How to use these numbers
Most event pros price by looking at what competitors charge. That tells you what the market will bear, but it tells you nothing about whether a booking actually pays you. This calculator works from the other direction: what does one event really cost you, and what does it take to make it worth doing.
Count every hour, not just the gig
A five hour reception is rarely five hours of work. Add the planning call, the timeline back and forth, loading the vehicle, the drive, setup, teardown, unloading, editing or follow up. When owners add it all up, the real number is often double the hours on the contract. If your price only covers the hours on site, you are working the rest for free.
Overhead belongs in every price
Insurance, software, your website, your phone, storage and the vehicle all cost money whether you book or not. Divide that monthly total by the number of events you realistically book in a month, not your best month. Slow months are exactly when an under priced event hurts most.
Your gear is wearing out on every job
Speakers, cameras, lights and laptops all need replacing eventually. Spreading that replacement cost across the events you do each year means the money is there when something dies, instead of it coming out of your pocket.
Floor price versus target price
The floor price is your walk away number. It covers everything, including paying yourself, with nothing left over. The target price adds the profit your business needs to grow, save and handle surprises. Quote the target. Use the floor to decide when a discount request is a no.
What to do if your target is higher than what you charge today
You have three levers: raise prices, cut the hours an event takes (templates, checklists, better systems), or lower overhead. Most owners have room in all three. Raising prices is usually the fastest, and it tends to cost fewer bookings than people fear.