Free tools Planning calculators

Event budget calculator

Work out what you can spend on a venue after revenue, production costs and profit.

  • Free to use
  • 7 simple steps
  • About 2 minutes
Choose your starting point
Let’s get started

Work out your venue budget

Bring your own numbers or explore an example. We’ll guide you through each input and show how it adds up.

See your results for free. Add your email to keep a report.
Start with a simple exampleA 600-person conference

Sample figures for twelve markets, not current research.

Not sure yet? Start with the numbers provided and change them as you go.

How this calculator works and what comes next

Know what you can spend

A venue budget that starts with your event

Before you compare spaces, know what the event can support. This calculator works back from your expected income to the amount available for the venue, after the costs and profit you want to protect.

  1. 01

    Bring your revenue together

    Add ticket sales, exhibitor booths, and cash sponsorship. Use the attendance and prices you expect for this particular event.

  2. 02

    Give every commitment a place

    Choose the share of total revenue to keep as profit and set aside for production, staffing, marketing, and exhibitor services.

  3. 03

    See what is left for the room

    The remaining amount is your venue budget. Change an assumption to see how your available budget changes before you begin comparing spaces.

A worked example

A $200,000 event, with $70,000 for the venue

The default example combines $100,000 in tickets, $50,000 in booth sales, and $50,000 in sponsorship. Setting aside 20% for profit, 35% for production, and 10% for exhibitor services leaves 35% for the venue.

Expected revenue$200,000
Profit + event costs$130,000
Available for venue$70,000

Illustrative default inputs. Your result uses the numbers you enter above.

Bring the plan into ShoSoft

Turn a clear budget into a well-run event

Once the numbers work, give the event a home. ShoSoft connects the people, resources, and charges that bring the plan to life.

Start with the Free plan · Add modules as your venue grows

ShoSoft, in action. One place for the details behind every event

Good to know

Questions about event budgets

The assumptions behind the answer, explained.

It estimates the amount available for your venue. It adds ticket revenue, booth revenue, and cash sponsorship, then subtracts the percentages you set aside for profit, production, and exhibitor services. Each percentage is applied to total expected revenue.