost you already know: venue, catering, AV, speakers' travel, insurance, printing, marketing. Add a contingency of 10 to 15 percent for the things you don't know yet. That total is your cost base.

2. Decide how many people will realistically pay

Not the venue capacity: the number you are confident you can sell. For a first event, that is often 60 to 70 percent of capacity. Divide your cost base by that number. The result is your break-even price.

3. Set tiers around break-even

• Early bird: at or slightly under break-even, for a limited number or a short window. It creates urgency and gives you early cash.
• Standard: 20 to 40 percent above break-even. This is where you make the event sustainable.
• Late or door: a little higher again, to reward people who commit early.

4. Check it against the market

Now look at comparable events. If your standard price sits far above them, either your costs are high (trim them) or your event offers something they don't (say so clearly on the page).

5. Watch the first week of sales

The first 7 days tell you more than any spreadsheet. If early birds sell out in hours, your price is probably low. If nothing moves, the problem is usually the page or the audience, not the price.