Event Budget Calculator
Build an event budget from venue, catering, AV, marketing and staff costs plus contingency, and see the cost per attendee.
- Free
- No sign-up to try
- Works as you type
Event budget
Cost per attendee
$168.67
Total budget with contingency
$20,240
Fixed costs
$13,000
Catering for everyone
$5,400
- Fixed costs = venue + AV + marketing + staff and speakers.
- Total = (fixed costs + catering × attendees) × (1 + contingency).
- Cost per attendee = total ÷ attendees.
Free, no sign-up to try. Save it as a live calculator you can share; an estimate from the numbers you enter, not financial advice. Check the result against your own records before you rely on it.
How it works
How the Event Budget Calculator works
- 1
Enter your numbers
Every result updates as you type, with the formula shown under it.
- 2
Check the method
See how each number is worked out and what it assumes.
- 3
Save it as a Room
Share a live calculator: others can change the numbers and see the result update.
Worked example
What it makes
Example inputs
- Attendees
- 120
- Venue hire
- $6,000
- Catering per attendee
- $45
- AV and production
- $2,500
- Marketing and printing
- $1,500
- Staff, speakers and travel
- $3,000
- Contingency
- 10 %
Results
- Cost per attendee
- $168.67
- Total budget with contingency
- $20,240
- Fixed costs
- $13,000
- Catering for everyone
- $5,400
How it's calculated
- Fixed costs = venue + AV + marketing + staff and speakers.
- Total = (fixed costs + catering × attendees) × (1 + contingency).
- Cost per attendee = total ÷ attendees.
- Assumes: Only catering scales with attendees; venue and other costs stay the same at any headcount.
- Assumes: Sales tax and service charges are included in the amounts you enter.
An estimate from the numbers you enter, not financial advice. Check the result against your own records before you rely on it.
Who it's for
Who uses it
Event planners
Get a first budget before you request quotes.
Marketing teams
Set a ticket price that covers cost per attendee.
Community organisers
See how attendance changes the cost per head.
Good to know
What to consider
- Only catering scales with attendees here; venue and other costs stay the same at any headcount.
- Replace estimates with quotes as they arrive, and keep the contingency until the event is done.
Questions
About the Event Budget Calculator
What should contingency cover?
The things you can't price yet: last-minute changes, extra equipment, higher numbers than planned. Many planners keep about 10% back; more for a first-time event.
Can I share the calculator with my team or a client?
Yes. The Room keeps the calculator live: anyone with the link can change the numbers and see the result update, with the method and assumptions on the same page.
Make your calculator now
Free, no sign-up to try. It becomes a Room you can edit, publish and share.
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