Before working an event, know the covers to break even — fixed event costs divided by the profit per customer. Below it you lose money; above it, every sale is profit.
The example
$600 fixed, $12 ticket, $4 cost.
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Value |
| 2 | 600 / (12−4) | — |
| 3 | Break-even | → 75 covers |
The formula
The formula:
How it works
How it works:
- Event fixed cost = vendor fee + fuel + staffing + commissary share for the day.
- Contribution per cover = average ticket − variable (food + packaging) cost.
- Divide for the break-even covers; ROUNDUP to whole customers.
- Multiply break-even by ticket for the break-even revenue target.
Break-even covers turns a vendor-fee gamble into a decision. A $600 booth fee sounds scary until you know it’s 75 covers at $8 contribution — an easy lunch rush or a doomed quiet market. Compute it before committing, compare to the event’s realistic foot traffic, and you stop working events that can’t clear their own cost. Every cover past break-even is pure profit.
Try it: interactive demo
Fixed cost, average ticket, variable cost.
Variations
Break-even revenue
Covers × ticket:
Profit at a turnout
Past break-even:
Max fee to bid
For expected covers:
Pitfalls & errors
Contribution, not ticket. Divide by ticket minus variable cost.
All fixed costs. Fee, fuel, labor, commissary share for the day.
Negative contribution. If cost ≥ ticket, you can’t break even.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate break-even covers for an event in Excel?
What's the break-even revenue?
What's the most I should pay for a booth?
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