Evnt-Fee-Form-art

Stefan's Florilegium

Evnt-Fee-Form-art

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Evnt-Fee-Form-art - 4/20/99

"Event Fee Formula" by Elaina.

The companion Excel spreadsheet for this article can be found in the file: events.xls. ( http://www.florilegium.org/files/SCA-EVENT-PLANNING/events.xls )

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NOTICE -

This article was submitted to me by the author for inclusion in this set of files, called Stefan's Florilegium.

These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

While the author will likely give permission for this work to be reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file.

Thank you,
Mark S. Harris...AKA:..Stefan li Rous
stefan at florilegium.org
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Event Fee Formula
by Elaina

Ladies and gentlemen,

I was rather shocked to find out over the weekend (and as an indirect
result of the discussion on this list) that there are autocrats who are
not aware that setting break-even site fees can be a fairly exact
mathematical science - not a matter of by guess and by golly.

I'm publishing here my standard feast and site equations.  Pull them apart
if you like!  We can always add more factors to the basic formulae.  I
think the important thing to remember is that you -can- make an accurate
estimate of what an event will cost to break even.   No one can predict
tornadoes, freak snowstorms, and kitchen fires, but under 'normal'
circumstnces setting event fees is pretty cut and dried.

To cost out a feast:
--------------------

a = cost per head for food (set this in advance with your cook)
b = number of people who will eat free
c = number of people who will eat at half price
d = number of people you are -sure- will eat the feast (your break
even point)
e = cost of feast supplies (toilet paper, dish soap, tablecloths,
rented tables, etc.)

FORMULA:

( ( a * d ) + e ) * 1.10 / d - ( b + c/2) = x (the cost per person)

For example:
You expect a minimum of 200 people to attend a feast, and you are giving
free feast to 10 of them and half price feast to 20 servers. You agree with
your cook to provide $6 per head, and estimate $72 in expenses for supplies.

( ( $6 * 200) + $72 ) * 1.10 / 200 - ( 10 + 20/2) = $7.77

To cost out a site fee:
-------------------

f = cost of the site
g = additional costs (site tokens, cleaning supplies, signs, prizes,
transportation, etc.)
h = additional income (merchants, donations, etc.)
i = number of people you are -sure- will attend the event (your break
even)
j = number of people who you will let in free
k = number of people who you will let in for half price

Formula:

( ( f + g ) - h ) * 1.10 / i - ( j + k/2) = y (the site fee per person)

For example:
Your site costs are $1000 for the feast site and $200 for the tourney
site. The Bee Keepers Guild has donated $40 to the event. Your site
tokens will cost $13 and your tourney prizes will cost $24 and your other site
expenses will cost $37. You expect 250 people to attend the event, and you are
letting 10 people in free, and giving half price site fee to 4 people on
your set up crew, 2 people who are working troll, and six people who are
doing cleanup.

( ( $1200 + $77) + $40 ) * 1.10 / 250 - ( 10 + 12/2) = $5.81

An important thing to remember are that d (# of people at feast) and i (#
of people at the event) are not the same.

If you want to make a profit on the event, then you either:

*  Add $1 to the cost of each feast fee and/or site fee.
*  Use your figured cost as the initial event cost and charge more closer
   to the event or at the door.

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Copyright 1998 by Elaina <MEMORMAN at us.oracle.com>. Permission is granted for republication of this article and the accompanying spreadsheet (events.xls) in
SCA-related publications, provided the author is credited.