Question 1

What goes into 'In-Person Costs' vs. 'Virtual Costs'?

Accepted Answer

'In-Person Costs' include expenses that only apply to the physical event, such as venue rental, food and beverage, physical signage, and on-site staff. 'Virtual Costs' are specific to the online experience, like the event platform subscription, streaming/production costs, and digital content creation.

Question 2

What are 'Shared Costs'?

Accepted Answer

'Shared Costs' are expenses that benefit both audiences. Common examples include marketing and promotion for the overall event, speaker fees (as their content is delivered to both), and core event management staff salaries.

Question 3

How should I price virtual tickets compared to in-person tickets?

Accepted Answer

There's no single rule, but virtual tickets are typically priced lower as they don't include the costs of F&B, venue space, etc. A common range is 30-60% of the in-person price. Your pricing should reflect the value you provide to the virtual audience, such as networking features, on-demand content, and exclusive digital resources.

Question 4

Is it possible for the virtual component to be unprofitable but the overall event to be profitable?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely. A virtual component might be run at a loss (or break-even) but be strategically valuable for extending brand reach, capturing a wider audience, or providing a 'taster' that converts virtual attendees to in-person attendees in future years. This calculator helps you see that financial trade-off clearly.

Question 5

How does sponsorship revenue fit into this calculation?

Accepted Answer

This calculator focuses on attendee-driven revenue. You should calculate your total profit from attendees here first. Then, separately add your total sponsorship revenue to the final profit figure to get your overall event profit. This separation helps you understand the profitability of your audience and your sponsorship program independently.

Hybrid Event Profitability Tool

Event Costs

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Understanding Hybrid Event Profitability

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