Carrying the commercial risk.
WHY IT IS THE RISKIEST FORM
You commit all costs before knowing whether anyone will come.
WHAT TO CALCULATE FIRST
Break-even attendance at your ticket price.
HOW
Total committed cost divided by net revenue per ticket.
WHAT NET REVENUE MEANS
Ticket price less platform fees, payment charges and any commissions.
WHY NET
Gross ticket price overstates what you receive.
WHAT TO COMPARE
Break-even against realistic attendance.
WHAT REALISTIC MEANS
Based on evidence: previous events, the audience you can actually reach.
WHAT TO AVOID
Committing to costs that require exceptional attendance.
WHAT TO STAGE
Commitments, so that costs can be reduced if sales are weak.
WHAT THAT MEANS
Booking the minimum first, and adding as sales justify it.
WHAT TO TRACK
Sales against the timeline.
WHAT A SLOW START INDICATES
Either late buying behaviour, or a problem.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
A decision point: by what date you will cancel or scale down.
WHY IN ADVANCE
Decisions made late, under pressure, are worse and more expensive.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT REFUNDS
What happens on cancellation or postponement, stated at purchase.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT TICKETING
How tickets are sold and validated How duplicate or forged tickets are prevented Who controls entry
WHY
Ticket fraud at the gate is common and it causes crowding.
WHAT TO PLAN
Entry capacity matching ticket numbers.
