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Course 130 · Money course 21

Budget a Small Event and Set Ticket Prices

Test an arts event’s ticket prices, capacity and cash needs before making commitments.

Before you start

Use multiplication and percentages; all attendance, cost and payout records are supplied.

See everything you’ll need

Practice materials and a worked example · Free download. Download the starter pack

What you’ll leave with

An event finance packet with classified costs, ticket break-even, price scenarios, deposit timing, refund stress and actual reconciliation.

Start course Start without an account. Sign in to save lesson progress across devices.

Your project

Start with the practice files. Build your project one lesson at a time.

Practice files are free without an account. Sign in to save your project record in My Proof: a description, checklist, and optional work link. Keep the original files in your own app or notebook; saving a project record does not upload them.

  1. Get your materialsDownload practice filesStart with the supplied materials, follow the lessons, and compare your work with the annotated example.
  2. Make your projectView the project checklist Work in your own notebook, document, or software. Use the supplied practice examples when you prefer.
  3. Keep a private recordSave a project record Sign in to save a description and checklist, then return to update them.
Optional course overview

Watch an introduction.

This overview from Edspira introduces ideas you’ll practice in the lessons.

Watch directly on YouTube
EdspiraBreak Even Point (in units) ExampleYouTube
Course handbook

Know the route before you begin.

Here’s what you’ll need and what you’ll make. You can return to this guide during any lesson.

Who this is for

For learners ages 14+ and adults exploring practical money and business skills.

Prepare before lesson one
  • Use multiplication and percentages; all attendance, cost and payout records are supplied.
  • Use paper and a calculator, or a free spreadsheet/text editor. The written lessons contain all required records. Optional video and software setup are extra time.
Your final project

Finish with proof you can use.

An event finance packet with classified costs, ticket break-even, price scenarios, deposit timing, refund stress and actual reconciliation.

Save a project record in My Proof
See project checklist and review criteria

Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.

What to include

  • A classified event budget and paid-ticket capacity limit.
  • A verified whole-ticket break-even calculation with a capacity check. An attendance scenario table and a funded reduced-price ticket mix.
  • A deposit schedule with a quantified cash gap and commitment condition.
  • A refund stress test with retained receipts and committed costs reconciled.
  • A reconciled event finance packet and a supported next-event recommendation.

Review and revise

Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.

  • Calculations reconcile to the supplied records, with units and dates labeled.
  • Assumptions and missing information are visible, including the changed scenario.
  • The recommendation follows the evidence and explains an important limitation.
  • The six lesson outputs form a usable handoff that another learner can check.
Three ideas to help you along the way
Three useful ideas

The rules behind the steps.

01

Count every commitment

Include fixed costs, per-person costs and the purpose of the reserve.

02

Respect timing and capacity

A profitable scenario must still fit available cash and permitted attendance.

03

Close the loop

Reconcile actual receipts and expenses before deciding what to repeat.

What do these words mean?
Key words

Key terms worth knowing.

Contribution
Ticket price less the variable cost associated with that ticket.
Break-even
The sales level that covers the defined costs under stated assumptions.
Complimentary admission
An admission with no ticket charge that still uses capacity and may create costs.
Payout
Money transferred from a payment or ticket service to the organizer.
Committed cost
A cost the plan still owes even if attendance changes.
Your route

6 lessons.
One useful project.

Work in order the first time. Each lesson makes something the next lesson can use.

  1. 1
    Up next

    Map costs and ticket capacity

    A classified event budget and paid-ticket capacity limit.

  2. 2
    30 min

    Calculate ticket break-even

    A verified whole-ticket break-even calculation with a capacity check.

  3. 3
    30 min

    Test attendance and an accessible price mix

    An attendance scenario table and a funded reduced-price ticket mix.

  4. 4
    30 min

    Check cash before deposits are due

    A deposit schedule with a quantified cash gap and commitment condition.

  5. 5
    30 min

    Model refunds and committed costs

    A refund stress test with retained receipts and committed costs reconciled.

  6. 6
    30 min

    Reconcile actual results and recommend a change

    A reconciled event finance packet and a supported next-event recommendation.

Use the tools

Tools to help you practice.

See all tools
ZIP · practice files

Budget a Small Event and Set Ticket Prices practice files

Start with the supplied materials, follow the lessons, and compare your work with the annotated example.

Text worksheet

Your course project worksheet

A downloadable text worksheet with each lesson’s working output, space for your answers, and the shared final-project checklist. Save your own copy.

Source transparency

Sources and further study.

Explore the references behind the lessons and take your learning further. Source notes explain access and reuse.

Planning Special Events — University of Florida IFAS
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Inspected the event budget section covering expected income and a full inventory of costs.

Access: Public page inspected without a sign-in; linked services may have separate requirements.

Reuse: Link to the original. Free reading does not imply permission to reproduce the page; lessons and fixtures here are original.

Plan Your Business — SBA cost and break-even guidance
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Inspected startup cost and break-even analysis sections; used the fixed-cost and contribution relationship, not financing offers.

Access: Public page inspected without a sign-in; linked services may have separate requirements.

Reuse: Link to the original. Free reading does not imply permission to reproduce the page; lessons and fixtures here are original.

Planning and Writing an Annual Budget — University of Kansas
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Inspected income, expense planning, assumptions and financial review.

Access: Public page inspected without a sign-in; linked services may have separate requirements.

Reuse: Link to the original. Free reading does not imply permission to reproduce the page; lessons and fixtures here are original.

Managerial Accounting Index — Edspira
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Inspected the exact Break Even Point (in units) Example YouTube link and verified title and channel through oEmbed.

Access: Public page inspected without a sign-in; linked services may have separate requirements.

Reuse: Link to the original. Free reading does not imply permission to reproduce the page; lessons and fixtures here are original.

Ready when you are

Start with the first useful move.

You’ll always know what to do, what to make, and where to go next.

Start lesson one